The Green Bay Packers receiving core is, to put it politely, completely and utterly barren. Behind Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling is the next best receiving option. While he showed some promise in 2018, the Packers can’t trot this group out without one more key addition in 2019.
In the 2019 NFL Draft, there are plenty of receivers who could interest the Packers in Rounds 1 and 2. Round 2 is perhaps the best place to pick a wide receiver; it’s where the depth of the class settles, and multiple roles can be found.
In this mock, however, the Packers don’t wait until the second round. Instead, they poaching enticing receiver prospect at the tail end of the first-round: South Carolina’s Deebo Samuel.
Samuel’s selection is a fitting one for Green Bay, as they recently lost a similar receiver to Samuel in Randall Cobb. Samuel is a sturdy, compact pass catcher who offers brisk change-of-direction speed with his route running. Matt LaFleur will need receivers who can handle his various route concepts and work them to perfection. Thus, he’ll quickly find Deebo Samuel to be an invaluable asset for a team that direly needed an investment at wide receiver.