Packers' Team Needs to Fill in 2022 NFL Draft

The 2022 NFL draft is a crucial one for many teams, but there are few that have as much invested in it as the Green Bay Packers. 

The Packers' offseason has been defined by two moves: They extended Aaron Rodgers and traded away Davante Adams. Those moves simultaneously extended their Super Bowl window but left them with another hole on the roster that will need to be addressed. 

The good news is the Packers are well-equipped to do so through the draft. After the Adams trade, they have five picks in the top 100, which include two selections in the first and second rounds. 

In short, Green Bay is in a position where it has to find rookies who can provide an immediate impact over the next two seasons.

Here are three of the biggest needs the Packers will need to target with those five choices. 

Wide Receiver

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Let's start with the obvious: The receiving corps will need to be addressed. 

The Packers did a good job of bringing back some value for their star wide receiver. After all, the Cowboys essentially traded Amari Cooper for a fifth-round pick. But it also leaves their receiving corps as a glaring need. 

Not only are the Packers losing a bona fide No. 1 receiver in Adams, but they are also losing their top deep threat in Marquez Valdes-Scantling. His ability to utilize his speed and size gave Rodgers a vertical threat. 

Head coach Matt LaFleur already acknowledged they will need to add speed to their current receiver room. 

"Certainly, if you look at our roster right now, we definitely need to get some speed in that room," he said, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN. "We need a legit guy that can take off the top of the coverage. We lost a guy that was pretty good at doing that."

Fortunately for the Packers, there are several receivers with elite speed in this draft class. And 18 at the position ran a sub-4.5 40-yard dash at the combine this year. 

Offensive Tackle

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The Packers have some serious questions to address when it comes to their offensive line. They finished a respectable 14th in PFF's final offensive line rankings last season, but they were held together by duct tape considering the injuries they had to get through.  

All-Pro David Bakhtiari only played in one game due to an ACL injury. Elgton Jenkins was able to fill in at tackle well, but he only played in eight games after he suffered the same injury. 

Since then, the Packers have lost Billy Turner and Lucas Patrick in free agency, and they have yet to re-sign Donald Kelly. With Jenkins coming back from an ACL injury, the picture for the line gets murky. 

The Packers can bring some clarity to that in the draft, though. There are six tackles in the top 50 of the B/R Scouting Department's big board. 

They likely won't pick to early enough to take one of the top three, but Bernhard Raimann, Trevor Penning and Daniel Faalele should all be on the table.

Edge

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The way the Packers have approached the outside linebacker/defensive end position this offseason is a great example of how to build a roster.

While Preston Smith and Za'Darius Smith were both instrumental to the franchise, the play of Rashan Gary on his rookie contract enabled them to part ways with Za'Darius. With the latter Smith missing all but two games this season due to a back injury, he was the most expendable of the trio. 

Now, the cycle continues with Gary in line for a contract extension in 2024. At that point, Preston Smith will be 32 and could be a top candidate to become a cap casualty. 

So while Preston Smith and Gary will be the two primary pass-rushers, it's a commodity that really needs a three-man rotation in the NFL. Getting a high upside pass-rusher should be a high priority. 

Even if he's just a part-time player in Year 1, the team newcomer will fulfill an important need and become even more important in the future.