19 Days Until Training Camp: Facing 19 1,000-Yard Receivers

The Green Bay Packers have consistently fielded one of the top passing defenses in the NFL. Here is the long list of challenges in 2023.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – During the Matt LaFleur era, the Green Bay Packers have fielded one of the best pass defenses in the NFL. Over the last four seasons, they rank sixth with an opponent passer rating allowed of 86.8.

They’ll be challenged to play to that elite level again.

With the first practice of training camp just 19 days away, the Packers this season will face 19 matchups against receivers who have at least 1,000-yard receiver on their resume.

Only four teams on the schedule don’t have a 1,000-yard receiver. Of those, Atlanta’s Drake London and Denver’s Jerry Jeudy are rising young players and Kansas City has reigning MVP Patrick Mahomes making magic.

Green Bay has answers at cornerback with Jaire Alexander, who is coming off his second second-team All-Pro season, and Rasul Douglas. Of the 65 corners to play at least 400 coverage snaps last season, Alexander ranked fourth in opponent passer rating and Douglas ranked 25th, according to Pro Football Focus.

New defensive passing game coordinator Greg Williams – who got the most unusual start in coaching – was cornerbacks coach in Arizona in 2021 when the Packers plucked Douglas off the Cardinals’ practice squad.

“To watch him put it all together, it was gratifying, because he had bounced around for a while,” Williams said before the start of OTAs. “To see him finally find a home and put it all together and getting in a defensive scheme that kind of fit his play style, which is using his eyes, using his vision and his instincts. I think he maximized it and he’s in a very good position.”

Here are the weekly receivers matchups.

Week 1: Bears – With Carolina, D.J. Moore topped 1,100 yards in 2019, 2020 and 2021. He’ll give young quarterback Justin Fields a true No. 1 receiver to join Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool, who with the Steelers had 873 yards as a rookie in 2020 and 860 yards in 2021.

Week 2: Falcons – The eighth pick of the 2022 draft, Drake London caught 72 passes for 866 yards as a rookie.

Week 3: Saints – Michael Thomas led the NFL with 149 receptions for 1,725 yards in 2019 but his career has been derailed by injuries. As a rookie last year, Chris Olave caught 72 passes for 1,042 yards.

Week 4: Lions – Amon-Ra St. Brown last season finished seventh in the NFL with 106 receptions and 11th with 1,161 receiving yards. This offseason, they re-signed Marvin Jones, who topped 1,000 yards for Detroit in 2017.

Week 5: Raiders – After a series of big seasons with the Packers, Davante Adams caught 100 passes for 1,516 yards and 14 touchdowns in his debut seasons with the Raiders. Adams ranked third in yards and first in touchdowns last season.

Week 6: Bye.

Week 7: Broncos – Through Denver’s struggles, Jerry Jeudy caught 67 passes for 972 yards last year.

Week 8: Vikings – Justin Jefferson dominated with NFL highs of 128 receptions for 1,809 yards in 2022.

Week 9: Rams – Cooper Kupp led the NFL with 145 receptions, 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns in 2021.

Week 10: Steelers – Pittsburgh added veteran Allen Robinson (three 1,000-yard seasons, including back-to-back in 2019 and 2020) to George Pickens, who caught 52 passes for 801 yards as a rookie.

Week 11: Chargers – Keenan Allen (66 receptions, 752 yards in 10 games) and Mike Williams (63 receptions, 895 yards) form a standout veteran tandem. From 2017 through 2021, Allen had 100-plus catches four times; Williams had 1,146 yards in 2021.

Week 12: Lions – In two seasons, St. Brown has 196 receptions for 2,073 yards and a 74.0 percent catch rate.

Week 13: Chiefs – With Kadarius Toney, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Skyy Moore, the Chiefs might not have a No. 1 receiver but they do have MVP quarterback Patrick Mahomes. His 5,240 yards last season is fourth-best all-time. Valdes-Scantling did rank fifth with 16.4 yards per catch.

Week 14: Giants – The Giants have one of the weakest receiver corps in the NFL. Darius Slayton, who caught six balls for 79 yards against the Packers in London, ranked sixth with 15.7 yards per catch.

Week 15: Buccaneers – Mike Evans has topped 1,000 yards in each of his nine NFL seasons – an unprecedented feat. Chris Godwin is coming off a third 1,000-yard season in four years.

Week 16: Panthers – The Panthers acquired Adam Thielen, who’s four years removed from his last 1,000-yard season, and D.J. Chark, whose only 1,000-yard season came in 2019.

Week 17: Vikings – In three seasons, Jefferson has an otherworldly 324 receptions for 4,825 yards. The Vikings used their first-round pick on Jordan Addison.

Week 18: Bears – Moore’s five-year averages are 72.8 receptions, 1,040 yards and 4.2 touchdowns.

Countdown to Packers Training Camp

Taking the obvious - the quarterback - out of the equation, who could be worthy of NFL MVP for the #Packers? A fun story by @Eric_Edholm.https://t.co/Xdymem87E0

And a closer look.https://t.co/KnullwDQuU

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) July 7, 2023

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Our Biggest Questions series continues with the cornerbacks. The #Packers are turning to Keisean Nixon in the slot. He's going to have to be really good considering the elite competition he'll be facing.https://t.co/zJGYTHL000

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) July 1, 2023

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