GREEN BAY, Wis. – From a big-picture perspective, no, the shorts-and-helmets practices of May and June won’t necessarily mean much for training camp in August and the start of the season in September. However, the play at receiver will be real – or at least close to real.
The receivers are going hard. The defensive backs are going hard. If a receiver can get open and catch the ball during organized team activities and minicamp, he probably can do it during training camp and the games.
With OTAs starting on Tuesday, here’s a look at two key questions at receiver.
Packers Receivers Depth Chart
Veterans: Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, Malik Heath, Bo Melton, Mecole Hardman (free agent), Christian Watson (injured).
Rookies/first-year: Matthew Golden (first round), Savion Williams (third round), Julian Hicks (returning practice squad), Cornelius Johnson (returning practice squad), Jadon Janke (recently signed).
Big Question: Who Will Play?
The obvious question, of course, starts with the rookies. How long until first-round pick Matthew Golden is ready to be a significant contributor? What kind of role can the Packers carve out for versatile third-round pick Savion Williams?
The road to playing time starts with the basics.
“The biggest [adjustment from college] I would say is the playbook,” passing-game coordinator Jason Vrable said last week. “The majority of college teams probably are maybe a third of the playbook, maybe a fourth. They’re more about going fast all the time. Some of the receivers only stay on one side of the field. So, there’s an adjustment with that.
“The next-biggest thing is actually the fundamentals. A lot of these guys make up for fundamentals at times with athletic traits, which is great, but, at the NFL level, that’s usually not going to result in success over time. So, you really got to hone in on (the) stance and start that I’m going to work. It might take a guy three months, six months to really feel comfortable and be elite at a stance and start and not just be slow off the rock. You can run a 4.39 at the Combine but you’re not that stance on the field.”
The bigger question is how will the arrival of Golden, Williams and maybe free-agent addition Mecole Hardman impact the 53-man roster and Sunday snap counts?
While the Packers’ receiver corps underperformed last season, it’s still a talented group. Jayden Reed, aside from one issue we’ll get to in a moment, is a high-quality NFL receiver. Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks know how to get open.
While Christian Watson’s recovery from a torn ACL will create playing time for the newcomers, they also might eat into the snaps of Reed, Doubs and Wicks. Plus, a couple NFL-caliber players are going to be released at the end of training camp. The path to roster spots and playing time will begin next week, when a strong set of offseason practices could build momentum for the rigors of training camp.
Reed, who has led the team in receptions and receiving yards in each of his two seasons, is the unit’s best player until proven otherwise. The key will be his ability to be the same impact performer in Week 18 as in Week 1, as injuries have slowed him both seasons. The addition of Williams, who can handle some of the jet sweeps and screens that have gone his way, should help. So will having matured physically.
“He’s one of those warrior types that is going to do everything for his team and himself to be on the field,” Vrable said. “He’s worked tremendously. He’s the strongest, most powerful he said he’s ever been in his life. When he came in here a couple years ago, I think he was like 185, now he’s at 199.”
Bonus Question: Can They Catch?
Last year, Jordan Love was one of 32 quarterbacks who dropped back to pass at least 300 times. According to Pro Football Focus, Love was plagued by the fourth-highest drop rate.
The receivers dropped the ball as if the pigskin were slathered in bacon grease and their hands coated in Cheez Whiz. Last season, 84 receivers were targeted at least 50 times. According to PFF, Allen Lazard had the highest drop rate at 17.8 percent. He was followed by Wicks at 17.0 percent and Reed at 15.4 percent. Doubs was 19th-highest at 9.8 percent. The only regular receiver who caught the ball well was Watson, who was a middle-of-the-pack 40th at 6.5 percent.
For the passing game to take flight, the receivers must catch the ball significantly better than they did last season.
“All those guys understand,” receivers coach Ryan Mahaffey said. “They’re competitive. As we’ve gone through, we have conversations about what we need to improve on. Those guys have an understanding that, ‘Hey, when my number’s called, I want to put myself in a position to be able to go out and help my team.’ They’re naturally competitive. They take a lot of ownership in that, and I think we’ve got an intrinsically motivated group.”
What about the rookies?
“They catch the ball great,” Vrable said.
According to PFF, there were 131 FBS-level, draft-eligible receivers who were targeted at least 50 times in 2024. Golden’s 6.5 drop percentage was right in the middle of the pack. Williams’ 11.8 percent was the 17th-highest, though moonlighting at running back probably played a role.
“There’s things that everybody has to work on throughout the (draft) process,” Vrable said, “but, like I say to guys all the time, it’s only a weakness if you don’t work at it to make it a strength.’ If you put in the work, you can change all the things you need to get better at. We got the guys first and I’m really excited about them and being workers and fitting our way, representing the ‘G’.”