3 Players the Packers Need to Avoid With Their First-Round Draft Pick

With the 2022 NFL Draft being two weeks away, the Green Bay Packers are one of the organizations fortunate enough to enter the three-day event with two picks in the first round: No. 22 and 28.

The Packers have multiple needs to address if they hope to remain Super Bowl contenders into the 2022 NFL season. Having said that, some positions and areas should clearly be addressed first before others.

Here's a look at three players that the Packers need to avoid with their first-round picks.

Green Bay Packers NFL Draft

1. Christian Watson, WR, North Dakota State

The Packers are in desperate need of some wide receiver help after moving on from Davante Adams this offseason. North Dakota State's Christian Watson is one WR prospect that's projected to be a late-first/early-second-round talent. Having said that, the Packers should avoid reaching for him with either first-round pick. For starters, his 43 receptions for 801 yards and seven touchdowns last season weren't exactly mind-blowing. He's also had issues handling the ball, proven by his 16 dropped passes during his time with the Bison. In other words, the Packers would be wiser to go after a more secure wideout if possible.

2. George Karlaftis, EDGE, Purdue

The Packers could be tempted to take an edge rusher if they're the best player available at either of their first-round picks. If that's the case, they should stay away from Purdue's George Karlaftis. Although he has some solid potential, Karlaftis' lack of speed and difficulty handling being triple-teamed has left analysts questioning if he can be an elite pass-rusher in the NFL. There's also the fact that he dealt with COVID-19 throughout the 2020 season and while he seems to have recovered, medical experts still don't know the long-term effects of the virus. Taking all of that into consideration, Green Bay should likely pass on Karlaftis in Round 1.

3. Jordan Davis, DT, Georgia

Although the Packers' defensive line is fairly set for the 2022 season, only two of those players are signed into 2023. Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis is one name that's come up as one of the better d-linemen in the draft, but Green Bay should likely avoid him. While he had an accomplished collegiate career, Davis' lack of pass-rushing skills (7.0 sacks in 41 games) has some wondering if he can be effective in the NFL due to the quicker pace. Additionally, he only played 38% of defensive snaps in 2021, so there are still several question marks surrounding him due to the sample size. There just isn't a good reason to waste a first-round pick with all those uncertainties.

Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Devon Platana also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username PepeSilvia0. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.