Green Bay Packers Take Big Play WR in CBS Sports Mock Draft

A tradition unlike any other, mock drafts giving the Green Bay Packers a wide receiver in the first round–something that the team hasn’t actually done since 2002 when they selected Javon Walker.

With that said, given the current state of the Packers wide receiver room, if there is a year they do actually select first-round receiver, this may be it. The only receivers on the roster at the moment are Amari Rodgers, Juwann Winfree, Rico Gafford, Chris Blair, and Randall Cobb–who could end up cut in lieu of some much-needed salary cap savings.

The unknown variables in this equation, however, are the futures of Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who are both unrestricted free agents, and Allen Lazard, a restricted free agent. Now, my hunch is that two of those three will return — Adams and Lazard, in case you were wondering — which would drastically change the look of the receiver room. While I would still consider it a need even if that happens, it may not be a first-round need anymore.

However, if I’m wrong, and only one of those players returns, then addressing wide receiver in the draft will be a major priority for Green Bay.

In a recent mock draft from Tom Fornelli of CBS Sports, he has the Green Bay Packers taking Penn State WR Jahan Dotson with their first pick.

"“Assuming the Packers keep Aaron Rodgers and go all-in to win a Super Bowl,” wrote Fornelli in his mock draft, “adding another receiver to the mix on offense would make sense. Dotson would give Green Bay something it hasn’t had to pair with Davante Adams: a deep-threat who can reliably run other routes, too.”"

Typically the Green Bay Packers covet big-bodied receivers with measurables of 6’0″ and 200 pounds oftentimes being the thresholds. Now, they did select Amari Rodgers last year, who, at 5’9″, doesn’t meet the usual height requirement–but is that the start of a new trend for Green Bay or is that more so going to be an outlier when we look back five years from now? I tend to think the latter.

So I’ve said all of that to point out that Dotson is listed at 5’11” and weighs 184 pounds–putting him below both thresholds. Maybe this doesn’t matter as much to Brian Gutekunst given Dotson’s gaudy numbers, but with the Packers’ draft history, it’s always worth mentioning.

Dotson has four years of playing experience at Penn State and was heavily targeted within their offense the last two years. In 2019, Dotson caught 58.5% of his 41 targets at an impressive 19.3 yards per catch with four touchdowns, according to PFF ($$).

During the shortened 2020 season, Dotson was targeted 84 times in only nine games. He caught 62% of those passes and displayed his big-play ability once again, averaging 17.0 yards per catch with eight touchdowns.

Then most recently, Dotson hauled in 66% of his whopping 137 targets at 13.0 yards per catch — 1,182 total yards — with 12 touchdowns. He was also PFF’s 15th highest-graded receiver in 2021 as well.

Dotson was primarily a boundary receiver during his college career, but he does have slot experience, including nearly 25% of his snaps coming from inside this past season, and he was moved around the formation.

As evidenced by his career yards per catch figures, Dotson has big-play ability. He’s also finished each of the last two seasons ranked 21st and 15th in total YAC–although keep in mind, he has been one of the more heavily targeted receivers in college football.

For more on Dotson and what he can offer the Green Bay Packers, here is a look at what The Draft Network has to say about him in their pre-draft report:

"“His speed and big-play ability are evident. He is a crafty route-runner that creates natural separation with good route pacing, speed, and leverage. Dotson offers alignment versatility and flexibility for an offense.”"

That “alignment versatility and flexibility” mentioned by The Draft Network will certainly catch the eye of Matt LaFleur, as we all know how important that aspect is to playing receiver in this offense.

And if MVS is playing elsewhere next season, it is going to be uber-important that his offense replaces his big-play ability downfield. Yes, you want to have those explosive play opportunities, but having that kind of speed draws a lot of attention and can create for other pass-catchers as well as open up the passing game in general.

If you go back and watch the playoff game against San Francisco, the 49ers were able to play closer to the line of scrimmage without having to worry about Valdes-Scantling–this shrinking of the field made it much more difficult to move the ball through the air.

While Dotson’s speed may catch the attention of many, as both Fornelli and The Draft Network mention, he is also a good route runner, so he can offer more right away than just being a downfield target.

How free agency plays out will tell us a lot about what the Green Bay Packers may plan to do in the draft at the receiver position. At the moment, it is a massive need, but that could very well change, leading them in another direction.