Packers 2023 NFL Draft odds: Green Bay favored to select first-round receiver, Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba, for first time in 21 years

One of the more amazing active streaks in the NFL Draft, with Round 1 beginning Thursday night in Kansas City, is that the Packers have not taken a wide receiver in Round 1 since the selection of Javon Walker in 2002. Aaron Rodgers annually begged for it to happen, and it ironically might now with Rodgers a New York Jet and Jordan Love taking over under center. Green Bay is the +200 favorite at DraftKings to be the club that picks Ohio State wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

As part of the Rodgers trade, the Packers and Jets swapped first-round picks, meaning Green Bay now picks 13th instead of 15th, which increases the chances that Smith-Njigba will still be available. He's ranked as the No. 19 overall prospect on the CBS Sports Big Board, but that rather low number might be in part because Smith-Njigba barely played last season for the Buckeyes due to a hamstring injury.

He was a monster in 2021, setting school-record totals of 95 receptions and 1,606 receiving yards on a team that also featured first-round NFL Draft picks Garrett Wilson (No. 10 overall to the Jets) and Chris Olave (No. 11 to New Orleans). Wilson won Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2022 and Olave finished fourth.

Both of them have said Smith-Njigba was the best receiver on the Buckeyes in 2021. With Olave and Wilson opting out to prepare for the draft, Smith-Njigba caught 15 passes for a whopping 347 yards and three scores in the team's 48-45 Rose Bowl win over Utah to close that season.

DK also offers props on the position of a team's first drafted player, and receiver is the +150 leader for Green Bay, followed by defensive lineman/edge rusher at +225 and tight end at +250. Some mock drafts have Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer ending up with the Packers. They are +500 to be the team that takes Mayer, behind the Dallas Cowboys (+300).

NFL.com gives the 6-foot-1, 200-pound Smith-Njigba a grade of 6.43 (will become good starter within two years) and a comp of Jarvis Landry, a 2014 second-round pick of the Dolphins who has had a very good career (three 1,000-yard seasons) and is currently a free agent.

Smith-Njigba has an over/under draft spot of 12.5, with the Over a heavy -300 favorite – meaning the books believe he will still be there at No. 13. The Jets (15th pick) could reunite him with Wilson, as they are +450 second favorites to pick Smith-Njigba along with New England (14th pick).

At BetMGM, Smith-Njigba is the -350 favorite to be the first wideout off the board, but Boston College's Zay Flowers at +450 is taking the most tickets (37.2%) and handle (43.6%) on that prop, so the book is very exposed on him.

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