How up for grabs is the Packers 6th WR roster spot?

Understandably so, there is a lot of attention at the top of the Green Bay Packers wide receiver depth chart. However, on the other end, there could also be a battle brewing for a final roster spot.

If the Packers choose to roster just five receivers on their initial 53-man, something they did as recently as during the 2020 season, then this all may be a moot point. As of now, I think it’s safe to say that Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Samori Toure, and Dontayvion Wicks are all roster locks. But if Green Bay chooses to keep six, then there are some unknowns.

Before offseason programs started, presumably, that sixth spot was going to belong to Grant DuBose. However, he is yet to participate in any practices with an undisclosed injury. Following last Tuesday’s OTA practice, Matt LaFleur said that, naturally, DuBose could fall behind a bit with the missed practice time and will have to play catch up since he isn’t getting those on-field reps–studying the playbook only goes so far.

As of now, I would still say that DuBose is the favorite to be the sixth wide receiver, given that Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur have preferred to keep their own draft picks on the 53-man roster. A prime example of this was last season when the Packers chose to keep seventh-round pick Jonathan Ford, who was inactive every game, over Chris Slayton or Jack Heflin, both of whom seemed to outperform Ford during the preseason. With that said, DuBose’s absence has opened the door for other receivers to make a push.

Bo Melton is who I could see giving DuBose the biggest run because he can carve out a specific role in the LaFleur offense as a motion-man and gadget-type player with his 4.34 speed. I expect there to be a more prominent role for a player with that skill set this season, as we see Jordan Love taking more snaps under center and, in general, more motion within the offense. Having that element in the offense will not only create big play potential, but it will help create opportunities for others, both in the run and passing games, with the attention that Melton, for example, would draw, and also take some of the playmaking burden off of Love’s shoulders.

For more on what Melton can bring to the Packers offense and his potential impact, click here.

Two other receivers to watch based on what I saw during OTAs are Jeff Cotton and Malik Heath. Cotton is the oldest receiver on the roster as a 2020 undrafted rookie, although he has no NFL snaps. During last Tuesday’s practice, Cotton came away with two touchdowns, one during a red zone drill and another in the two-minute drill on a pass from Sean Clifford.

Heath, a 2023 undrafted rookie, has made an impressive catch in at least each of the practices I’ve been at. One was a contested deep ball down the sidelines with three defenders around him, and the other two came on a deep out and a corner route on the sidelines, again, with defenders nearby. Heath was a boundary target in college, catching 68% of his passes last season at 16.0 yards per catch with four touchdowns.

While I’m not sure how likely it is, the Packers could also explore free agency. I recently took a closer look at Green Bay’s salary cap situation and they do have some wiggle room—although not a ton. They also had Keke Coutee in for a workout a few weeks ago.

It goes without saying, but there is a long ways to go before anything is decided. But DuBose being on the sidelines has led to some opportunities for others, and there are a few who could push him for that potential final roster spot this summer.