The Green Bay Packers' wide receiver rotation has once again been one of the most often discussed issues with the team. As the Packers began to struggle in recent weeks, the snap share and targets among the pass-catchers have been a big talking point. Star rookie Matthew Golden's lack of involvement has received a lot of attention, but fellow rookie Savion Williams may be in a more dire situation, and this has largely gone under the radar.
The Packers have a loaded wide receiver room. Especially after Christian Watson's return, many fans were wondering how head coach Matt LaFleur and offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich would spread the ball.
Savion Williams Will Continue to Get Squeezed Out of the WR Rotation
So far, Williams has been a name that has been squeezed out of the passing game, with nine targets in nine appearances. He has never played more than 29% of the team's offensive snaps in a game and has played single-digit snaps in five of the nine games.
What is perhaps the most concerning of it all is the fact that he only played six snaps in Week 10 when Matthew Golden was out and Romeo Doubs left the game early with a chest injury. One would have assumed that Williams would be in line for an increased workload, but it was Bo Melton who played a season-high 26 offensive snaps. He got five targets, more than Williams has gotten in any game this season.
Melton, who began the season as a cornerback, seems to be ahead of Williams in the wide receiver rotation. This means that the rookie out of TCU is the WR7 in the depth chart. That is not what you want your third-round pick to be past the midway point of the season.
Things will get even more complicated in the WR room once Jayden Reed returns. That will push everyone down in the pecking order, including Williams. It could even create a situation where the Packers have to cut a receiver to make room for Reed, as it seems highly unlikely that they will want to have eight WRs on the roster, even with Melton being utilized on defense.
Williams needs reps to develop and show his potential. But the Packers can't afford to give anyone developmental reps at this point, after falling to third place in the NFC North. The offense has yet to click, and they are running out of time to jell before the final stretch of the season. This suggests that opportunities may be even harder to come for Williams going forward.