There are certain things that every team needs to be able to do in the NFL and one of those is to be able to catch the ball. The Green Bay Packers have continued to have top notch wide receivers for several years. But even some of the top receivers the Packers had in recent years, have moved over to some different places. In the 2013 off-season, Greg Jennings made a very clear move to the division rival, the Minnesota Vikings. This current off-season, James Jones signed a contract with a former Green Bay executive with the Oakland Raiders. So even though some of the top talent has left the Packers keep putting in younger players.
Pictured above are the top two wide receivers on the team. Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb. These two are the only ones where there is no question on the depth chart. Nelson is going to be an outside wide receiver, and Cobb will be the primary slot receiver. Last year Nelson played in every game, getting 85 catches for 1,314 yards and 8 touchdowns. Cobb was hurt against the Baltimore Ravens, had 31 catches for 4 touchdowns in six games. But these two guys were both selected in the second round, and they are without a doubt the top two wide recievers on the team.
But since the Green Bay Packers start 3 receivers, it will be interesting to see exactly who takes that third role. Let's start with the front runner, Jarrett Boykin.
Boykin is the front runner for one reason and one reason only, because of his experience. He has been on the Packers for two years and he was the man who stepped in when the Packers had injury problems last season. He finished with 49 catches for 681 yards and 3 touchdowns. Boykin just isn't much of an athlete though. He was fairly unimpressive at Virginia Tech and hasn't done anything remarkable for the Packers. But he definitely is a valid asset as a route runner and he has good hands, a trait that Aaron Rodgers really appreciates.
DaVante Adams is probably in fourth at the current time, just because he was drafted in the second round of the draft this year. Obviously the Packers are deeply invested in him, but the media reports from the OTA's were that Adams had a case of the drops. Definitely would be considered quite a bit of an issue, especially when you consider that Boykin has good hands. Adams should have good hands though, as he primarily caught passes from David Carr at Fresno State and had 131 total catches last season for the Bulldogs. Even if Boykin is in the lead during the beginning, Adams could catch him early on in the season.
Kevin Dorsey was looking to make the roster last year, but was hurt during training camp and put on injured reserve for the season. He had torn up the combine though and was a draftee in the seventh round as the Packers in the 2013 draft. It will be interesting to see exactly what the Packers are going to do as they are probably going to keep 6-7 receivers on the roster. Dorsey has a chance, but there are several others that will be looked at.
One person that most Wisconsin Packer fans are looking to see is Jared Abbrederis. He is definitely a favorite amongst the fans since he was a Badger, but he does provide a lot of value since he is also a kick returner and a punt returner for the Badgers. Both of those positions are currently held by the number two receiver, Randall Cobb, but the Packers want to keep him on the field as a receiver and wanted someone else to handle the returning duties last year. Abbrederis could make the roster as a returner and then end up having a greater impact later in the year as a receiver. The main reason he had dropped to the Packers as well was because of previous concussion issues. Nobody wants to see anyone get hurt, and the Packers are hoping to avoid any future issues for the young man.
Jeff Janis is someone that the Packers are definitely thrilled about as a receiver. He, like Dorsey, is someone the Packers took in the seventh round as a wide receiver. He also put up big numbers at the NFL combine. The coach of the Atlanta Falcons, Mike Smith, was impressed by janis during the Senior Bowl. Even though Janis only had 2 catches for 8 yards, it was mainly due to issues that the quarterbacks and offense had on the team, and nothing to do with the receiver's qualities himself.
The final receiver that is worth taking a look at for the Green Bay Packers is Myles White. Despite the injuries last year, he had 9 cactches for 66 yards and only appeared in 7 games. White has a very low probability of making the team. If he couldn't get on the field last year, he's not going to get on the field this year either. But he is still in training camp, and there is definitely going to be a fight for who plays this season, so White still has a chance.
One thing is for certain for the Green Bay Packers, they have full load of weapons that Aaron Rodgers can use. They are happy to see exactly what they will get, and they are taking multiple picks to make sure they find someone that is great with Aaron for many years to come.