The Green Bay Packers landed a major undrafted steal.
The Green Bay Packers put together a very impressive NFL Draft this year in spite of not having a first-round pick, and they also may have landed one of the biggest undrafted free-agent steals available.
Wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant.
Sturdivant was one of the more intriguing receivers in this year's class in terms of raw athleticism, but he ultimately did not come off the board.
It was a pretty deep wide receiver class, as evidenced by the fact that Jeff Caldwell wasn't even selected (he was signed by the Kansas City Chiefs, because of course), but you still kind of get the feeling that teams will regret passing on Sturdivant.
The 6-foot-3, 207-pound weapon put forth an impressive performance at the Scouting Combine, ranking fourth among wide receivers in NFL.com's athleticism score.
In spite of his size, Sturdivant managed to run a 4.40-second 40-yard dash, which should not come as a surprise to anyone who watched him in college.
Sturdivant began his collegiate career at California in 2021 and redshirted his first year. He then broke by hauling in 65 receptions for 755 yards and seven touchdowns his second season before transferring to UCLA.
J. Michael Sturdivant. Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images.The playmaker's decision to transfer may have been a mistake, as his numbers instantly dipped as soon as he joined the Bruins. He caught 36 passes for 597 yards and four scores during his debut campaign at UCLA, and in 2024, he managed just 22 catches for 315 yards and a pair of touchdowns before transferring to Florida.
Once again, Sturdivant was under-utilized with the Gators, snaring 27 balls for 406 yards while reaching the end zone three times.
Yes, it's fair to say that teams didn't target Sturdivant much for a reason, but he also didn't exactly have the friendliest quarterback situations in college, and the fact that he averaged 16.6, 14.3 and 15.0 yards per catch his final three seasons is a clear indication that he has the potential to be an explosive downfield weapon.
The Packers already have that in Christian Watson, but his injury issues are well documented, and he is slated to hit free agency after 2026.
Green Bay just extended Jayden Reed, so the clock may be ticking on Watson, who has played just 48 games in four seasons.
If Sturdivant makes the Packers' 53-man roster (and he very well may considering they just subtracted Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks), look for Green Bay to give him a chance early on to see if he can ultimately serve as Watson's eventual replacement.
Watson won't come cheap, while Green Bay would be able to have Sturdivant under wraps for pennies for several years.
The Packers may have secured a massive coup in landing Sturdivant.
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