Here’s How Packers Could Replace Adams in NFL Draft

Armed with plenty of draft capital, here are seven receiver prospects the Green Bay Packers could select in the first two rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers haven’t drafted a receiver in the first round since 2002 but that might change following Thursday’s stunning trade of All-Pro Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders.

The Packers have four of the top 59 selections in the 2022 NFL Draft, giving them ample opportunity to draft one or two receivers in hopes of overcoming the loss of one of the NFL’s premier players.

Green Bay owns the 22nd and 28th selections of the first round and the 53rd and 59th selections of the second round. Not that the Packers are forced to pick in those spots. It’s worth noting, using the Rich Hill trade-value chart, the Packers could package No. 22 and No. 53, for instance, and get to No. 11. Or, they could take No. 53 and their third-round pick (No. 92) and move to No. 40.

Zack Patraw of SI.com’s NFL Draft Bible has options for the first and second rounds, as well as for potential tradeups.

First-Round Options

Arkansas’ Treylon Burks – During his final season, he caught 66 passes for 1,104 yards (16.7 average) and 11 touchdowns. He’s got great size (6-foot-2, 225 pounds) but a 4.55 in the 40 was part of a disappointing Scouting Combine. A scout likened him to a more-skilled version of Allen Lazard.

Patraw: Burks is a "do everything" type of receiver. He's a big-bodied guy with great speed for his size and can play in the slot or on the boundary to create positive matchups for the Packers.

Alabama’s Jameson Williams – Williams (6-1 1/2, 179) suffered a torn ACL during the national championship game on Jan. 10, an injury that could send him deep into the first round. A first-team All-American, Williams led the nation with a school-record four touchdown receptions of 70-plus yards and had 11 touchdowns of 30-plus yards. He caught 79 passes for 1,572 yards and 15 touchdowns during his final season. He also scored two touchdowns on kickoff returns.

Patraw: If the Packers want to add speed to their receiving corps, Williams is your guy. Add the fact that he is a tremendous route runner who can create loads of space, and you have a real nightmare the defense needs to worry about.

Ohio State’s Chris Olave – In four seasons, Olave caught 176 passes for 2,711 yards and a school-record 35 touchdowns. He recorded career highs of 65 receptions for 966 yards and 13 touchdowns as a senior. At 6-foot 3/4 and 187 pounds, he ran his 40 in 4.39 seconds. He’s not big, he’s not supremely athletic but he’s an excellent route-runner.

Patraw: If the Packers want to add an experienced receiver with solid speed and reliable hands, Olave could be selected with one of their two current picks that they hold.

Second-Round Options

Georgia’s George Pickens – Pickens suffered a torn ACL in March but somehow was back on the field for the end of the season. He had a 52-yard catch in the national championship game. In 24 career games, he caught 90 passes for 1,347 yards (15.0 average) and 14 touchdowns. At 6-foot-3 1/4 and 195 pounds, he ran his 40 in 4.47 seconds.

Patraw: Pickens could be available with the Packers' first pick in the second round. He's a big-bodied receiver who will thrive on the boundary, has tremendous play speed, and plays with a ton of competitiveness.

Alabama’s John Metchie – Metchie caught 96 passes for 1,142 yards (11.0 average and eight touchdowns in 13 games but suffered a torn ACL in the SEC Championship Game. He measured 5-foot-11 1/4 and 187 pounds at the Combine.

Patraw: The ACL injury will likely push Metchie down draft boards and make him available for the Packers to take him with their second pick in the second round. He's one of the better route-runners in the class and has proven to be a threat to all three levels of the field.

Likely Need To Trade Up

1st Round: Ohio State Garrett Wilson – Wilson had a monster final season. After scoring 11 touchdowns in 21 games his first two seasons, Wilson scored 12 touchdowns in 11 games in 2021. He tallied 70 receptions for 1,058 yards. At 5-foot-11 3/4 and 183 pounds, he ran his 40 in 4.38 seconds.

Patraw: Wilson would be a perfect fit if the Packers are looking for a go-to number one type of receiver. He's a tremendous athlete with twitchy route-running skills that can create space and make plays in the open field. The only problem for the Packers is that they'll likely need to trade up in the draft to get him. He could go as high as 10 to the Jets and likely doesn't get past the Eagles at 15 or 16.

2nd Round: Penn State Jahan Dotson – Dotson ranks in the top four in school history in receptions (183), receiving yards (2,757) and receiving touchdowns (25). He caught 91 passes for 1,182 yards and 12 touchdowns as a senior. For added appeal, he averaged 17.8 yards per punt return for his career, including 24.6 with one touchdown on eight returns in 2020 and 13.0 yards on eight returns in 2021. At 5-foot-10 5/8 and 178 pounds, he ran his 40 in 4.43.

Patraw: Dotson has been teased a few times to receiver-needy teams at the backend of the first round, but I see him more as an early-to-mid Day 2 pick at his size. He has phenomenal hands with tremendous body control to make some pretty unreal catches when the ball is in the air. Despite his size, he's proven to be a threat as a boundary receiver or can play in the slot.

