Packers Rumors: Aaron Rodgers Wanted Treylon Burks in 1st Round of 2022 NFL Draft

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Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers reportedly hoped his team would select Arkansas wide receiver Treylon Burks in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.

Appearing on the Pat McAfee Show, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said Friday that he had gotten word Rodgers liked Burks and that the Packers made some calls to potentially move up:

No deal was consummated, however, and Burks ended up going 18th to the Tennessee Titans, who acquired that pick from the Philadelphia Eagles in a trade that sent wide receiver A.J. Brown to Philly.

With Burks off the board, Green Bay stood pat at Nos. 22 and 28 and addressed the defense, taking Georgia linebacker Quay Walker and Georgia defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt.

The Packers entered the draft with an obvious need at wide receiver after trading Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason.

It was widely assumed that Green Bay would use at least one of its first-round picks on a wideout, but with six receivers coming off the board before the team's first pick at No. 22 overall, the value may not have been there.

Also, the Packers have traditionally shied from using first-round picks on wide receivers. The last time Green Bay took a wideout in the first round was 2002 when it selected Javon Walker 20th.

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Since then, the Packers have enjoyed a ton of success in taking receivers in the second round or later, including Greg Jennings, James Jones, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Adams.

Despite their philosophy, Burks could have been a great fit if he was still available at No. 22.

He is coming off a big junior year with the Razorbacks that saw him set career highs with 66 receptions for 1,104 yards and 11 touchdowns. He also showcased a Deebo Samuel element to his game by rushing 14 times for 112 yards and a score.

Additionally, Burks has ideal size at 6'2" and 225 pounds, plus he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.55 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine, which is a strong number for his size.

A lot of question marks remain in Green Bay's receiving corps, which is made up of Cobb, Allen Lazard, free-agent signing Sammy Watkins and 2021 third-round pick Amari Rodgers.

Cobb and Watkins have posted 1,000-yard seasons, but not for quite some time, while neither Lazard nor Rodgers have proved.

Luckily for the Packers, they have three picks on Day 2 at Nos. 53, 59 and 92 overall.

It seems likely that at least one of those selections will be spent on a wideout, with North Dakota State's Christian Watson, Western Michigan's Skyy Moore, Georgia's George Pickens, Alabama's John Metchie III and Cincinnati's Alec Pierce sitting out there as some of the best wide receivers available.