The Green Bay Packers lost several key contributors in various positions this offseason, and the wide receiver room was one of the hardest hit. Losing Romeo Doubs in free agency and trading Dontayvion Wicks to the Eagles, the Packers no longer have one of the deepest and most talented WR rotations in the league. It still has solid depth and upside, but the Packers could certainly look to add more talent at the draft.
The Packers will almost certainly prioritize their defensive needs in the draft, especially early on. Yet, considering that the Packers don't have any wide receivers under contract beyond this season other than Matthew Golden and Savion Williams, we can expect Brian Gutekunst to take a flyer on a wideout in later rounds. The Packers have six Day 3 picks, and taking a chance on a high-upside pass-catcher with one of those picks makes a lot of sense.
TCU wide receiver Eric McAlister could be that high-upside selection. The talented playmaker broke his foot while doing position drills at his Pro Day, per NFL insider Ian Rapoport. While this certainly hurts McAlister, it could be an opportunity for the Packers to take advantage of his potential slip in the draft.
Packers May Take Advantage of Talented WR Prospect's Slip in the Draft
Rapoport added that McAlister should be ready to start the season, which should be enough for the Packers to consider drafting him this week.
McAlister just had a 1,190-yard season with the Horned Frogs, including a ridiculous eight-catch, 254-yard, three-TD game against SMU. He had six games with over 100 receiving yards. The combination of his forced missed tackle rate of 29.8% and a 12.6 ADOT in his final season puts him in a rare territory. There was only one other receiver in this class (Indiana's Omar Cooper Jr.) to meet both of those marks.
He will turn 24 during the season, and he doesn't have the elite speed for the next level. His 4.53 time in the 40-yard dash and contested target rate can be concerning. This latest injury will only exacerbate the concerns about his athleticism.
If the Packers were using a Day 2 pick on him, these would be legitimate concerns. Instead, we are talking about a late Day 3 pick. If there is a chance he falls out of the draft, he could even be an intriguing UDFA to add for training camp. There are enough signs here with McAlister that the Packers would be wise to bring him in, whether it's with one of their late-round picks or after the draft.
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