Green Bay Packers: 3 Gadget Wide Receiver Prospects

The Green Bay Packers offense went through long droughts last year and could use an infusion of speed from one of these three wide receivers in the draft.

Getting receivers open was a struggle at times for the Green Bay Packers last season. Because of that, finding weapons that can open up the offense is critical this offseason. Their only free agent acquisition at wide receiver was Devin Funchess, a big-bodied receiver who is more about contested catches than getting separation.

An easy way to get completions and space open on offense is with misdirection. This can come in many forms, but things like jet sweep fakes or screen fakes can draw the defense up and open big shots over the top. These things are much more effective with an established speedy gadget guy so the threat is always there for them to get the ball.

Head coach Matt Lafleur isn’t afraid to put in some gadget and gimmick plays to open up the playbook a little bit. Last season, we saw a plethora of screens, jet sweeps, and even a flea-flicker. Getting one of these guys could give them countless options for potentially explosive plays.

Each of the three guys I have chosen for this article have experience returning kicks and punts, catching and running the ball, and two of them had passing attempts in college. These were all of varying degrees, but they are all versatile and can all be used in a lot of ways in this offense.