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Davante Adams and Aaron Rodgers

Here's a look at Davante Adams and Aaron Rodgers, who were brilliant together the past eight seasons, through the lenses of USA Today's Imagn photo service.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) celebrates a touchdown connection with Davante Adams (17) late in the first quarter of their game against San Francisco on Oct. 15, 2018, at Lambeau Field. Adams finished the season with 111 receptions for 1,386 yards and 13 touchdowns. Those all set career highs, and it was his first season of 100 receptions and 1,000 yards. (Dan Powers/USA TODAY)

Nov 25, 2018; Minneapolis, MN, USA;

Adams and Rodgers celebrate a touchdown at the Minnesota Vikings on Nov. 25, 2018. Adams' 13 touchdowns are the most against the Vikings in their history. (Brad Rempel/USA TODAY)

Rodgers and Adams celebrate a touchdown pass together on Dec. 6, 2020, at Lambeau Field. Rodgers became the seventh quarterback in NFL history to throw 400 career touchdown passes. (Dan Powers/USA TODAY)

“Those are fun milestones,” Rodgers said. “I’m not sure how long I’m going to be able to hold on to the second one. There’s some really good young quarterbacks who I’m guessing are amassing some numbers in that vicinity.” (Benny Sieu/USA TODAY)

It marked the seventh consecutive game with a touchdown catch for Adams, tying Hall of Famer Don Hutson’s franchise record. “To be breaking or tying records that have been around for 60-70 years, it’s special, man,” Adams said. “I’m just trying to play ball. I’m just trying to do whatever it takes to win these games.” (Benny Sieu/USA TODAY)

Rodgers and Adams celebrate a touchdown during a victory at Detroit on Dec. 13, 2020. Adams led the NFL with 18 touchdown catches in 2020. (Raj Mehta/USA TODAY)

Arm-in-arm, Rodgers and Adams walk off the field after a fourth-quarter touchdown at Chicago in the 2020 finale. Adams wound up leading the NFL in receptions per game, yards per game and touchdowns per game. Adams' 10 career touchdowns vs. Chicago is only one off the record vs. the Bears, held by Billy Howton and Calvin Johnson. (Dan Powers/USA TODAY)

Adams is the height of fashion as he walks off the field following the Packers' victory over the Lions at Lambeau Field on Sept. 20, 2021. Dan Powers/USA TODAY)

Rodgers and Adams are all smiles after rallying past the Lions in Week 2, a season-altering victory following a dismal Week 1 game vs. New Orleans and a poor first half against Detroit. Adams caught eight passes for 121 yards, one of his eight 100-yard games last season. (Jeff Hanisch/USA TODAY)

Rodgers and Adams embrace after a touchdown against Chicago on Dec. 12. Adams scored two touchdowns in the game. (Benny Sieu/USA TODAY)

Davante Adams caught 10 passes for 121 yards and two touchdowns during that victory over Chicago. (Dan Powers/USA TODAY).

Rodgers and Adams react after a touchdown connection during the Dec. 19 victory at Baltimore. Adams was limited to six receptions for 44 yards against a defense called "17 Bulldog" in which the Ravens at times used three defenders on Adams. “It’s a sign of respect, but it definitely was annoying,” Adams said. “So, hopefully, it doesn’t happen too much moving forward.” (Tommy Gilligan/USA TODAY)

Rodgers and Adams celebrate a second-quarter touchdown against the Cleveland Browns on Christmas at Lambeau Field. Rodgers and Adams connected for their 66th and 67th touchdowns that day, breaking the Rodgers-to-Jordy Nelson record as the most prolific duo in Packers history.

“He’s a fantastic player. He gives you so many great plays during a game,” Rodgers said that night. “On the touchdown to break the record, his was a really freelance route. That’s what makes him so great is his creativity within the system. When I looked over at him on the left, I was almost going to give him a signal to make sure we are on the same page, but something – intuition, whatever – said don’t do it. Just trust it. And he didn’t do what basically is on-the-paper football offense. He lost his guy quickly and they brought empty pressure. He did exactly what I would have wanted to tell him but there wasn’t even a signal that could’ve even come close to the beauty and the creativity of that route. It’s one of those fun moments.”

(Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY)

“It caught me off-guard when he texted me that the other day,” Adams said a couple days later of Rodgers' words, “because I feel like what we don’t do enough as men in general is express the way we feel about one another or about the way he feels, whether it’s good or bad. So, to hear something like that out of the blue – there was no conversation that led up to it or anything like that, it was just strictly from his heart, something he was thinking about – it means a lot to me as a player.”

(Dan Powers/USA TODAY)

In 2021, Adams set franchise records with 123 receptions for 1,553 yards (12.6 average). Eight of his 11 touchdowns came during the final seven games.

Over the last six seasons, Adams ranks No. 1 among receivers with 581 receptions (31 more than DeAndre Hopkins), 7,192 receiving yards (63 more than Julio Jones) and 69 touchdowns (nine more than Mike Evans).

And now, it's off to Las Vegas, where he will make new memories alongside his former college quarterback, Derek Carr.

(Jeffrey Becker/USA TODAY)