The Green Bay Packers used both of their first-round draft picks on defenders. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers reacted to the team not selecting a wide receiver on the “Pat McAfee Show.”
The Green Bay Packers held two first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft on Apr. 28. Considering that one of those picks came from the Las Vegas Raiders in the Davante Adams trade, you had to believe that pick would be used on a wide receiver.
Well, that did not happen.
With the 22nd-overall pick, the Packers selected Georgia linebacker Quay Walker. The Packers then used their No. 28 pick on Walker’s teammate and Georgia defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt.
Rodgers appeared on the “Pat McAfee Show,” where he said that he knew the Packers were going to go in the direction of defense after the top wide receivers in the draft were off the board.
Aaron Rodgers reacts to Packers not drafting a wide receiver in first round
Additionally, the reigning NFL MVP said that Alabama’s wide receiver Jameson Williams, from what he saw, was the most pro-ready wideout in the draft. Williams was selected by the Detroit Lions with the No. 12 pick following a trade with the Minnesota Vikings. That, and Rodgers said that “it didn’t seem like there was a Justin Jefferson in this draft.”
There was a huge run on wide receivers after the Atlanta Falcons and New York Jets used the No. 8 and 10 picks on Drake London and Garrett Wilson, respectively. The New Orleans Saints traded up to No. 11 to get Chris Olave and the Lions moved up to No. 12 to get Williams. The Washington Commanders took Jahan Dotson with the No. 16 pick and the Tennessee Titans selected Treylon Burks with the No. 18 pick after they traded A.J. Brown.
Regardless, Green Bay got one of the top linebackers in the entire draft in Walker and one of the top interior defensive linemen in the class. Of course, both were part of the 2021 Bulldogs team that won the CFP National Championship.
Through his four years with the Bulldogs, Walker recorded 137 total tackles, five sacks, three defended passes and one fumble recovery.
Wyatt played four seasons with Georgia, where he recorded 113 total tackles, five sacks, three passes defended, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.