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The Green Bay Packers enter this year's NFL draft with an abundance of draft capital and a goal to continue to build around one of the league's true superstars, Aaron Rodgers. Despite a successful 13-4 regular season, the Packers' season ended in disappointment, when they lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC divisional playoffs.
After the loss, it appeared as though the Packers were headed toward a full rebuild and would use this year's NFL draft as the launching point. Rodgers had said his goodbyes to the Lambeau faithful, and it looked like the Jordan Love era was about to begin.
Come April 2022 and the Rodgers dynasty continues, while star wide receiver Devante Adams was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders in a shocking move.
Coming into the NFL draft, the Packers will continue to be NFC contenders, assuming Rodgers continues his MVP-like play. Even if Rodgers' performance drops, the disparity in talent within the conference and in the NFC North still makes the Packers the perennial favorites.
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This doesn't mean Green Bay doesn't have significant holes to fill. Before the Adams trade, the team lacked a true second option at receiver, and the team must replace Billy Turner's physicality on the offensive line and the pass rushing capabilities of Za'Darius Smith.
Luckily, the team has 11 NFL draft picks to help patch up the roster holes and bolster the team's overall depth. With the NFC wide open, Rodgers and company need to ensure that their NFL draft picks are put to good use. General manager Brian Gutekunst has five picks in the first 100 to play with, and this flexibilty means the Packers do not necessarily have to draft for team needs. Instead, they can draft for the best player available, assuming it is not another quarterback.
2022 NFL Draft Picks: Green Bay Packers
1st Round (Pick 22)
1st Round (Pick 28)
2nd Round (Pick 53)
2nd Round (Pick 59)
3rd Round (Pick 92)
4th Round (Pick 132)
4th Round (Pick 140)
5th Round (Pick 171)
7th Round (Pick 229)
7th Round (Pick 250)
7th Round (Pick 259)
2022 NFL Draft: Green Bay Packers Team Needs
Wide Receiver
Before the Packers traded Devante Adams to the Raiders, wide receiver was a gigantic hole. It seems as though this has been a drafting need for the Packers ever since Aaron Rodgers took over as the starter. Along with losing Adams, the Packers also let Marquez Valdes Scantling leave for Kansas City and have only added veteran Sammy Watkins to the depth chart. The Rodgers/Watkins combination has some fireworks potential, but Watkins always seems to peak around week 3. Allen Lazard showed the makings of a capable target, but he is hardly a number one receiver.
Defensive Line/Edge Rusher
Like almost every team in the league, adding depth to the defensive line is a must. Pressuring the quarterback without having to blitz is a fundamental part of a winning team in the era of the star quarterback. Jarran Reed and Kenny Clark remain excellent players along the interior, but the depth behind them is lacking. From a defensive end point of view, the Packers need to add depth to this position. The team relies heavily on rotating players in and out to keep the pass rush fresh.
Other Areas
With so much draft capital to spend and a roster that is already capable of winning its division, the Packers have the luxury of going in many different directions in the draft. With a 38-year-old quarterback, adding a potential impact player with depth to the offensive line makes sense. The tight end position is in need of fresh blood, even with Robert Tonyan on schedule to return from his torn ACL.
2022 Mock NFL Draft: Predictions for all 11 Green Bay Packers picks
1st Round (Pick 22) - Zion Johnson, OG, Boston College
1st Round (Pick 28) - Sky Moore, WR, Western Michigan
2nd Round (Pick 53) - Trey McBride, TE, Colorado State
2nd Round (Pick 59) - Kingsley Enagbare, Edge, South Carolina
3rd Round (Pick 92) - Kellen Diesch, OT, Arizona State
4th Round (Pick 132) - Neil Farrell Jr, DT, LSU
4th Round (Pick 140) - JoJo Domann, LB, Nebraska
5th Round (Pick 171) - Joshua Williams, C, UNC Pembroke
7th Round (Pick 229) - Deven Thompkins, WR, Utah State
7th Round (Pick 250) - Shaun Jolly, CB, Appalachian State
7th Round (Pick 259 - Jaylen Warren, RB, Oklahoma State
Summarizing the 2022 Green Bay Packer NFL Draft
Despite the interior of the offensive line not being a clear standout need, drafting Zion Johnson at 22 seemed like a no-brainer. He's a plug-and-play starter with tremendous strength and experience playing all over the line. Sky Moore would be the perfect addition for Aaron Rodgers and the Packers offense. While he isn't the absolute burner a lot of teams are looking for, Moore is an ultra-productive wideout who could help ease the burden of targets the Adams trade leaves. McBride could fit in with the team if he is willing to put in the work with Rodgers to refine his pass-catching game, and he already has a determination when it comes to blocking.
