Injuries seem to be running rampant across the NFL in training camp and preseason more than usual this year. Unfortunately, the Green Bay Packers have been hit hard with injuries in their wide receiver room. Right now, Green Bay is missing Christian Watson (knee), Romeo Doubs (back), Jayden Reed (foot), Dontayvion Wicks (calf), and Savion Williams (undisclosed).
In addition, the Packers are missing Jordan Love due to a thumb injury. While most of these players are expected back by Week 1, their injuries did mean they missed joint practice against the Indianapolis Colts. As a result, Green Bay had to rely on its backups against the Colts' starting defense.
That said, following joint practice on Thursday, tight end Tucker Kraft provided a disheartening report on how the backups did. According to The Athletic's Matt Schneidman, Kraft said, "Some of our youth showed a lot. When we’re out there, the importance is knowing what to do and doing it at a really fast speed at a very consistent level, so our youth showed a little bit in some instances with the injuries that we have on our depth chart."
Kraft's comments should leave Packers fans worried if they face injuries during the season.
Tucker Kraft Calls Out Packers Receivers Amid Injuries
The only Packers projected starting receiver who is not dealing with an injury currently is first-round pick Matthew Golden. Beyond him, Green Bay was forced to play Malik Heath, Julian Hicks, Isaiah Neyor, Kawaan Baker, Cornelius Johnson and Mecole Hardman. Of those players, Hardman and Health have the most experience.
Hardman is a six-year pro, spending some of his time in Kansas City. Heath, on the other hand, has spent the past two seasons with the Packers, getting minimal playing time. Baker is the only other receiver with NFL experience, as this is his fourth year in the NFL; he's just never seen snaps at receiver.
Kraft’s comments, while acknowledging some effort from the young players, ultimately underscore just how far they are from being ready to contribute meaningfully. None of them are projected to make the initial 53-man roster, and his comments show why.
Kraft added, "We left some meat on the bone … we were doing a good job competing, but we know the level that we expect to play at … we didn’t empty the tank".
Considering the inexperience and uneven performance, Green Bay’s wide receiver depth remains a concern. If injuries pile up during the season, the reality is these young backups might not be capable of stepping up when the team needs them most.