Green Bay Packers 2022 Roster Review: Wide Receivers
By Paul Bretl
With the offseason here, it’s time to take a look back at the season that was for the Green Bay Packers. To do so, I will be going position by position through the roster, taking a look at what went right and what went wrong.
Next up are the wide receivers. Below you can stay up to date with each of my completed position groups.
What went right for the Packers receivers
– How can we not begin by talking about Christian Watson’s emergence? From Week 10 and beyond, he was a different player who, as both Aaron Rodgers and Matt LaFleur would mention, changed how opposing defenses defended the Packers. His home run ability helped spread the defense out, which opened up opportunities for others.
– As a team, the Packers were below average at converting third downs, but Randall Cobb often came up big in these situations. On the season, he caught nine of 11 third-down passes, averaging almost 15 yards per target, with eight of those receptions moving the chains.
– Romeo Doubs very much rode the rookie ups and downs, but he’s a very promising young player. Some of his ups last season included a beautiful back-shoulder grab in overtime against New England that led to the Packers winning the game. Another came in the corner of the end zone in Buffalo with a defender all over him.
– This position group is filled with willing and effective blockers. It is clearly a mentality that they all embrace.
– Lazard wasn’t overly dynamic by any means and didn’t give Green Bay the true number-one target they needed through the first half of the season, but he provided Rodgers with a go-to target. He caught 62% of his 98 targets at 13.1 yards per catch with six touchdowns, according to PFF ($$).
– The majority of seventh round picks never pan out, but if we want something positive to hold on to coming out of 2022, it’s that Samori Toure looks like he could be a potential contributor. Aaron Rodgers praised the rookie for the way he started practicing in-season after being very casual throughout the summer. We also saw him make an impressive touchdown catch where he made a mid-route adjustment because of how the defense was defending him. This is something that Rodgers often talked about needing more of form the rookie receivers.
What went wrong for the Packers receivers
– Injuries were, unfortunately, a part of the season for this position group as a whole. Green Bay was over halfway through the season, and Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs had played just 52 snaps together. On top of that, Cobb, Lazard, and Sammy Watkins — when on the team — all missed time.
– This stat also includes the tight ends and running backs, but dropped passes were a major issue for the Packers. They finished the season with 27, the third most in football.
– Prior to Watson’s emergence, the lack of a consistent deep threat really stifled this offense. Opposing defenses began to shrink the field, which made moving the ball on the ground or through the quick passing game all the more challenging.
– I mentioned this as well when discussing the quarterbacks, but when the offense had to rely on the passing game because the run wasn’t getting the job done, this group just wasn’t good enough to shoulder the workload. This is also why the Packers struggled in the red zone when defenses dared them to pass the ball.
– The Packers were very much banking on Sammy Watkins providing some veteran stability at the position, but he often didn’t do that. He struggled to create regular separation and wasn’t on the same page as Rodgers on several instances.
– As the offense really struggled during that five-game losing streak, Aaron Rodgers continually pointed to receivers running the wrong routes (and dropped passes) as a big reason why the passing game was clicking. There were too many times when Rodgers and his receivers just weren’t on the same page.
– Overall, there was just a lack of consistent separation from this group in coverage. Green Bay’s rookie receivers would also really struggle against press coverage, something Brian Gutekunst wants to see them improve on in year two.