2014 NFL Draft: Could Packers consider taking Colorado's Paul Richardson?

I know that the first thing people usually think about when it comes to the Packers drafting players in the first round is defense, but in this case taking a nice WR like Colorado's Paul Richardson might not be a bad idea. In his three year career at Boulder, Richardson was overall pretty good, catching a total of 156 passes (83 alone last season, a school-record) for 2,412 yards, but still, since he is an offensive player is he worth that twenty-first overall pick?

In my opinion, yea, he is. Not so much because he'd be a superstar, but simply because I feel the Packers are short-handed when it comes to receivers right now. They still have stars Randall Cobb and Jordy Nelson available, but, as we've already seen, Cobb can get hurt, while Nelson, though usually healthy, isn't always contributing. 

And besides those two, exactly who else is there? James Jones just went to Oakland, and Jarrett Boykin, while respectable, hasn't shown the world enough to suggest he's a long-term solution (again in my opinion). Now in the end he might turn out to be, but for now I just see drafting at least one solid receiver to be necessary. It'd just help take some of the pressure off the current guys.

Position Review: Wide Receivers

This week, the Green Bay Packers signed another wide receiver to bring the total number of wide receivers in camp up to 11. While the top three are locked in, the bottom six are all rookies who probably have to shine during the preseason to stick with the team.

Previously:
Position Review: Offensive Line Guards and Tackles
Position Review: Offensive Line-Center

Starters: Randall Cobb, James Jones, Jordy Nelson. No doubt about it.

The Packers will probably keep three other receivers, two on the 53-man roster and one on the practice squad, and here are the other eight candidates.

Jarrett Boykin. A late season ankle injury ended his rookie campaign early, but before that he looked like a reliable player who ran good routes without dropping passes. He's the early favorite to become the No. 4 wide receiver.

Jeremy Ross. The Packers didn't sign him to the practice squad until October 17, 2012 but he ended up playing in five games (plus playoffs). While he didn't have a single pass thrown to him, he looked like a dynamic return man after big games against the Titans and Vikings. Until this happened against the 49ers. He'll get another chance, but if he drops a punt or two during the preseason, I wouldn't be surprised if he's released.

Charles Johnson and Kevin Dorsey. The two receivers the Packers drafted in the 7th round. Johnson was a small school guy who impressed Mel Kiper Jr. (and obviously the Packers' scouts) while Dorsey was a No. 1 college wide receiver during an epic quarterback injury situation. They might find themselves on the practice squad at the start of the season.

Sederrik Cunningham, Alex Gillett, Tyrone Walker, Myles White. Gillett was just signed this week as he makes the switch from college QB to NFL WR. All four players are going to have a very hard time making even the practice squad.

In the end, while the players will have to learn the offense and train hard, what's going to separate them is whether they drop passes or fumble the ball during the preseason games. It wouldn't be a surprise to see them all stay in camp until the very last preseason game so the Packers can find out who they can trust with the ball.

Packers Lose Ugly In The Preseason To The Browns, 35-10

The good news is that the starters played well, with a couple exceptions. On the Packers's second offensive drive, WR Randall Cobb had the ball stripped and I expect he'll see more ball drills in his near future. Later in the second half, Aaron Rodgers failed to convert a 4th down play, on their side of the field, that the Packers would have never attempted during the regular season. Both plays gave the Browns great field position and led to two scores.

On defense, the Packers forced a fumble on the Browns' first drive. Though the defense held the Browns to only 39 yards on their next two drives combined, the Browns had great field position and kicked two field goals. Rookies Casey Hayward and Nick Perry had some struggles in pass coverage that set up the Browns's first touchdown, but overall the first team defense did a good job tackling and putting pressure on rookie QB Brandon Weeden.

So how bad was Graham Harrell? Pretty bad. Not Brian Brohm bad, but he'll have to show something over the remaining preseason games. Right now, I'm not a believer in him, but I don't think they'll make a trade or free agent signing at this point for the 2012 season.

And I'm starting to become a Jarrett Boykin fan. He made some nice grabs (5 for 63 yards).