How Did ESPN Rank Packers’ Skill-Position Players? (Hint: Not Great)

There’s something to be said about consistency. Unless it’s consistently mediocre.

ESPN’s Bill Barnwell ranked the skill-position players for every team. Taking into account running back Josh Jacobs, the slimmed-down receiver corps of Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden, and tight end Tucker Kraft, the Packers rank 17th.

That’s three consecutive years at No. 17 for quarterback Jordan Love’s supporting cast – the picture of consistent mediocrity.

The good news, according to Barnwell, is they could be elite when together. The bad news, according to the injury report, is that they haven’t been on the field together.

(There’s more bad news, which we’ll get to later.)

Writing about Jacobs, Watson, Reed and Kraft, Barnwell stated: “We’ve seen all four of those players take over games and look unstoppable at times over the past couple of seasons. If they could all stay on the field together for 17 games, we would be looking at one of the most devastating groups of playmakers in the league.”

According to Barnwell, the Packers averaged 0.14 EPA per play when they were on the field together in 2024. In 2025, with Watson missing the start of the season following a torn ACL, Reed missing the middle of the season due to a foot injury and broken collarbone and Kraft missing the end of the season with a torn ACL, they weren’t on the field together at all last season.

The Packers need Jacobs to stay healthy, too, after a knee injury sapped him of his power. Three of his four worst games in terms of yards after contact were his final three games of the season: Week 16 at Chicago, Week 17 against Baltimore and the playoff game at Chicago. The Packers lost all three.

Everyone’s Healthy

Barring an injury during training camp or the preseason and assuming Kraft’s healthy return, they will be on the field together to start this season. And so will last year’s draft picks, Golden and Savion Williams, who will have to fill bigger roles with the departures of Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks.

Those four will need to get on the field and stay on the field because there’s no proven depth.

“This could literally be the best one-through-five group in the league if everyone is healthy and at their best,” Barnwell concluded. “Yet the chances of that happening explain why they rank 17th.”

There’s been only one season in which one of the receivers played 600 snaps in a season. That was Reed in 2024, when his 685 snaps ranked 51st at the position.

Watson not only hasn’t played the full 17-game slate, he’s played in more than 10 games in only two of his four.

“I think that’s the main thing. I feel like that’s the main thing everyone wants to see – obviously, including myself – is just a full season of it,” Watson said. “So, that’s my goal going forward is just, obviously, to put myself in the best position to obviously stay healthy throughout the entire season. Get a full season of that across 17 games-plus.”

Despite their injury histories, Watson and Reed were given contract extensions. Kraft almost certainly is next.

“They deserve every penny,” Kraft said. “You know, football isn’t an easy sport. It’s the ultimate team sport and we’re out here busting our ass – blood, sweat and tears. The overcoming of injuries that those have shown the Packers organization, I think that they deserve everything.”

Love is coming off his best season but didn’t get an abundance of help from his friends. He ranked smack-dab in the middle of the pack in drop percentage and yards after the catch per completion. Without Kraft, the YAC game completely vanished.

Around the NFC North

The Packers’ quest to win the Super Bowl will hinge on Kraft, Watson, Reed and Golden staying on the field and maximizing their potential.

Their health would go a long way toward winning the NFC North, which would be the first step in winning the Super Bowl for the Packers, who haven’t won the division since 2021 and have been stuck as the No. 7 seed the last three years.

At least according to Barnwell, the quarterbacks guiding Green Bay’s division rivals all have better supporting casts.

The NFC North-champion Bears are just ahead of the Packers at No. 15. They have three potential young stars in tight end Colston Loveland and receiver Luther Burden III, who came on strong as rookie last year, and hard-charging running back Kyle Monangai.

They’ll need to step up after the departures of receiver D.J. Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus

“This is a young group with real upside, but I also get the sense that it wouldn't be quite as appealing or productive with a less compelling play-caller,” Barnwell said.

The Vikings are No. 8 but among the top tier because of the receiver trio of Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jauan Jennings.

The Lions are No. 1. Jared Goff is surrounded by playmakers everywhere with receivers Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams, running back Jahmyr Gibbs and tight end Sam LaPorta. Plus, receiver Isaac TeSlaa is a “a potential breakout candidate if there are enough footballs to go around.”

Of teams in the top 10, the Packers will play the No. 1 Lions (twice), the No. 2 Rams, the No. 4 Falcons, the No. 7 Cowboys, the No. 8 Vikings (twice) and the No. 10 Patriots. That’s eight games, meaning an obvious challenge for new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon.

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