Way Too Early 2021 Mock Draft has Packers Finally Taking a WR

In a recent way too early 2021 NFL mock draft, the Green Bay Packers finally land their first-round wide receiver talent.

We are just over a month removed from the 2019 NFL Draft but as we all know, it’s never too early to take a look ahead as we find some prospects to keep our eyes on during the College Football Season.

When it comes to the Green Bay Packers, this year’s draft through just about everyone for a loop. A few of their biggest perceived needs included finding their right tackle of the future, a No. 2 wide receiver, a speedy inside linebacker, and some help inside for Kenny Clark.

However, that isn’t exactly how things played out. With their nine picks the Green Bay Packers didn’t select a single receiver, tackle, or interior defensive lineman, and the linebacker they did draft wasn’t taken until Day 3.

Instead, they traded up in Round 1 to select Jordan Love, the heir to the Cheesehead Thrown. Then in Rounds 2 and 3 they’d select running back A.J. Dillon and soon to be H-back Josiah Deguara.

During Matt LaFleur’s first season as Head Coach, the offense had mixed results and was a mashup of what he wanted to do along with what Mike McCarthy had implemented over the years. Now in Year 2, and as they should, the Green Bay Packers are going all-in on the LaFleur offense.

Yet even with less three and four wide receiver sets coming our way in 2020, in Luke Easterling’s Way Too Early Mock Draft over at Draft Wire, he can’t resist and like many before him, he has the Green Bay Packers selecting a wide receiver at pick 23 overall. And while there is still a full-season of College Football ahead in which a lot will change, at this point Packer fans should be thrilled at the idea of landing Jaylen Waddle from Alabama.

Many draft analysts out there think that Waddle has the potential of being one of the top wide receiver in this class. And some have even alluded to him being WR1.

As a freshman in 2018, Waddle would log 45 receptions for 848 yards at a ridiculous 18.8 yards per catch with seven touchdowns. Although this past season Waddle’s total receiving yards would drop to 560, he still hauled in six touchdown receptions along with a whopping 17.0 yards per catch.

If you can’t tell, Waddle is a big play waiting to happen. In fact, according to Pro Football Focus, 33 percent of his receptions since 2018 have gone for at least 15 yards. This is the highest rate during that span in all of college football and that kind of playmaking ability is something that this Green Bay offense could desperately use.

On top of all of that, he may be the best punt return man in the country, averaging 24.4 yards per return in 2019 with a touchdown.

Compared to some of the other top wide receiver prospects, Waddle’s overall production isn’t eye-popping, but with the departure of Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs in this year’s NFL Draft, in 2020 he will be an every-down receiver and truly have the opportunity to produce.

As fans of the Green Bay Packers, especially after how this draft went, seeing a mock draft that has them selecting a receiver can be easy to scoff at. With that said, another season of mediocre receiver production could make not addressing the position for a third season in a row an impossible task for GM Brian Gutekunst.

We also have to consider that 2021 is the final year of Davante Adams’ current deal with Green Bay. And while we all hope that he is brought back, at this point there is no guarantee. So uncertainty around Adams’ future heading into next year’s draft could also force Gutey to address the receiver position early on.

As I already mentioned, a lot is going to change and between now and the draft we will see countless names mocked to the Green Bay Packers. But it’s also never too early to start looking ahead and finding a few names to lock in on this college season.

And Jaylen Waddle is someone for Packer fans to be excited about.