Today is the eighth day of two weeks of Green Bay Packers coverage leading up to the April 26 beginning of the NFL draft.
April 12: Five best first-rounders in the past 25 years
April 13: Five worst first-rounders in the past 25 years
April 14: Quarterbacks position preview
April 15: Running backs/fullbacks position preview
April 16: Offensive tackles position preview
April 17: Guards/centers position preview
April 18: Tight ends position preview
Today: Wide receivers position preview
April 20: Defensive linemen position preview
April 21: Linebackers position preview
April 22: Cornerbacks position preview
April 23: Safeties position preview
April 24: Ted Thompson's draft strategy
April 25: Forecasting the first-round pick
TODAY'S POSITION: WIDE RECEIVERS
Importance (1-to-10 scale): 2
On the roster
Along with their tight ends, the Packers' wide receiver group is one of the deepest, most talented aspects of Green Bay's roster.
Greg Jennings, a two-time Pro Bowl selection who will turn 29 years old in September, is the No. 1 target for Aaron Rodgers. However, Jennings is under contract for only one more season. Given the enormous contracts that have been handed out to elite wide receivers over the past few months, Jennings could be due for a huge payday. And therein lies the biggest concern for the Packers at this position. If Jennings' financial demands become too great, he could potentially be in his last season in Green Bay.
But there is plenty of quality and youth behind him, starting with Jordy Nelson. The 2011 season was a breakout year for Nelson after he more than doubled his receiving yards from 2010. Nelson, 26, was rewarded with a three-year contract extension early in the season, and his production went way up after that. Despite signing that new deal only six months ago, Nelson has already far outperformed what he's being paid.
Donald Driver is the biggest question mark. The 37-year-old longtime Packer -- who is spending his offseason dancing with stars -- may be back for 2012. However, Driver would first have to agree to renegotiate his contract. His production continued its steady decline in 2011, but he technically remained the starter alongside Jennings. However, in 2012, if Driver is back, it's difficult to imagine that the 1-2 combo won't be Jennings and Nelson.
Rounding out the five active wide receivers from 2011 are James Jones and Randall Cobb. Jones signed a three-year extension with Green Bay last offseason and was a valuable fourth option. Cobb also played a role as a receiver on offense, but his biggest contribution as a rookie was in the kick and punt return games. Cobb will likely be used as a wide receiver much more in 2012 than he was as a rookie.
There are also two quality players waiting for their chance to come off the team's practice squad. Both Tori Gurley and Diondre Borel have had offers from other NFL teams to join an active roster, but thus far both have opted to remain in Green Bay. If they don't get a chance to be on the field on Sundays pretty soon, Gurley and Borel may not continue turning down those offers.
Last five wide receivers drafted
2011--Randall Cobb, Kentucky: second round (64th overall)--still with the Packers
2008--Jordy Nelson, Kansas State: second round (36th overall)--still with the Packers
2008--Brett Swain, San Diego State: seventh round (217th overall)--waived in August 2011, now with the 49ers
2007--James Jones, San Jose State: third round (78th overall)--still with the Packers
2007--David Clowney, Virginia Tech: fifth round (157th overall)--waived in 2007, now with the Bills
Philosophy at the position
In Ted Thompson's second draft as general manager of the Packers in 2006, he landed Jennings in the second round. That pick -- and Jennings' incredible development -- was the first step in Thompson building one of the league's best groups of wide receivers around Rodgers.
The GM has since successfully used two more second-round picks on wide receivers, and both have panned out very well (Nelson and Cobb).
Given the depth at wide receiver now, it would appear Thompson can take a year off from worrying about this position in the draft. However, the uncertainty surrounding Driver and the unknown factor of whether Gurley or Borel are ready to contribute on a permanent basis could lead Thompson to go after one more quality target to help Rodgers through the prime of his career.
Day 1 name to remember (Round 1)
Justin Blackmon, junior, Oklahoma State (6-1, 207). Blackmon will likely be a top-10 pick, but it would take a drastic fall from a player of his caliber to even get the Packers to consider a wide receiver at No. 28 in the first round. Given the needs Green Bay has at other positions, Thompson can thank his successful draft picks at wide receiver from previous years for allowing him a chance to focus his attention elsewhere on Day 1.
Day 2 name to remember (Rounds 2-3)
Nick Toon, senior, Wisconsin (6-2, 215). Toon is the 10th or 11th best receiver in this year's draft and will likely go late in the third round. If the Packers have addressed other needs, Toon could be an option at No. 90. He has good height for the position but was hampered by injuries in college (though none of them were overly serious). It is unlikely that Toon will still be available on Day 3 of the draft.
Day 3 name to remember (Rounds 4-7)
Marvin McNutt, senior, Iowa (6-3, 216). McNutt was recruited to Iowa as a quarterback. However, by the end of his redshirt freshman season, he had been switched to wide receiver. So, if by the end of fifth or sixth round the Packers haven't drafted many offensive players, McNutt would provide a unique style that could add to Green Bay's versatility on offense, especially in designing a couple situation-specific plays with McNutt as some form of a passing decoy. He has good hands and route-running ability, especially for a player who has been at the position for only a few years.
FOXSports.com draft expert Taylor Jones says:
"Not knowing how long Driver will play, James Jones will have to play a more significant role this year. This year, there are likely three wide receivers that will go in the first round -- Blackmon, Michael Floyd of Notre Dame and Baylor's Kendall Wright.
"From there, Stephen Hill of Georgia Tech leads the next tier of guys who will be spread out throughout the second round. After that, there's a slew of guys that could be third-, fourth- and fifth-round selections, including Nick Toon. At that point, it just comes down to a team's personal opinion.
"At the latest, Toon is a fifth-round pick."
Follow Paul Imig on Twitter.
