Latest draft development may signal Packers' willingness to break a two-decade trend that has defined their roster approach
Brian Gutekunst has never drafted a wide receiver in the first round. The former Green Bay Packers general managers from the same tree, Ron Wolf and Ted Thompson, didn’t either. But that doesn’t mean it will never happen.On Friday, ESPN’s Jordan Reid reported that Gutekunst was the only general manager attending Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa […]
Brian Gutekunst has never drafted a wide receiver in the first round. The former Green Bay Packers general managers from the same tree, Ron Wolf and Ted Thompson, didn’t either. But that doesn’t mean it will never happen.
On Friday, ESPN’s Jordan Reid reported that Gutekunst was the only general manager attending Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan’s private workout.
Right now, T-Mac is the ninth overall prospect on the consensus big board, so it's unlikely that he will fall to 23. On the other hand, draft analyst Dan Brugler said on The Athletic Football Show that he has a high range of possible outcomes, going from the fifth to the 25th pick in the first round. Either way, the Packers are making sure the scouting process is done by April.
At the NFL Combine, Gutekunst affirmed that not drafting a receiver in the first round is more a product of the circumstances than any philosophical pillar.
"It's funny, it's not a philosophical thing we've talked about through my time in Green Bay, which goes back quite a while," Gutekunst said. "It's never something like 'Hey, we don't want to take wide receivers in the first round' or certain opportunities we've had, we thought that was gonna happen and for whatever reason it didn't."
There are four wide receivers inside the top 32 of the consensus board: McMillan (9th), Texas' Matthew Golden (20th), Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka (29th), and Missouri's Luther Burden (31st). Picking wide receivers early becomes more important based on the current market explosion at the position. The Cincinnati Bengals gave Ja'Marr Chase more than $40 million per year, making him the highest-paid non-quarterback in NFL history. Getting a top player on a rookie deal would be a big surplus value.
At the same time, the Packers have had success on Day 2, and Gutekunst seems comfortable with that path if necessary.
"We've had a lot of second-round receivers that have been pretty good players for us," Gutekunst added. "So, again, I do think the immediate impact of wide receivers is changing because the way these guys are coming out of school, where they can be more impactful quicker, but it's never been a philosophical thing for us. Just really more kind of how it shook out."
A to Z Sports' Destin Adams wrote McMillan's scouting report, highlighting his prototypical size to play at X, trustworthy hands, and football IQ, while his struggles against press coverage, difficulty to build up speed, and blocking issues are negative aspects of his game.
Throughout three college football seasons at Arizona, McMillan had 213 receptions, 3,423 yards, and 26 touchdowns.
Brian Gutekunst sets record straight on Packers’ approach to drafting wide receivers early
General manager talked at the NFL Combine
