Reporter reveals who Aaron Rodgers wanted Packers to draft in Round 1
The Green Bay Packers entered the 2022 NFL Draft in need of some wide receiver help after trading Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders earlier this offseason. Though they took a receiver early in the second round, they decided not to address the position with either of their two picks in Round 1 of the NFL Draft on Thursday.
The Packers selected Georgia ILB Quay Walker with the No. 22 overall pick, and Georgia DT Devonte Wyatt at No. 28.
Yes, Green Bay took two defensive players.
NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport said on “The Pat McAfee Show” Friday that he had heard Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers wanted the team to draft one wide receiver, if available, with either first-round pick. Rapoport mentioned the specific receiver he heard Rodgers wanted.
“The word I got was that Treylon Burks was the guy that Rodgers liked, and that he had done the most work on,” Rapoport said.
"The word I got was that Treylon Burks was the guy Aaron Rodgers wanted & he went early to Tennessee" ~@RapSheet#PMSLive pic.twitter.com/hTGOGYJe9H
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) April 29, 2022
The Tennessee Titans ended up taking Burks at No. 18 after trading WR A.J. Brown to the Eagles. In addition to pick 18, the Titans received the Eagles’ No. 101 pick in the deal.
Burks had a breakout season in 2021 for Arkansas, catching 66 passes for 1,104 yards and 11 touchdowns.
During an appearance on “Pat McAfee’s Draft Spectacular” Thursday night, however, Rodgers said that he believed that Alabama’s Jameson Williams was the most NFL-ready wide receiver in the draft.
The Packers have not taken a wide receiver in the first round during Rodgers’ tenure in Green Bay. The last time the team did so was in 2002, when they selected Javon Walker out of Florida State with the 20th overall pick.
Green Bay did address the receiver position on Friday. They traded up to select former North Dakota State receiver Christian Watson with the No. 34 overall pick.