GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers need receiver help entering the 2025 NFL Draft. Historically, their sweet spot for finding impact receivers has been the second round.

After smiling about Josh Jacobs’ comments about the Packers needing a No. 1 receiver, NFL Network draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah during a Thursday Zoom call previewing next week’s NFL Scouting Combine and April’s draft named four big-play receivers who could be in the mix when the Packers are on the clock at No. 54 of the second round.

“That’s about the range where you’re going to see this clump here with Trey Harris from Ole Miss, Jayden Higgins from Iowa State, Jack Bech from TCU,” Jeremiah said. “Tory Horton is another one from Colorado State who is going to be around that range.”

At the Senior Bowl, Higgins measured 6-foot-3 3/4 and 217 pounds. He spent his final two seasons at Iowa State, where he caught 87 passes for 1,183 yards (13.6 average) and nine touchdowns in 2024. He caught eight passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield with two drops (2.2 percent), according to Pro Football Focus.

Bech was dominant at the Senior Bowl, where he measured 6-foot-1 1/4 and 214 pounds. He posted modest production for three seasons before catching 62 passes for 1,034 yards (16.7 average) and nine touchdowns in 2024. He caught nine passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield with just one drop (1.6 percent).

Harris, who declined a Senior Bowl invitation, was listed at 6-foot-3 and 210 pounds by Ole Miss. After three seasons at Louisiana Tech, Harris had 2,015 receiving yards in two seasons with the Rebels. He caught 60 passes for 1,039 yards (17.2 average) and seven touchdowns in just eight games in 2024. He caught nine deep passes with five drops (7.7 percent).

Horton, who missed the second half of the season with a knee injury, was listed at 6-foot-3 and 185 pounds by Colorado State. After two years at Nevada, he caught 71 passes for a conference-high 1,131 yards in 2022 and a conference-high 96 passes for 1,136 yards in 2023.

In five games in 2024, he caught 26 passes for 353 yards and one touchdown. He had three deep catches and one drop (3.8 percent). For a fuller picture, he caught five deep passes with four drops (4.0 percent) in 2023. He also scored punt-return touchdowns in 2023 and 2024.

“All those guys are big. All those guys can make plays down the field. All those guys are going to work out well in the red zone,” Jeremiah said. “They’re going to be point producers. That’s a good clump of wideouts that I think would make some sense.”

While acknowledging the Packers have this area filled with Jayden Reed, Jeremiah went on to hit on some slot receivers – including one with a Packers comparison.

“If they wanted to go with a little more of the compact, explosive player in that mix, which I think they already possess, but to me you look at Jaylin Noel from Iowa State who is going to put on a show at the Combine. He is really, really explosive. He can play inside. I think even as an undersized player, he could play outside.

“Then Jalen Royals from Utah State, who has a real compact, 210 pounds. Actually kind of looks like Randall Cobb to go back in the old-school there. There’s a good clump of receivers there in that second-round range.”

Noel at 5-foot-9 3/4 almost certainly wouldn’t be a consideration. Royals, though, could be at 5-foot-11 3/8 and 210 pounds. After catching 70 passes for 1,084 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2023, he caught 55 passes for 839 yards (15.3 average) and six touchdowns in only seven games in 2024.

Most of his action at Utah State came on the perimeter. He missed the end of the season with a foot injury but had a strong week at the Senior Bowl.

Jeremiah also was asked about Illinois’ Pat Bryant, who he considers a third-round prospect. Bryant caught 54 passes for 984 yards (18.2 average) and 10 touchdowns in 2024. He had 12 deep catches and only one drop (1.8 percent). He measured 6-foot-2 1/8 and 208 pounds at the Senior Bowl.

“Outside, he wins on a lot of slants,” Jeremiah said. “He’s an excellent adjuster down the field. It’s one of my favorite things about him. He’s a hands catcher; only one drop on the year. He’s strong with the ball in his hands after the catch. He can win early with his release, and I love the toughness to work in traffic and win some of those combat catches, and I love the size that he has.”

The Packers have made a living with their second-round receivers, from Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Cobb and Davante Adams with former general manager Ted Thompson to Christian Watson and Reed with current GM Brian Gutekunst.

Watson will miss the first half of the upcoming season with a torn ACL, helping necessitate a need for not just any receiver but one capable of making big plays.

“They’ve done a good job of identifying those guys,” Jeremiah said.