Green Bay Packers: 5 Surprise first-round picks in play for 2020 NFL Draft
By Joe Kipp
3. Michael Pittman Jr., WR, USC
It’s no secret the Packers need help at wide receiver. Luckily, the 2020 NFL Draft is littered with talent at the receiver position with one of the deepest classes in years. Green Bay could elect to wait until the second or third round to take a pass-catcher, but securing a top talent early-on may be a wiser move.
USC receiver Michael Pittman Jr. hasn’t been touted as a first-round prospect, but it’s easy to see why he could be when evaluating his traits. Pittman has elite size (6-4, 223 pounds) for the receiver position, with the production to back it up. He broke out in 2019 by catching 101 passes for 1,275 yards and 11 touchdowns. He’s plenty athletic, too, showing he has requisite speed (4.52-second 40-yard dash) and leaping ability (36.5 inches in vertical jump) at the NFL Combine.
Lance Zierlein of NFL.com had plenty of good things to say about Pittman:
"“Big, smart and reliable, Pittman falls into the ‘possession receiver’ bin, but has top-notch ball skills that allow him to bully and best cornerbacks down the field … He should be a productive plug-and-play talent at WR2 early in his career.”"
Pittman would immediately step in as a contributor for the Packers alongside Davante Adams, Devin Funchess and Allen Lazard, giving Green Bay have one of the better receiving corps in the NFL. Pittman is one of the surprise players who could hear their name called on Day 1 of the draft.