How Young Are Packers’ Receivers? Here’s the Answer
GREEN BAY, Wis. – Just how young and inexperienced is the Green Bay Packers’ receiver corps?
Well, you’ll be shocked to find out, it’s the youngest in the league by a significant margin. The oldest receiver on the roster is Jeff Cotton. Cotton, who turned 26 on April 17, played one offensive snap for Jacksonville as a rookie in 2021.
The graybeards of the position are second-year players Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs. Watson, who will turn 24 on May 12, and Doubs, who turned 23 on April 13, have to lead the way.
“They’re the only two experienced guys in our room right now,” Packers GM Brian Gutekunst said after the draft.
The 10-man receiver corps has only:
- Three players who’ve played more than one snap in a regular-season game.
- Three players who’ve been with the team for a calendar year.
- 88 career receptions; 10 individual receivers had more last year.
With Randall Cobb joining the New York Jets, there probably isn’t a veteran receiver worth signing. Of the entire list of free-agent receivers, only one played even one-third of the snaps last year. The list is filled with well-past-their-prime players and first-round busts.
Obviously, young and inexperienced doesn’t mean untalented. Seven of Green Bay’s receivers were draft picks, including Bo Melton, a seventh-rounder by Seattle last year who the Packers signed off the Seahawks’ practice squad in late December.
A Packer Central examination of the 32 teams’ rosters showed:
- 16 teams had at least one receiver who was 30 years old.
- 31 teams had at least three receivers with more than two years of experience. The Packers, obviously, being the exception. Those 31 teams have an average of 6.10 receivers with three-plus years of experience.
- Taking Green Bay out of the equation (and ignoring Patriots receiver Matthew Slater, who is only a special teams player), the most-experienced receiver for each team averages 8.65 years of experience.
Here is a look at the 32 NFL receiver corps listed by the numbers of receivers with more than two years of experience. Ages are as of May 4.
New York Giants
Oldest: Sherling Shepard, 30. Most experience: Jamison Crowder, 9 years. More than two years of experience: 9.
…
Cleveland Browns
Oldest: Marquise Goodwin, 32. Most experience: Goodwin, 10 years. More than two years of experience: 8.
Las Vegas Raiders
Oldest: Four players, including Davante Adams, 30. Most experience: Adams, 10 years. More than two years of experience: 8.
Baltimore Ravens
Oldest: Odell Beckham, 30. Most experience: Beckham and Nelson Agholor, 9 years. More than two years of experience: 8.
…
New York Jets
Oldest: Randall Cobb, 32. Most experience: Cobb, 13 years. More than two years of experience: 7.
Carolina Panthers
Oldest: Adam Thielen, 32. Most experience: Thielen, 10 years. More than two years of experience: 7.
Arizona Cardinals
Oldest: DeAndre Hopkins, 30. Most experience: Hopkins, 10 years. More than two years of experience: 7.
Miami Dolphins
Oldest: Tyreek Hill, Chosen Anderson, 29. Most experience: Hill and Anderson, 9 years. More than two years of experience: 7.
Denver Broncos
Oldest: Tim Patrick, 29. Most experience: Courtland Sutton and Patrick, 6 years. More than two years of experience: 7.
…
New England Patriots
Oldest: Matthew Slater, 37 (DeVante Parker and Ty Montgomery, 30. Most experience: Slater, 16 years (Parker and Montgomery, 9 years). More than two years of experience (including Slater): 6.
Detroit Lions
Oldest: Marvin Jones, 33. Most experience: Jones, 12 years. More than two years of experience: 6.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Oldest: Allen Robinson, 29. Most experience: Robinson, 10 years. More than two years of experience: 6.
San Francisco 49ers
Oldest: Chris Conley and Willie Snead, 30. Most experience: Conley, 9 years. More than two years of experience: 6.
Buffalo Bills
Oldest: Stefon Diggs, 29. Most experience: Diggs, 9 years. More than two years of experience: 6.
Cincinnati Bengals
Oldest: Tyler Boyd, 28. Most experience: Boyd, 8 years. More than two years of experience: 6.
Indianapolis Colts
Oldest: Isaiah McKenzie, 28. Most experience: McKenzie, 7 years. More than two years of experience: 6.
Washington Commanders
Oldest: Alex Erickson, 30. Most experience: Erickson, 7 years. More than two years of experience: 6.
Kansas City Chiefs
Oldest: Marquez Valdes-Scantling, 28. Most experience: Valdes-Scantling, Justin Watson and Richie James, 6 years. More than two years of experience: 6.
Chicago Bears
Oldest: Dante Pettis, Daurice Fountain and Nsimba Webster, 27. Most experience: D.J. Moore, Equanimeous St. Brown and Pettis, 6 years. More than two years of experience: 6.
Philadelphia Eagles
Oldest: Devon Allen, 28. Most experience: A.J. Brown and Olamide Zaccheaus, 5 years. More than two years of experience: 6.
…
Houston Texans
Oldest: Robert Woods, 31. Most experience: Woods, 11 years. More than two years of experience: 5.
Dallas Cowboys
Oldest: Brandin Cooks, 29. Most experience: Cooks, 10 years. More than two years of experience: 5.
Los Angeles Rams
Oldest: Cooper Kupp, 29. Most experience: Kupp, 7 years. More than two years of experience: 5.
Minnesota Vikings
Oldest: Brandon Powell, 27. Most experience: Powell, 6 years. More than two years of experience: 5.
…
Los Angeles Chargers
Oldest: Keenan Allen, 31. Most experience: Allen, 11 years. More than two years of experience: 4.
New Orleans Saints
Oldest: Michael Thomas, 30. Most experience: Thomas, 8 years. More than two years of experience: 4.
Atlanta Falcons
Oldest: Mack Hollins, 29. Most experience: Hollins, 7 years. More than two years of experience: 4.
Jacksonville Jaguars
Oldest: Zay Jones and Jamal Agnew, 28. Most experience: Jones and Agnew, 7 years. More than two years of experience: 4.
…
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Oldest: Mike Evans, 29. Most experience: Evans, 10 years. More than two years of experience: 3.
Seattle Seahawks
Oldest: Tyler Lockett, 30. Most experience: Lockett, 9 years. More than two years of experience: 3.
Tennessee Titans
Oldest: Chris Moore, 29. Most experience: Moore, 8 years. More than two years of experience: 3.
Green Bay Packers
Oldest: Jeff Cotton (26). Most experience: Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure, 2 years. More than two years of experience: 0.
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