Pros/Cons of Big-Name Receiver Options for Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers’ receiver corps is as deep as Jack Handey’s thoughts.

Last year, Green Bay relied on five receivers. Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown contributed 1,633 snaps, 158 receptions, 2,081 yards and 14 touchdowns. Beyond the raw numbers, they caught one pass for every 10.34 snaps and averaged 1.27 yards per snap.

Led by Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb, every other receiver on the roster combined for 1,365 snaps, 78 receptions, 1,005 yards and 13 touchdowns. That works out to 17.5 snaps per reception and 0.74 yards per snap.

Talk about a hole in the offense. And if that’s not enough, only three of the team’s receivers were drafted. Two of them, Cobb and Amari Rodgers, are slot-only, so a potential trio of Lazard, Cobb and Rodgers probably isn’t a real option.

So, in the worst-kept secret in the NFL, the Packers need a lot of help to keep up with the likes of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Los Angeles Rams in the NFC arms race. Or, hands race.

General manager Brian Gutekunst figures to go early on a receiver in next month’s draft. He might go often, too, with two picks in the first, second and fourth rounds and 11 selections overall. Adding a veteran would soften the learning curve for the draft pick(s).

It’s slim pickings, though, and was from the jump with the Buccaneers franchising Chris Godwin, and the Chargers’ Mike Williams and the Cowboys’ Michael Gallup re-signing before hitting the market. Moreover, Christian Kirk (to Jacksonville), D.J. Chark (to Detroit) and Cedrick Wilson (to Miami) signed quickly.

There are proven receivers available. So long as you like old and/or injured. Here’s a look.

No. 8: Antonio Brown, ex-Buccaneers

Pro: A four-time All-Pro who led the NFL in receptions in 2014 and 2015, receiving yards in 2014 and 2017, and receiving touchdowns in 2018, Brown is a Hall of Fame-caliber player. When his mind is right, he remains one of the NFL’s premier receivers. He played a total of 15 games for the Buccaneers the past two seasons and, even on a team full of weapons, caught 87 passes for 1,028 yards (11.8 average) and eight touchdowns. Davante Adams excelled lining while lining up at all the receiver positions. Brown has that ability, too.

Con: The last time Brown was on a football field, he walked off the field in a game against the Jets. If he can’t make it work with Tom Brady, he probably can’t make it work for any team or any quarterback at this point in his career. He’ll turn 34 before the start of training camp.

No. 7: Will Fuller, Dolphins

Pro: In 2020, Fuller caught 53 passes for 879 yards (16.6 average) and eight touchdowns during the first 11 games. It was the breakout season the Texans expected after drafting him in the first round in 2016. The Packers were interested at the 2020 trade deadline.

Con: Good thing that trade wasn’t made. Fuller was suspended for the rest of the 2020 season, then missed most of 2021 with a variety of injuries. The last five seasons, he’s missed 40 of a possible 81 games. Why on earth should his new team expect anything different?

No. 6: T.Y. Hilton, Colts

Pro: Hilton topped 1,000 yards five times in a span of six seasons. In 2021, he caught only 23 passes in 10 games but didn’t have any drops and averaged a solid 8.9 yards per target.

Con: The last three years, Hilton has 1,592 yards. His 2.9 YAC was one of the worst marks in the league. He’ll turn 33 in November. That 4.34 speed is long gone.

No. 5: A.J. Green, Cardinals

Pro: After missing half of the 2018 season and all of 2019, Green played 32 of a possible 33 games the past two seasons. He caught 54 passes for 858 yards and three touchdowns in 2021, his first season with Arizona. His 15.7-yard average was his best since his rookie season of 2011, and he caught 12-of-22 deep targets.

Con: Green will turn 34 before the start of training camp and has lost any explosive element to his game. At 6-foot-4, he should be a red-zone threat but has only five touchdowns the past two seasons.

No. 4: Emmanuel Sanders, Bills

Pro: Sanders caught 42 passes for 626 yards last season, his 14.9-yard average being the best mark of his career. He is a sure-handed possession receiver capable of getting open and moving the chains.

Con: Sanders turned 35 last week. That age showed last season. Sanders caught 24 passes in the first six games and only 18 the rest of the way. He averaged 10 yards or less per catch in four of his final five games. His 2.1 YAC per catch was the second-worst mark in the NFL. And his 58.3 percent catch rate was a sharp downturn after three consecutive seasons of at least 68 percent.

No. 3: Julio Jones, Titans

Pro: Jones is one of the great receivers in NFL history. He led the NFL in receptions and receiving yards in 2015 and receiving yards in 2018. In between, he led the league in receiving yards per game in 2016, then destroyed the Packers in the NFC title game. Even after a couple down seasons, he ranks No. 1 in NFL history with 91.1 receiving yards per game. He might be getting old but 6-foot-3 and 220 pounds is one thing that will defy Father Time.

Con: Jones played nine games in 2020, his final season in Atlanta, and 10 games in 2021, his first season with Tennessee. In 2021, Jones had only 3.1 catches per game and averaged 3.7 YAC per reception, the worst marks of his career by wide margins. He turned 33 in February.

No. 2: Jarvis Landry, ex-Browns

Pro: Landry led the NFL with 112 receptions in 2017 and had a career-high 1,174 yards in 2019 as part of a string of five consecutive Pro Bowls. Landry is at his best in the slot but can produce at all the receiver positions. He’s been typically good in contested-catch situations.

Con: Landry, who will turn 30 in late November, had only 52 catches for 570 yards and two scores in a dozen games last season. He had more fumbles (three) than touchdowns. According to Pro Football Focus, Landry forced 26 missed tackles in 2015 but only eight in 2021. Before the 2014 draft, he ran a 4.61 in the 40. He’s not any faster.

No. 1: Odell Beckham Jr., Rams

Pro: Beckham resurrected his career when he latched on with the Rams. In 12 games (including playoffs), Beckham caught 48 passes for 621 yards and seven touchdowns. Known as a bit of a malcontent in Cleveland, he helped deliver a Super Bowl championship to Los Angeles.

Con: Beckham suffered a torn ACL during the Super Bowl. That game was played on Feb. 13. Assuming a nine-month recovery, maybe he’ll be back on the field in mid-November – just after his 30th birthday.

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