Packers Counting on Watson to Score Points, Deliver Pointers

At Green Bay Packers OTAs on Wednesday, second-year receiver Christian Watson talked about leadership and racing Simone Biles.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Jun 1, 2023 11:39 AM EDT

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Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Christian Watson has No. 1 receiver skills. For the Green Bay Packers to contend for the playoffs in 2023, he’s going to have to play like a No. 1 receiver.

Oh, and he’ll also have to help lead the youngest receiver corps in the NFL.

“I guess it’s a little weird,” Watson said following Wednesday’s practice when asked about fielding questions about leadership.

Weird, yes, but that’s the reality. There isn’t a receiver on the team with more than one season of experience. Of the receiver group’s combined 20 starts and 11 touchdowns, Watson has more than half the starts (11) and touchdowns (seven). Watson and Romeo Doubs are the only receivers with more than five career receptions.

Once Randall Cobb signed with the Jets, there really wasn’t a veteran receiver worth adding. So, it’s going to be up to 2022 draft picks Watson, Doubs and Samori Toure to lead the way.

Even if they might not fully know the direction when the 2023 schedule kicks off.

“There’s guys that are a lot older than I am,” the 24-year-old Watson said. “Obviously, [it’s unusual] to see so early in my career a room that’s so young and doesn’t have those old guys. It’s easy to rely on those old guys when stuff is going bad in terms of experience and what they’ve got to say about it, but it’s also nice to have a young group where you can just compete and learn from each other and grow with each other.”

With Watson leading all NFL receivers with seven touchdown receptions during the final eight games of last season, expectations are sky-high entering Year 2. At FanDuel Sportsbook, he is +500 to finish with 10-plus receiving touchdowns.

The son of a former Packers player, Watson said he is a “natural” leader. It’s not fire and brimstone but teacher and mentor.

“Someone’s got to lead, someone’s got to take the reins, and it’s definitely something that comes natural to me just in terms of being able to teach and lead by example and talk to these guys about what the standard is and what we’ve got to do,” Watson said.

Watson has one early victory under his belt. During a recent Door County getaway with AJ Dillon, Jordan Love and Jonathan Owens, Watson beat Owens’ wife, Olympic gymnast Simone Biles, in a lakefront sprint. Watson slipped at the start but recovered.

“She definitely was” faster than he expected, Watson said. “I didn’t expect her to get off like that. Her start was a little faster than I thought it was going to be, but I still had to win. I’m not giving any freebies out.”