Green Bay Packers: 5 WRs or 6 WRs? Who Stays and Who Goes?

We knew heading into training camp that the battle for one of the final roster spots at receiver was going to be one of the more intriguing positional matchups to watch on this Green Bay Packers team.

Devin Funchess is back in the mix competing against the up-and-coming Juwann Winfree as well as special teams contributor Malik Taylor, and of course, Equanimeous St. Brown and others would be fighting for a roster spot as well.

However, after the week that was, things have gotten even more complicated for Matt LaFleur and Green Bay Packers with the addition of Randall Cobb.

If we look back at last year’s initial 53-man roster, Green Bay kept just five receivers. If that’s the case in 2021, then the wide receiver depth chart is pretty much set with Cobb, Davante Adams, Allen Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Amari Rodgers all roster locks.

But perhaps there is some wiggle room for a sixth receiver. Tyler Ervin was on the roster last season as a fourth running back but often functioned as a receiver. So maybe the Packers keep just three running backs this year and utilize that extra roster spot on another receiver? Or if they decide to keep just two quarterbacks instead of three, there again is another available roster opening for a receiver.

If Green Bay goes this route and does keep a sixth receiver, there are still difficult decisions to be made, and the big question is, who gets the job? Ultimately we won’t know until we see how the remainder of training camp and the preseason shakes out, but there are a number of factors involved.

As I’ve discussed in the past, in a vacuum from a pure talent standpoint, Devin Funchess is the more talented option over those he is competing with. But can he shake off the rust after not playing for nearly two years, and how quickly will he pick up the offense?

Another important question is, would the Green Bay Packers keep six receivers on the roster with none of them being any help on special teams coverage units? While Rodgers and Cobb can handle return responsibilities, Juwann Winfree and Malik Taylor can be utilized on the kick and punt coverage units. Typically you don’t see a wide receiver depth chart without at least one player who can fill those coverage roles.

Winfree gives you the best of both worlds, and although he likely won’t ever reach Funchess’ ceiling as a receiver, he continues making plays throughout mini-camp and the beginning of training camp and can provide those needed special teams contributions. Taylor, on the other hand, has by far the most special teams experience, with 210 snaps in 2020 alone, according to PFF ($$)–that too is quite valuable, especially for a back-end of the roster player that won’t see a ton of snaps on offense.

As far as St. Brown and the rest of the receivers on the roster, I believe it’s going to be an uphill battle for them to earn a roster spot. Now in his fourth year, St. Brown has struggled to gain traction on offense, and he hasn’t provided much help on special teams.

To solve this problem, could the Green Bay Packers keep seven receivers? I guess I wouldn’t rule anything out, but I also don’t see that being the case. With Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon out of the backfield as pass-catchers, a number of tight ends that can affect the passing game, there’s only one ball to go around, and a seventh receiver seems unnecessary.

Even with a sixth receiver on the roster, that player likely won’t see much playing time on offense–which again illustrates the importance of being able to contribute on special teams.

It’s still far too early into camp to tell how this will all play out, and a lot can change over the next month. But at this point in the summer, there are certainly still a lot of questions at hand when it comes to the wide receiver position here in Green Bay.