After trading wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks to the Philadelphia Eagles weeks ago, many wondered what the Green Bay Packers’ wide receiver room would look like next season.
The team lost leading receiver Romeo Doubs (55 catches, 724 yards, 6 touchdowns) to the New England Patriots in free agency. Doubs signed a four-year, $68 million deal — money Green bay wasn’t willing to pony up for the 26-year-old.
Then Wicks was traded to the Eagles for a fifth-round pick in 2026 and sixth-round pick in 2027, leaving Jayden Reed, Christian Watson, 2025 first-round pick Matthew Golden, and Savion Williams are the top four wideouts on the depth chart.
But hours before Round 2 of the 2026 NFL draft on Friday, the Packers made a pretty significant move.
Packers Lock Up WR Jayden Reed
GettyJayden Reed signed a 3-year extension with the Green Bay Packers on Friday
According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Packers locked up Reed, the team’s second-round pick in 2023, to a multi-year extension.
“Wide receiver Jayden Reed and the Packers now have agreed to a three-year contract extension worth $50.25 million in new money, including $20 million guaranteed, per agents Drew Rosenhaus and Ian Grutman,” Schefter posted on X.
Reed was limited to just seven games last season due to shoulder and foot injuries. He totaled just 19 catches, 207 yards and a single touchdown last year.
The 25-year-old fractured his shoulder in mid-September, which sidelined him for 11 games. The injury was concerning given he dislocated his shoulder in the playoffs against the Eagles just eight months earlier.
When healthy, Reed is arguably the Packers’ top WR.
He burst onto the scene with a 64-catch, 793-yard, 8-TD rookie season, and he followed it up with 55 receptions, 857 yards, and 6 scores in Year 2. Most analysts believe Reed has 80-catch, 1,000-yard potential. If he goes into 2026 as Green Bay’s WR1, it’s possible he hits those numbers next year.
Could the Packers Draft Another WR?
Short answer: yes, it’s highly probable.
Given Reed and Watson played a combined 17 of 34 games last season, the Packers may be looking at taking another wideout on Day 2 of the draft to shore up its WR depth.
Green Bay, which didn’t pick in Round 1 after trading two first-rounders to the Dallas Cowboys for star pass-rusher Micah Parsons last season, has the 20th pick in Round 2 (52 overall).
There are still plenty of strong wide receivers still on the board including Washington’s Denzel Boston, Georgia’s Zachariah Branch, Tennessee’s Chris Brazzell II, Alabama’s Germie Bernard, Clemson’s Antonio Williams, Notre Dame’s Malachi Fields, and Indiana’s Elijah Surratt.
The Packers also could address WR in later rounds. They have the 20th picks in Rounds 3-7 with additional picks in Rounds 5 and 7. Some late-round pass-catchers to keep an eye on include Louisville’s Chris Bell, USC’s Ja’Kobi Lane, North Dakota State’s Bryce Lance, Oregon’s Malik Benson, and Mississippi State’s Brenen Thompson.
Golden will also likely take on a larger role with Doubs and Wicks both on other teams. He played in 14 games as a rookie, logging 29 catches on 44 targets for 361 yards, though he didn’t find the end zone once.
Packers Make Major WR Move Before Round 2 of NFL Draft