3 safest first round picks for Packers in 2022 NFL Draft
Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst isn’t necessarily known for playing it safe when it comes to the first rounds of drafts. However, he could try to go that route this year with an immediate Super Bowl appearance at stake.
In the past, Green Bay has gone with high-upside players who sometimes need time to develop. Think Rashan Gary or Jaire Alexander. That’s certainly on the table this time around, but here are three projected first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft who are on the safer side.
If the Green Bay Packers want to take the safe route in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft, here are three players they can select.
Safest first-round picks for Packers: Devonte Wyatt, DL
Even after signing Jarran Reed in free agency, the Packers have a need along the defensive line. The ripple effect adding another quality lineman would have on their defense might be too hard to pass up.
Devonte Wyatt wasn’t the testing star his collegiate teammate Jordan Davis was, but he’s the more productive and probably better player. At 24-years-old, he’s more mature and game-ready–capable of stepping in as a full-time player in Week 1. He’s solid in all phases of the game and would instantly give Kenny Clark his best line partner since Mike Daniels.
Safest first-round picks for Packers: Treylon Burks, WR
There may be other wide receivers who are more attractive to Packers fans, but Treylon Burks is ready to make an instant impact. He has a great size (6-foot-2 and 225 pounds) and speed combination and can give the Packers the deep threat they desperately need. He’s also a receiver who can win on intermediate routes and would fit into Matt LaFleur’s offense very nicely.
Safest first-round picks for Packers: Jermaine Johnson II, EDGE
Green Bay is all set on the edge when it comes to Rashan Gary and Preston Smith, but they desperately need a third and probably even fourth edge-rusher who they can count on. Even when Gary and Smith are fully healthy, they only play about two/thirds of the snaps, meaning there’s a big hole to be filled in the rotation.
Next. 1 trade, 1 FA, and 1 draft pick to solve Packers' WR issues. dark
Jermaine Johnson II can play well against both the pass and the run. He’s disciplined when it comes to setting the edge, forcing ball-carriers inside toward his help. He can also get after the quarterback, racking up 14 sacks in 2021. Johnson would be both an immediate help on Green Bay’s defense and a long-term replacement for Smith–just like Gary was when he was drafted in the first round.