Green Bay Packers: Predicting The Final Wide Receiver Spot

As Week 1 approaches, the Green Bay Packers will have to trim down their roster to 53 before 4:00 P.M. Eastern on August 31st. With Judgement day looming, each practice and preseason game becomes more and more important.

The wide receiver room in Titletown has quietly become one of the deepest in the entire league. Headlined by Davante Adams, the group features different weapons that all combine to produce at a high level. With a number of guys already locked into roster spots, the competition and pressure for those who are not shoe-ins rise exponentially by the day.

As I see it right now, the Green Bay Packers have five receivers who, barring serious injury, will for sure be on the active roster for Week 1. Those guys in the “safe” category are Davante Adams (I know, big surprise), Marquez Valdez-Scantling, Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, and Amari Rodgers. Now, beyond those guys, it is really up in the air exactly how many receivers will the Green Bay Packers’ keep on their roster and who will fill out the wideouts in Green Bay.

With a limit of 53 on the active roster, no spot can be wasted. Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur have their work cut out for them, and those decisions are not getting any easier.

Specific to the wide receivers, I assume they will take six; maybe they decide to keep seven, but more than likely not. So if the five receivers listed earlier are all truly “safe,” only the final spot is up for grabs.

After two weeks of preseason games, a few guys separated themselves as front runners for the elusive final receiver spot.

The Case For Devin Funchess

Devin Funchess was signed before the 2020 season and was primed to contribute in a big way. However, due to COVID-19 concerns, the former Michigan Wolverine opted out and took a pay cut to stay around in Green Bay for another season.

The argument for Funchess is that he is the most proven in the group. The 27-year old has a proven track record in the NFL and has shown he can be a reliable target. During his best season, 2017, Funchess reeled in 63 catches from Cam Newton in Carolina for 840 yards and 8 touchdowns.

What Funchess can offer is a dependable target on the outside, with a proven ability to be a red-zone threat. He showed just that in Week 1 of the preseason when he had an impressive 6 catches for 70 yards on 8 total targets.

Devin Funchess has shown he can be a valuable asset in the NFL. However, at 27 years old and having not played a regular-season game in nearly two years, his best days may be behind him. If Funchess is retained and fills that last spot in the receiver room, he will compete with Allen Lazard for snaps on the outside opposite Davante Adams.

The Case For Malik Taylor

Malik Taylor perhaps has the best argument for taking the 6th spot in the receiver room. The Ferris State product caught one touchdown during his limited opportunities in 2020 and also contributed on special teams. That will likely be his angle for earning a roster spot. Special teams, and doing the dirty work, is something Malik Taylor has embraced during his NFL career.

Taylor has shown flashes of potential as a pass-catcher and proven he can be trusted to fill in when needed. What makes him my choice to make the roster is his special team’s pedigree. Throughout his young career, Taylor has filled various roles, such as gunner and kick returner. This sort of versatility makes him the most appealing candidate to fill the 6th receiver spot. He still has the potential to grow into a viable pass-catching threat while still contributing on special teams every week.

The Case For Juwann Winfree

Juwann Winfree was very impressive early on in training camp and displayed that he could potentially make the roster. The 2019 6th round pick from Colorado has the physical build to turn into an every-down threat as a receiver. The 6’3” Winfree offers something that neither Funchess nor Taylor do, the mystery of the unknown. After playing only eight snaps last season and still very young in his career, the still-raw prospect has shown reason to believe he can still develop into a trusted playmaker in the league.

Winfree, like Taylor, will certainly need to make an impact on special teams to stay on the roster. His own personal growth as a receiver will have to come for long time success in the league, but to immediately have a role on the team, it will more than likely be on the punt and kickoff units.

I would not be surprised if Winfree is brought back on the practice squad if he is ultimately cut before the deadline at the end of the month.

The Green Bay Packers’ front office will have numerous tough personnel decisions when the roster is trimmed down to 53 players. Choosing which wide receiver to keep for that sixth roster spot could prove to be very important as the wear and tear of a 17 game season will test the depth of every team. All three of the guys outlined above would be solid options to fill that spot, and my pick is Malik Taylor.

Let me know who you think will be the Green Bay Packers’ 6th receiver in the comments!