Green Bay Packers: 5 First-round targets in 2020 NFL Draft
After making the NFC Championship, the Green Bay Packers are looking to get better. Which first-round picks in the 2020 NFL Draft would do the trick?
For most teams, making it to the NFC Championship would be considered a successful season. And to be sure, Aaron Rodgers, Matt LaFleur and the Green Bay Packers are surely pleased with the way the 2019-20 campaign played out as they made it to the conference championship. However, for a place that calls itself Titletown, you have to believe their sights are aimed higher.
A 37-20 loss to the 49ers with a trip to Super Bowl LIV on the line proved that the Packers, though immensely talented and quite good, may not be ready to compete for the Lombardi Trophy with their 2019 roster. Subsequently, the 2020 NFL Draft, where they hold the No. 30 overall pick, becomes increasingly critical for them.
While the Packers undoubtedly need to make the most of every pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, getting a player that can help this roster right away in the first round is of the utmost importance. Given their needs, it stands to reason that they should be targeting either a wide receiver or linebacker at No. 30 to either give Davante Adams help or to shore up the middle of the defense.
Taking that into account, here are five first-round targets for the Green Bay Packers in the 2020 NFL Draft, even if there are other options (such as Tee Higgins) who would also make sense for this team.
5. Brandon Aiyuk
School: Arizona State
Position: Wide Receiver
Age: 21 (DOB: March, 17, 1998)
Height: 6-0
Weight: 201 pounds
2019 Stats: 65 receptions, 1,192 yards, 8 TDs
Brandon Aiyuk spent much of the 2018 season with the Sun Devils playing behind eventual first-round pick N’Keal Harry. However, with Harry gone, he became the focal point of the passing offense and shined tremendously for Herm Edwards and Arizona State. He was the second-leading receiver int he Pac-12 on only 65 catches, showcasing the type of big-play ability he brings to the table.
Scouting Outlook
"Brandon Aiyuk is a dynamic receiving prospect who possesses an exciting ceiling at the NFL level. Thriving in vertical routes and in run after catch scenarios, Aiyuk is a height/weight/speed mismatch who showcases splendid short area quickness, explosiveness and ability to stress coverage vertically. He’ll need to hone is releases versus physical press coverage but in the meantime Aiyuk could find immediate success in the slot while honing boundary skills. – Kyle Crabbs, The Draft Network"
Fit with the Packers
One of the big things that the Green Bay offense has been lacking is a speedy guy that can simply outrun defenses and create problems both before and out of the catch with his physical tools. Aiyuk fits the bill in that regard and could offer the Packers a versatile chess piece to utilize in the offense.
The addition of Aiyuk to LaFleur’s offense would not only give Rodgers a dynamic threat in the passing game but would also open up the rest of the field for Adams moving forward. While he’s not a finished product that needs to add some strength to his game to contribute consistently on the outside, his immediate presence would be felt by the Packers.