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Three rounds of the 2022 NFL draft are in the books, and there are still a number of teams that could use help at wide receiver.
The Green Bay Packers, Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens immediately stand out, especially when it comes to possible landing spots for free agent Jarvis Landry. He likely isn’t going to command a massive deal at this stage of the offseason, which means any team in the market for a pass-catcher should be interested.
Deebo Samuel is a bit more complicated since he is a possible trade candidate if the San Francisco 49ers do move him. But Baltimore and, yes, even the NFC-rival Packers could end up in the mix as the offseason continues.
The Packers are on this list for the simple reason they traded Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders and lost Marquez Valdes-Scantling this offseason.
Yes, they addressed the position Friday by selecting Christian Watson with a second-round pick, but it may take the North Dakota State product some time to adjust to the NFL. What’s more, a group of Watson, Sammy Watkins, Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb is still a step below last year’s options for Aaron Rodgers, even if the newest addition lives up to expectations as a rookie.
Landry is the type of veteran receiver who could come in and immediately serve as a safety blanket for Rodgers when some of the other pass-catchers are running downfield. And Samuel is the type of star the team is missing after losing Adams.
It should be noted the 49ers would likely hesitate to trade him to the Packers considering they faced each other in two of the last three playoffs. Rodgers himself even suggested as much during an appearance on the Pat McAfee Show.
Still, the situation may reach a point where the 49ers have to accept the best deal on the table if Samuel isn’t going to play for them, and Green Bay may present just that if it decides he is the missing piece for a Super Bowl run.
Samuel ending up on the Packers’ NFC North rivals is less likely, as the Bears are in rebuilding mode. They would surely have to sacrifice future assets to get him in a trade, which is not a wise move for a team with an eye on competing in the future as quarterback Justin Fields develops and the new front office led by general manager Ryan Poles revamps the roster.
However, Chicago still needs weapons to bolster Fields’ chances at improving even after selecting Tennessee’s Velus Jones Jr. in the third round of the draft. Landry could sign on a cheaper, short-term deal and be a leader in a room that now includes young playmakers in Jones and Darnell Mooney.
As for the Ravens, they are something of a wild card in all of this.
They traded Marquise Brown to the Arizona Cardinals during Thursday’s first round and did not address the position in the draft to this point. Quarterback Lamar Jackson also didn’t seem to be too happy to lose Brown.
Perhaps the team will take a chance on pursuing Samuel as a potential replacement as it looks to compete in the AFC North alongside the Cincinnati Bengals and Pittsburgh Steelers. Landry, who is familiar with the division from his time on the Cleveland Browns, would be a cheaper option and give Jackson a much-needed weapon after losing one during the draft.
That might make the quarterback just a bit happier.
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