The Green Bay Packers adding a veteran free agent wide receiver to the roster isn't really much of a surprise. 

For one, the quality of the depth of that unit needed a boost, not to mention that Sammy Watkins will provide another steady pass-catching target for Aaron Rodgers to rely on while any rookie(s) adjusts to the NFL. On top of that, it's likely going to take at least a little time for Rodgers and any rookie(s) to get on the same page, while he and Watkins should have a relatively smoother transition, especially with Watkins' previous experience playing under Sean McVay, Matt LaFleur, and the Los Angeles Rams in 2017.

However, there's another big reason that we should have expected Brian Gutekunst to make a move at receiver prior to the draft, and that's because he's frequently paired up veteran free agent signings with early-round selections during his tenure as GM.

Prior to selecting Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson in the 2018 draft, Gutekunst signed Tramon Williams and Davon House. In 2019 free agency, he would add Za'Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Adrian Amos, and Billy Turner to then select Rashan Gary, Darnell Savage, and Elgton Jenkins. Even last year, he brought back Kevin King to then select Eric Stokes with his first pick.

There are also examples of Gutekunst spending early-round picks on well-established positions--mainly the 2020 draft when he selected Jordan Love to join Aaron Rodgers, AJ Dillon to couple with Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams, and then Josiah Deguara to join a tight end room with Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis. 

We've seen several Green Bay Packers rookies during this time end up playing significant roles in their first season, but Darnell Savage was really the only truly preferred Week 1 starter. Alexander began the season in terms of snap counts behind Williams and King. Gary was behind the Smiths, Jenkins didn't become the starter until after Lane Taylor was injured, and King was CB2 to begin the 2021 season.

Again, as we've seen, rookies can end up being impact players, but Gutekunst constructs the roster so that they don't have to be if they aren't ready for that role. While we all hope that the early-round picks can contribute immediately and make an impact, many rookies end up struggling, or at the very least, it requires some time. The performance we saw from Eric Stokes in 2021, where he allowed a completion rate of just 51% while logging nine pass breakups, is much closer to being the outlier than the norm for first-year players.

The addition of Watkins certainly shouldn't change what the Green Bay Packers do in the draft at the receiver position. It is still a major need for 2022, as well as beyond, where it actually gets a bit worse.

But suppose Green Bay selects Jameson Williams, who might not be ready for Week 1, or whichever receiver they do select needs time to get acclimated with LaFleur's nuanced offense or has to adjust to the precision that Rodgers requires from each of his pass-catcher. In that case, the offense has a veteran pass-catching option in Watkins -- along with Randall Cobb and Allen Lazard -- to lean on heavily as the rookie(s) are brought up to speed.

The interior defensive line is another position to keep your eyes on early in the draft. With only five players under contract currently, along with Kenny Clark and TJ Slaton being the only interior linemen under contact in 2023, this is certainly a need that should be addressed at some point. 

Although Gutekunst hasn't invested any premium draft capital into this position in the past, if the Jarran Reed addition follows this trend of pairing a veteran presence with an early round pick, then we just may end up seeing one of Green Bay's top-100 picks devoted to this position as well. 

Perhaps this approach that Gutey takes can be easily overlooked, but once again, considering that many rookies have their ups and downs, it's an approach that makes sense -- especially for a team with Super Bowl aspirations -- as it provides stability to the roster.