Do Packers Have Worst Receiver Corps in NFL?
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – The answer to the question asked in the headline isn’t the only issue for the Green Bay Packers and their pursuit of an elusive trip to the Super Bowl.
The trade of Davante Adams, along with the free-agent departure of the field-stretching Marquez Valdes-Scantling, has put Green Bay’s offense in a difficult spot coming off a third consecutive playoff flameout.
Allen Lazard is a high-quality role player but he isn’t the dictionary definition of a No. 1 receiver. He set career highs with 40 receptions, 513 yards and eight touchdowns last season, and really flourished down the stretch.
“Now he’s getting an opportunity to be a No. 1 receiver, so I’m not worried about him at all stepping into that role,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said last week.
Randall Cobb’s lone 1,000-yard season came in 2014. Sammy Watkins’ lone 1,000-yard season came in 2015. Three draft picks – second-rounder Christian Watson, fourth-rounder Romeo Doubs and seventh-rounder Samori Toure – will be given every opportunity to earn early-season snaps.
That underwhelming group ranks No. 31 in the NFL in receiver rankings published by Pro Football Focus.
“The Packers upped the difficulty level for Aaron Rodgers in his pursuit of a third consecutive MVP trophy by trading away his top target and one of the best wide receivers in the NFL, Davante Adams,” PFF’s Ben Linsey wrote.
Rodgers, the four-time MVP and sure-fire Hall of Famer, and Matt LaFleur, the only coach in NFL history with three consecutive 13-win seasons, will find a way to make the offense go. But there are other great quarterbacks and other great coaches, and they have major advantages.
The Los Angeles Rams are the defending Super Bowl champions. They’ve also got a great quarterback-coach combination with Matthew Stafford and Sean McVay. What a luxury for Stafford to drop back on third down knowing he’s got the uncoverable Cooper Kupp. Kupp, who is coming off one of the great receiving seasons in NFL history, will be joined by longtime standout Allen Robinson and promising former second-round pick Van Jefferson. The Rams’ receiver corps was ranked seventh by PFF.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the Super Bowl in 2020 and are the favorites to get out of the NFC in 2022. While coach Bruce Arians retired, the greatest quarterback in NFL history, Tom Brady, retired and unretired faster than you can spell GOAT. What a luxury for Brady, who will turn 45 about a week into training camp, to have two legit No. 1s with Chris Godwin and Mike Evans. The addition of Russell Gage provides a legit threat from the slot, and the assumption is tight end Rob Gronkowski will rejoin the team for one more run with Brady. The Bucs’ receivers were ranked second by PFF.
The San Francisco 49ers are the Packers’ playoff kryptonite. They lack a difference-maker at quarterback but they’ve got a great coach in Kyle Shanahan. What a luxury for Shanahan to design plays for an elite receiver like Deebo Samuel, an elite tight end like George Kittle and high-quality secondary receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Jauan Jennings. The 49ers’ receivers ranked sixth.
Rodgers and LaFleur are great, but the talent disparity at receiver is like giving Usain Bolt a head-start in the 100-meter dash. Who has the edge on third-and-10 in the fourth quarter? Rodgers throwing to Lazard and Watkins? Or Brady and Stafford to their multitude of weapons?
For the Packers to win the three or four playoff games necessary to win a Super Bowl, they’ll need their legendary quarterback to play like a legendary quarterback, their receiver corps to greatly outperform outside expectations and their cornerbacks to be the great equalizer.
