5 Reasons for Concern in 2023 with the Packers
By Paul Bretl
After taking a look at six reasons Green Bay Packers fans should be optimistic about the upcoming 2023 season, it’s now time to take a look at the other side of things, specifically the reasons for concern.
This is a roster with a lot of youth, as the youngest collective team in the league this season, and with inexperience comes a lot of questions and unknowns, all of which creates uncertainty. Here are my five reasons for concern with Week 1 on the horizon.
Inexperienced pass-catchers
Around first-time starting quarterback Jordan Love will be the youngest receiver room and tight end room in the NFL. From a tenure standpoint, Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Samori Toure are the most experienced receivers entering their second NFL seasons. In terms of snaps, Doubs has the most with 529. At tight end, the Packers have three rookies, at a position that comes with a notoriously difficult transition to the NFL, which is why we rarely see first-year tight ends with significant production. The Packers also have Josiah Deguara, who is entering his fourth NFL season but is technically a fullback.
As I highlighted in my ‘Reasons to be Optimistic’ article, the speed and versatility of these position groups are reasons to be excited. However, even with that potential, it doesn’t mean there won’t be ups and downs. The rookie years of Watson and Doubs showcase why. Both players were able to flash and show off their high upsides, but there were still plenty of inconsistencies as well. According to PFF, Watson would finish seventh among all receivers in drop rate, and Doubs ninth.
To a degree, this high level of variance should almost be expected from first-year players, including Jayden Reed, Malik Heath, and the rest of the Green Bay rookies. Not to mention that as they adjust to NFL play and a new playbook, being in the right place at the right time with their routes may be off at times as well. Even this year, with Watson, Doubs, and Toure, there still may be additional growing pains. They are now playing with a new quarterback, and none of them has a full season’s worth of snaps under their belts yet.