The Green Bay Packers have not had player that many would categorize as a number one wide receiver since Davante Adams was traded in 2022. Despite the fact that the offense has, overall, been incredibly successful in the four seasons since, though, many fans and analysts continue to believe that the Packers need a star wide receiver in the same vein as Adams.
Instead of going out and getting, though, the Packers have relied on their own drafted wide receivers and saw tight end Tucker Kraft emerge as one of the most dangerous pass catchers in the game. Additionally, running back Josh Jacobs has become a vital piece in the offense, and has scored 28 touchdowns in his two seasons with Green Bay.
NFL expert urges the Green Bay Packers to get a WR1
Nov 27, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Christian Watson (9) reacts after a catch against the Detroit Lions during the third quarter at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images
In a recent article in which he lists the most important off-season priority of every team, NFL expert Matt Okada of NFL.com suggests that it is time for Green Bay to go out and get a number one wide receiver:
“Across the three years of theJordan Love" data-link="/players/jordan-love/" data-slug="jordan-love">Jordan Love era, the Packers are the only team in the entire NFL to have zero players hit 65 receptions in a season. For some added context: every team to win the Super Bowl since 2014 had at least one such receiver, with six of those 12 teams having two such receivers and the 2014 Patriots having three.
“The hodgepodge ofChristian Watson" data-link="/players/christian-watson/" data-slug="christian-watson">Christian Watson,Romeo Doubs" data-link="/players/romeo-doubs/" data-slug="romeo-doubs">Romeo Doubs,Jayden Reed" data-link="/players/jayden-reed/" data-slug="jayden-reed">Jayden Reed and first-round rookieMatthew Golden" data-link="/players/matthew-golden/" data-slug="matthew-golden">Matthew Golden simply has not cut it for Green Bay these last few years. And though Doubs and Watson cracked the list of 78 wide receivers to see 50+ targets in 2025, their respective open rates of 27.1% and 25.5% ranked 67th and 71st on that list, perNFL Pro.
“Whether the Packers take a risk on an agingMike Evans" data-link="/players/mike-evans/" data-slug="mike-evans">Mike Evans or injuredTyreek Hill" data-link="/players/tyreek-hill/" data-slug="tyreek-hill">Tyreek Hill in free agency, address the position (again) in the draft, or perhaps pull off a trade for someone like A.J. Brown orMichael Pittman" data-link="/players/michael-pittman-2/" data-slug="michael-pittman-2">Michael Pittman … Love needs a number one. “
There is so much in this opinion that reflects a lack of knowledge of how the Packers build their roster and how their offense is constructed to work.
Breaking down the initial paragraph first: while no Packers wide receivers may have had 65 receptions in a season in the Jordan Love era, Jayden Reed had 64 as a rookie in 2023. It is likely that both he and Christian Watson would have come close to 65 receptions in 2025 had they been healthy the whole year.
Moving on, the reason why Green Bay’s offense has been successful over the last three years is because of its balance. Targets are not given out based on one’s status as a wide receiver one, rather on who is open at the time.
And finally, if Green Bay is not going to spend $12 million a year to bring back Romeo Doubs, they sure are not going to spend even more than that to bring in someone like Mike Evans (who is coming off a major injury) or AJ Brown, who was clearly a locker room issue in Philadelphia.
Of course, none of this includes the fact that Christian Watson, who is playing on a one-year extension in 2026, is largely viewed as the one player who will step into any kind of “WR1” role. The offense is so much better and faster when he is on the field, and a season of full health may stop these narratives for a while.
And let’s not forget Tucker Kraft, who was on pace for a near 1,000-yard receiving season when he went down with a torn ACL. If he is able to come back and play at the level he did prior, he could be the focus on the passing game much like Travis Kelce was in his prime with the Kansas City Chiefs.
There, obviously, quite a few needs the Packers have to address this off-season. But “finding a WR1” is certainly not one of them.
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