Green Bay Packers: Don’t Forget About Malik Taylor Just Yet

In the Green Bay Packers’ first preseason game, in the eyes of many, it was Devin Funchess who stood out at the wide receiver position–and understandably so. He finished the game hauling in six receptions on eight targets for 70 yards, including an impressive one-handed snag over the middle.

When it comes to the receiver position, the Green Bay Packers have some difficult decisions to make ahead of them. If they choose to keep six receivers — for reference, they only kept five in 2020 — then that leaves just one roster spot up for grabs, with the first five roster spots already locked up.

From my vantage point, I would say that if the 53-man roster had to be constructed today, Funchess would be the final receiver on the roster given his preseason performance, how well he played in the practices leading up to that game, along with his pedigree.

However, the Green Bay Packers don’t have to have their final rosters set for another week and a half yet, and between now and then, there are two more preseason games along with several more practices that will take place. And one name that I wouldn’t forget about just yet is Malik Taylor.

Admittedly, we hadn’t heard much from Taylor during the training camp practices leading up to Green Bay’s first preseason game–which doesn’t mean that Taylor has struggled, it just means that he hasn’t really stood out either. Juwann Winfree had really impressed; once Equanimeous St. Brown was back from injury, he was making a few plays in practice, and Reggie Begelton was getting in on the action as well.

But against Houston, along with Funchess, it was Taylor who was making the plays. He finished that night catching all five of his targets for 50 yards. In addition to that, he had two big blocks on wide receiver screens — we all know how important that blocking ability at the receiver position is to Matt LaFleur — and he was also a gunner on special teams–an important role in that phase of the game.

Taylor spent time on the active roster last season, albeit in a limited role, catching five of his six targets for 66 yards with one touchdown. However, for him to truly differentiate himself, he’s going to have to maximize what he does as a blocker and the contributions he can make on special teams.

To put it simply, if the sixth receiver position is going to come down purely to what the player can do on offense, then we should just hand the job to Funchess now because his ceiling is much higher than anyone that he’s competing with at the moment.

While perhaps Funchess can get by without being a big special teams contributor — especially with it looking like Vernon Scott, Henry Black, and Innis Gaines can all be solid special teams players from the safety position — Taylor is going to have to continue playing well in all three areas referenced above if he hopes to make the final roster.

By PFF’s grading system ($$), Taylor was a well-below average blocker last season — something that will absolutely have to improve — but he is by far the most experienced special teams player with 210 snaps in 2020 alone. He’s also been with the first-team special teams unit all summer as a gunner, which is certainly noteworthy.

I suppose there is also the possibility that the Green Bay Packers could choose to keep both Funchess and Taylor and have seven receivers on the roster; however, I still see that as unlikely given all of the pass-catching options this team already has at receiver, tight end, and running back.

As I already mentioned, if I were putting together a roster prediction today, I wouldn’t quite have Taylor as one of the final 53. With that said, he is certainly someone worth watching over these last two preseason games, and if he can continue to play at a high level on special teams and be a consistent blocker on offense — along with still making plays as a pass-catcher — then he is going to give himself a fighting chance.

Although Funchess stole the show last Saturday, Taylor had a very good performance of his own, so don’t forget about him just yet.