The Green Bay Packers had arguably the worst draft of any team in the league. At the least it was the one that had everyone scratching their heads.
Now comes the kicker: Green Bay is now considered to have worse odds to win the Super Bowl, according to The Action Network.
Green Bay Packers Chances to Win Super Bowl 55:
- Before draft: 2%
- After draft: 1.8%
In fact, The Action Network has the Packers losing ground on odds to win the NFC, the NFC North, to make the playoffs at all, and shows a decline in win total expected as well.
This shouldn’t be a huge surprise, and the reasoning behind the odds shifting is on point:
“Travis Reed, the gatekeeper of our NFL simulations, explained that first- and second-round selections are the two most valuable picks in an NFL Draft, and the Packers used that capital to select players who project to be backups this season, therefore failing to upgrade at needy positions — or frankly anywhere on the roster.”
Here’s who the Packers selected in the 2020 NFL Draft:
- Round 1, pick 26: Jordan Love, quarterback, Utah State
- Round 2, pick 62: AJ Dillon, running back, Boston College
- Round 3, pick 94: Josiah Deguara, tight end, Cincinnati
- Round 5, pick 175: Kamal Martin, linebacker, Minnesota
- Round 6, pick 192: Jon Runyan, guard, Michigan
- Round 6, pick 208: Jake Hanson, center, Oregon
- Round 6, pick 209: Simon Stepaniak, offensive tackle, Indiana
- Round 7, pick 236: Vernon Scott, safety, TCU
- Round 7, pick 242: Jonathan Garvin, defensive end, Miami
The most stunning decision was, of course, trading up to select quarterback Jordan Love, who represents the apparent heir-apparent to Aaron Rodgers. It’s a move that could end up leading to Rodgers being jettisoned in a trade sooner, rather than later. This is especially true in light of a recent report from Packers insider Bob McGinn.
Taking Dillon in the second round was another move that caused many jaws to hit the floor. He’s not known as a receiving back, and there were other, potentially more dynamic running backs still on the board at the time — not to mention a ton of talented receivers.
Speaking of receivers, the Packers didn’t take a single one. That by itself was the biggest stunner of the entire draft because Green Bay desperately needed help at the position, and this year’s draft was considered to feature a legendary class of receivers.
Fans were very upset with the Packers’ draft, and it’s not hard to see why. It’s going to be fascinating to see how the Packers do in 2020 after failing to add many players that can contribute right away.