The Green Bay Packers reached the NFL playoffs but swiftly lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles 22-10 in the Wild Card Round.
Packers quarterback Jordan Love threw three interceptions in the matchup, and his leading target was wide receiver Jayden Reed, with four receptions for 46 yards. Typically, Christian Watson would act as the WR1 weapon, but he missed the game due to injury.
While Watson is a respectable wideout, chances are he cannot perform as the top option for a Super Bowl contender. Because of this, the Packers should do everything possible to land a star wide receiver this offseason, and a recent bold prediction links them with an intriguing, fearless X receiver.
Green Bay Packers Predicted To Land George Pickens in a Trade With the Steelers
George Pickens has some of the most trusted hands in the NFL, which is why he is such a trusted WR. The problem is that his emotions can sometimes get the best of him, leading to a build-up of disputes with the Pittsburgh Steelers organization.
This could lead to the Steelers determining it’s best to move on from Pickens or the 24-year-old asking out. PFSN’s Sterling Xie predicts Pickens will land with the Packers in a major summer deal.
“Whether or not the Green Bay Packers need a true No. 1 receiver, they need a more well-rounded receiver room,” Xie said in his piece one trade every NFL team should make. “That includes finding a pass catcher capable of stretching the defense vertically and beating man coverage. George Pickens would be a risky solution to that problem but could considerably raise the Packers’ ceiling.”
Pickens is entering the final year of his rookie contract and is projected by Spotrac to ink a deal somewhere in the realm of four years and $94 million. Landing in Green Bay this offseason would give him a year to prove his pairing with Love is worthy of such a deal.
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Pickens may find similar frustrations with the Packers, but the statistics argue otherwise. PFSN ranked Steelers’ Russell Wilson No. 17 in their QB+ metric, while Love slotted at No. 13. The Packers’ offense (No. 8) was also much superior to the Steelers’ (No. 25), per PFSN’s Offense+ metric.
“Stylistically, a Jordan Love-Pickens connection should excel on paper. Love had the fifth-deepest aDOT in 2024 (8.8 air yards), while Pickens ranked second with 15.3 yards per reception. Since debuting in 2022, Pickens has had 55 catches on deep throws (passes of 15+ air yards). That’s tied for eighth-most in that span with Davante Adams and Terry McLaurin,” Xie concluded.
Could This Be the Right Move After Josh Jacobs’ Comments
During the lead up to Super Bowl 59, Packers RB Josh Jacobs commented on the state of the Packers’ receiving room, saying that he thought the team lacked a more proven option out wide.
“We’ve got a really young group of receivers, all can be really, really, really special. But I think personally, we need a guy that’s proven to be a No. 1 [wide receiver] already.”
“I think we need a guy that’s proven to be a #1 WR already.”
-Packers RB Josh Jacobs on “No BS” with @BillSchmidRadio & @ArmenSaryan pic.twitter.com/RetrfMI9IE
— 97.3 The Game (@TheGameMKE) February 5, 2025
Given these comments, Green Bay’s front office could feel pressured to add a starter out wide, though the impact it could have on the locker room is also significant given the pushback Jacobs received from his own teammates for his candidness.
While there will certainly be connections drawn to former Packers receiver Davante Adams, who was released by the New York Jets on March 4 amid the team’s cultural reset, the Packers could certainly look to the NFL Draft as an option as well.
While the Packers have been historically reluctant to invest in first-round options at offensive skill positions, they could certainly look to find a guy in Round 2, like Elic Ayomanor or Tre Harris, who could start on the outside and be aggressive ball-winners.
In PFSN’s most recent seven-round 2025 NFL Mock Draft, Jacob Infante has the Packers investing out wide in the sixth round in Biletnikoff finalist Nick Nash, a 6’2″ CSN All-American and Wide Receiver of the Year in 2024. While he will likely never be as dominant in the NFL as he was in college (1,382 yards and 16 TDs in his redshirt senior season), he could provide further depth and another option out wide.