A Closer Look at Green Bay Packers Draft Pick WR Romeo Doubs

Next up in our deep dive series is the Green Bay Packers’ first fourth-round selection, wide receiver Romeo Doubs from Nevada.

In this series, I have been taking a look at each Packers draft pick, discussing the positional need entering the draft, what their role may look like as a rookie, stats you need to know, and at the end, we will take a look at a few pre-draft scouting reports.

If you’ve missed any of the other articles in this series, you can find them below.

Quay Walker

Devonte Wyatt

Christian Watson

Sean Rhyan

The Green Bay Packers need at wide receiver

As I discussed in the Christian Watson article, we all knew that there was a massive need at the receiver position prior to the draft. Now with the draft in the rearview mirror, the big question is, did the Green Bay Packers do enough to address the need this offseason?

Outside of just needing to add depth to the receiver position, specific needs that Packers had were finding some added YAC and playmaking ability, a vertical threat, and someone who can be the guy on those third and five situations.

With the additions of Watson, Doubs, and Samori Toure, Green Bay certainly checked the YAC and playmaking box along with the vertical threat box. However, it still remains to be seen if a go-to option will emerge, or perhaps that’s a role that could vary week to week.

We’ve seen both Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb come up big on third downs and in the red zone, but can either do it on a consistent basis? Sammy Watkins has the potential to be that player but can he stay healthy enough? And when it comes to Amari Rodgers, he is still an unknown, and we don’t know if any of the rookies will be able to that reliable presence in those high leverage situations.

Romeo Doubs potential role as a rookie

There are two areas that Doubs should be able to make an impact right away as a rookie. The first is as a vertical threat, where he can win downfield with his speed as well as by using his big frame at the catch point. In 2020, Doubs finished third among all receivers at the FBS level in downfield receiving yards, according to PFF ($$).

The other potential area is as the Green Bay Packers punt returner. Doubs had 37 career attempts at Nevada and returned one for a touchdown while averaging an impressive 12.4 yards per catch.

As a vertical threat and a return man, Doubs can carve out some specific roles on this Green Bay Packers team as a rookie; however, there is still more that he can potentially offer. As Ross Uglem of Packer Report mentioned, in addition to the go-routes and downfield targets, Doubs could find success right away on slants and screens as well.

The big plays from his time at Nevada are what may stand out the most, but he was impactful at all three levels of the football field and was targeted heavily in between the numbers. Doubs also found the endzone 20 times over his final two seasons and could also emerge as a steady red zone target for Aaron Rodgers.

"“He’s got length, he’s really fast, he’s a big-time playmaker and he’s done it for multiple years at Nevada,” Brian Gutekunst said via Packers Wire. “He’s probably one of the more polished players coming out of college just because of his experience. We’re excited to see what he can do.”"

His playing time will, of course, have to be earned, but Doubs will have plenty of opportunities to do so as the wide receiver room takes shape over the summer and into the regular season.

Stats to Know about Romeo Doubs

Doubs is a very experienced and a heavily targeted pass-catcher during his time at Nevada. In four seasons, he was targeted 339 times, catching 66% of those passes at 14.9 yards per catch with 26 touchdowns.

As already mentioned above, he was one of college football’s most productive downfield targets in 2020, with the third most deep receiving yards while averaging almost 18 yards per catch. Doubs was also effective at all three levels of the football field with a bulk of his targets coming between the numbers.

Doubs spent a majority of his career lined up on the boundary at Nevada but did take a career-high 21% of his snaps from the slot during his final season. He was also a very good punt returner, as noted above.

From a size standpoint, Doubs fits that big-bodied receiver mold that the Green Bay Packers have typically coveted, as he stands 6’2″ and weighs 201 pounds, per PFF. His athletic testing was limited this offseason, but he certainly looks fast on tape, and he reportedly ran a 4.47-second 40-yard dash at a workout.

What the pre-draft scouting reports have to say

Lance Zierlein – NFL.com

"“Will check the boxes for height, weight and speed, but tightness in his lower half limits the upside,” said Zierlein. “Doubs has been a productive, high-volume target with speed to separate deep but he’s a linear route-runner who will struggle to elude NFL press and separate from tight man coverage over the first two levels. His toughness, ball skills and special teams potential increase his chances of earning a backup role.”"

Drae Harris – The Draft Network

"“Romeo Doubs is a dynamic and explosive athlete with very good straight-line speed and agility as a route-runner,” wrote Harris. “He’s a certified deep threat who led the country in receiving yardage per game for a good portion of 2020. In 2020, he had some issues with drops but has seemingly overcome those issues this season. His very good and sudden speed immediately threatens a cornerback’s cushion in coverage, which affords him good separation in the intermediate areas of the field.“He easily takes hitches, smokes, and bubble screens for good yardage due to his ability as a strong runner with the football. He projects as a better stalk blocker than he currently is due to his good strength and toughness at the point of attack. He demonstrates strong hands to pluck the football. The presence of his explosive speed can help any offense’s running game to see lighter boxes.”"