Pros and Cons of Packers trading up to draft Christian Watson 34th overall

There were whispers earlier in the day that the Green Bay Packers were working diligently to trade up in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft. And that actually came to fruition in just the second pick on Day 2.

Green Bay packaged their two second-round picks (no.’s 53 and 59 overall) to acquire the 34th overall selection from the Minnesota Vikings. They then selected Christian Watson, a wide receiver out of North Dakota State.

Let’s check out the pros and cons of this aggressive move.

Here are the pros and cons of the Green Bay Packers trading up in the draft to select wide receiver Christian Watson with the 34th overall pick.

Pro: Highest upside wide receiver

Watson has the highest upside of any receiver in this draft according to some analysts. And obviously Green Bay is high on him as well. They tried to package their two second-rounders to get Watson at 32nd overall, but the Vikings ultimately turned it down before accepting this deal.

He’s 6-foot-4 and can absolutely fly, running a 4.36-second 40-yard dash. He can use that great speed and length in dangerous ways when he’s on the football field and is as explosive as they come. He’ll instantly give Green Bay a high-upside guy they can focus on developing into their next star at the position.

Con: Lost trade according to trade value chart

Green Bay did come out on the losing end of the trade value chart, for whatever that is worth. Their two second-round picks added up to 23.4 points and they only got 15.3 in return. Watson was also a reach according to most boards–he was 47th on the composite ranking put together by The Athletic, 61st on Dane Brugler’s and 61st on The Ringer’s. However, general manager Brian Gutekunst loves to get his guys.

Pro: Added speed to the position

The Packers were super slow at the position, but finally added some speed with this selection. Watson immediately replaces the deep threat they lost in Marquez Valdes-Scantling and then some. He can blow past defenses and will keep them honest with a deep safety over the top. That’s huge for Matt LaFleur’s offense, as he loves to run underneath routes across the field as well.

Con: Raw receiver who has questionable hands

Watson has a lot of growth and development ahead of him, especially when it comes to route-running and improving his hands. He loses his focus sometimes and that led to 12 drops over the last two seasons. That’s not going to cut it with Aaron Rodgers at the helm.