First-Round Receiver? You (Mostly) Know Packers’ History

Some teams have picked a lot of receivers in the first round over the last two decades. The Green Bay Packers are not one of those teams.

Author:
Bill Huber
Updated:
Feb 20, 2023 7:21 AM EST
Original:
Feb 19, 2023

In this story:

Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Everyone knows the basics of the Green Bay Packers’ draft history at receiver.

Repeat after me: The Packers haven’t used their first-round pick on a receiver since Javon Walker in 2002. That means they’ve gone 20 consecutive drafts without grabbing a receiver in the first round.

It’s not as if it’s the franchise’s philosophy to avoid that position.

Sometimes, as the late former general manager Ted Thompson liked to say, “It’s just the way it worked out.”

For instance, the Packers in 2020 might have taken Brandon Aiyuk had the 49ers not jumped ahead of Green Bay. Plan B was trading up for quarterback Jordan Love rather than receiver Tee Higgins.

With great quarterbacks – Brett Favre and then Aaron Rodgers – Ron Wolf, Thompson and current GM Brian Gutekunst have focused on other positions and bet on the greatness of their quarterbacks being able to elevate really good receivers into stars.

In some ways, you can’t argue the results. Look at the Packers’ second-round dominance with Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams. Perhaps Christian Watson will be the next second-round stud.

However, what if the Packers had reeled in one of the really big fish?

The Bengals did just that by giving hot-shot young quarterback Joe Burrow the dynamic duo of Ja’Marr Chase and Higgins. In 2021, when Gutekunst traded up for safety Darnell Savage, he could have grabbed Marquise Brown or Deebo Samuel.

The Bengals are one of the NFL’s best teams and are set up for a sustained run of success. The Packers, with no proven receiver waiting in the wings after trading Adams, plunged to 8-9.

Over the last 20 drafts, 80 receivers were selected in the first round. Green Bay’s NFC North rivals, the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings, have taken a league-high five receivers during that span.

For comparison, the Packers have picked five receivers in the first round in franchise history, according to Pro Football Reference.

With their 20-year streak, the Packers aren’t alone with zero first-round receivers. The Seattle Seahawks haven’t drafted a receiver in the first round in 21 years, with Koren Robinson the choice in 2001.

It’s worth noting that the Seahawks’ general manager, John Schneider, learned the personnel ropes in Green Bay.

The New York Jets ended a 21-year streak when they picked Garrett Wilson with the 10th overall pick in the 2022 draft. He won NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Jets are one of five teams who’ve used only one first-rounder on a receiver since 2003.

Listed in alphabetical order, here is the team-by-team list of first-round receivers since 2003, with their most recent first-rounder in parentheses.

Arizona: 3 (Michael Floyd, 2012)

Atlanta: 5 (Drake London, 2022)

Baltimore: 4 (Rashod Bateman, 2021)

Buffalo: 2 (Sammy Watkins, 2014)

Carolina: 2 (D.J. Moore, 2018)

Chicago: 1 (Kevin White, 2015)

Cincinnati: 4 (Ja’Marr Chase, 2021)

Cleveland: 2 (Corey Coleman, 2016)

Dallas: 2 (CeeDee Lamb, 2020)

Denver: 2 (Jerry Jeudy, 2020)

Detroit: 5 (Jameson Williams, 2022)

Green Bay: 0

Houston: 3 (Will Fuller, 2016)

Indianapolis: 2 (Phillip Dorsett, 2015)

Jacksonville: 3 (Justin Blackmon)

Kansas City: 2 (Jonathan Baldwin, 2011)

Las Vegas: 3 (Henry Ruggs, 2020)

L.A. Rams: 1 (Tavon Austin, 2013)

L.A. Chargers 2: Mike Williams (2017)

Miami: 3 (Jaylen Waddle, 2021)

Minnesota: 5 (Justin Jefferson, 2020)

New Orleans: 3 (Chris Olave, 2022)

New England: 1 (N’Keal Harry, 2019)

N.Y. Giants: 3 (Kadarius Toney, 2021)

N.Y. Jets: 1 (Garrett Wilson, 2022)

Philadelphia: 4 (DeVonta Smith, 2021)

Pittsburgh: 1 (Santonio Holmes, 2006)

San Francisco: 4 (Brandon Aiyuk, 2020)

Seattle: 0

Tampa Bay: 2 (Mike Evans, 2014)

Tennessee: 4 (Treylon Burks, 2022)

Washington: 2 (Jahan Dotson, 2022)

Note: Of the 80 first-round receivers, 16 have been selected to multiple Pro Bowls, including 11 with at least four. In the final six rounds, 562 receivers were drafted. Of that huge group, 19 have been selected to multiple Pro Bowls, including eight with at least four.