The Green Bay Packers had a heck of a season in 2024. They went 11-6, Jordan Love continued to develop into a franchise quarterback, Josh Jacobs was a massive addition as a free agent running back, they were top 10 in scoring offense and defense … but — and it’s a big but — they still finished third in the division and lost in the first round of the playoffs.
Jacobs, fresh off a 1,329-yard and 15-touchdown season, appeared on Radio Row at Super Bowl LIX, and offered a surprisingly frank assessment of the Packers’ situation.
The former first-round pick, who is always an awesome interview, said he believes the Packers are not one piece away from winning.
Harsh! But fair? The Packers were a really good team. But they were not a complete team. In their defense, most NFL teams aren’t. But Jacobs, appearing on a later show with Chris Simms of NBC Sports, said he believes the Packers specifically need to upgrade their wide receivers.
And Jacobs, again, did not mince words when discussing the current wideout depth chart in Green Bay, saying the Packers need “a real wide receiver.”
“We need a wide receiver — a real wide receiver,” Jacobs said. “Love the guys we have but we need a proven No. 1.”
Again: harsh! But again: fair? The Packers have some really good wide receivers. They all complement each other well by virtue of different skill sets. Christian Watson’s the burner. Jayden Reed’s the gadget guy. Romeo Doubs is more of a possession receiver. Dontavyion Wicks can fill roles when he’s asked to step in — and maybe could be the next true No. 1?
But what the Packers don’t have is a truly elite receiver. You could also argue they need edge rusher help and more talent in the defensive backfield. That’s three things right there! But you can’t draft them all at once, unfortunately, in most cases.
The receiver thing is one that’s tough to tackle as well, because it’s pretty hard to stumble into a top-tier wideout where the Packers will be picking. Both Ryan Wilson and Chris Trapasso have them addressing other needs in their most recent mocks (cornerback and defensive line, so it fits the bill at the moment).
And it’s not like the Packers haven’t already invested at the position, either. Watson was a second-round pick in 2022. Reed was a second-round pick in 2023. Doubs was a 2022 fourth-rounder. And Wicks was a fifth-rounder in 2023. They also snagged Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft with second- and third-round selections, respectively, in 2023.
That’s a lot of draft capital for the position, so the Packers may be hesitant to invest in a first-round selection on a wide receiver any time soon, especially given the way they’ve done business over the last several decades when it comes to the position.
If it were up to Jacobs, though, they’d make a big splash at the wideout position this offseason.
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Author: Will Brinson
February 5, 2025 | 1:50 pm
