Free agency is a tough place to find wide receivers. The great ones usually don't hit the open market, and good ones end up getting great contracts as a consequence. Christian Kirk's deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars a few years ago became a clear example of that phenomenon.

The Green Bay Packers, though, could still have some options. The team probably needs a long-term option with Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs entering the final year of their rookie deals, but with almost $50 million in cap space, it's possible to evaluate free agency and see if there's an option to make Jordan Love's life easier right away.

The available group includes older players like Stefon Diggs, Keenan Allen, and DeAndre Hopkins, but those are not the ones the Packers should target.

General manager Brian Gutekunst historically prefers, as he should, younger options. And if there isn't a clear WR1 on the market, which would be what the Packers truly want and need, at least there are role players who could set up the offense for success in some areas.

Chris Godwin

• Original team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
• Spotrac market projection: 3 years, $67.586 million ($22.5 million APY)

Godwin is 28, so he's getting closer to a dangerous age for wide receivers. Moreover, it will be his third NFL contract. But he is also a highly productive player.

Godwin had 576 receiving yards in 2024, but because he missed 10 games with an ankle injury. Extrapolating his production to a 17-game sample, it would be almost 1,400 yards and 12 touchdowns. His 6.9 yards per route run was a career high.

There's a perception that Godwin is a slot-only player, but he aligned as a wideout in almost 40% of his snaps last year. In this case, a three-year contract would be solid for the team, as it would have the flexibility to move on after the age 30 season.

Marquise Brown

• Original team: Kansas City Chiefs
• Spotrac market projection: 2 years, $15.9 million ($7.95 million APY)

Hollywood played most of the season with the Chiefs with a sternoclavicular injury, but he returned in time to play the final two games of the regular season and the playoffs. He was never a highly productive offensive weapon, but he is an interesting situational receiver to add a speed element to the unit.

Josh Palmer

• Original team: Los Angeles Chargers
• Spotrac market projection: 3 years, $12.8 million ($4.3 million APY)

Palmer is the most Packers-y type of the entire free agency group. He is 6'1, 210lbs, and is still really young at 25. Even though his production is underwhelming in some regards, he's had three consecutive seasons with at least 500 receiving yards. Palmer will never be a star, but he is a useful piece. In 2024, he had a 15.1 average depth of target, the best number of his career.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling

• Original team: New Orleans Saints
• Spotrac market projection: 1 year, $1.52 million

This is one of those where the argument is "why not?" MVS knows Matt LaFleur's system, knows the organization, and would be the ideal short-term replacement while Christian Watson recovers from his ACL injury. After an unsuccessful stint with the Buffalo Bills, MVS had 385 yards in eight games with the Saints—extrapolating to a full season, that's 818 yards.

For the veteran minimum or something close to it, this production is more than enough and hard to find. He is 30, which might give the Packers a pause, but it's really just a short-term option and it would help Love with a deep threat.

DJ Chark

• Original team: Los Angeles Chargers
• Spotrac market projection: 1 year, $1.45 million

Chark is 28, and it seems like there's hope around him since that 1,000-yard season for the Jacksonville Jaguars in 2019. Injuries have prevented him from reaching that production again, and he played only seven games for the Chargers last season, with four receptions for 31 yards, and a touchdown. His 0.55 yards per route run was a career low.

However, he had two decent seasons in 2022 and 2023 for the Detroit Lions and Carolina Panthers, and his speed is still a valuable asset. If the Packers can't get MVS, Chark would be a fine Plan B.

Jordan Love has the perfect perspective about the Packers WR1 narrative

Quarterback knows how to navigate the public sphere