NFL mock draft, 3 rounds: QBs, trades, surprises in latest predictions
2021 NFL mock draft: 29th pick
Pick Analysis. Rashod Bateman. Scouting Report. WR. Minnesota. 29. player. 49
Packers GM/HC: Brian Gutekunst/Matt LaFleur
After the Green Bay Packers selected Jordan Love with their first pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, Aaron Rodgers went out and won the NFL’s MVP award and became a candidate to be the long-term host of the TV game show Jeopardy.
Rodgers was a man on a mission in 2020, and he played arguably the best football of his life with frankly one of the most underwhelming sets of skill players in the league.
With all due respect to the players the Packers have on their roster, upgrades need to be made at receiver and Rashod Bateman would be a pretty wild value here with the 29th overall pick.
Bateman was the Big Ten’s receiver of the year in 2019 and he initially opted out for 2020 but decided to come back and play a few games.
Some have compared Bateman coming out to Keenan Allen of the Chargers, and those comparisons are warranted.
Bateman is a very good route runner who knows how to get himself open despite the fact that he’s not the most sudden or explosive athlete.
With Davante Adams eating up targets on one side, the Packers need a player who can be trusted to work himself open on the other. Not only does Bateman run strong routes, but he’s got strong hands and he can make plays after the catch.
Ultimately, adding Bateman would be a significant upgrade for the Packers’ offensive weaponry as would a number of players in this slot.