The Green Bay Packers appear poised to enter the preseason without signing any veteran wideouts. Brian Gutekunst has opted to roll with the six wide receivers he has drafted over the past two seasons, plus a few undrafted free agents. Samori Toure, 25, has an opportunity to carve out a role for himself within the Packers’ offense in his second year, especially in the early part of the 2023 season.
The exodus at wide receiver has become evident over the past two seasons, but Gutekunst has used premium draft capital on the likes of Christian Watson and Jayden Reed, and Romeo Doubs is a promising mid-round pick from a season ago. Samori Toure was tucked in four picks before the end of the 2022 draft. He produced at an All-American level for Montana before FBS schools missed out on 2020 due to COVID. He transferred to Nebraska for one final college season, playing FBS for the first time.
That collegiate journey, while a bit more winding than most, may be what separates Toure from the remainder of the wideout room in Green Bay. His draft classmates were Watson (age 24) and Doubs (23), while this year’s picks, Jayden Reed (23), Dontayvion Wicks (22), and Grant Dubose (22), all clock in at younger and with fewer miles than Toure.
Toure’s rookie campaign with Green Bay was inconsistent. He was inactive for the first six weeks of the season before making a catch in three-straight weeks, tallying 75 total yards including a touchdown against the Buffalo Bills. Following a disappointing Week 9 loss to the Detroit Lions in early November, Toure caught only one pass the remainder of the season despite being active in every game.
“It definitely made me hungry,” Toure told PackersNews.com earlier this week. “I’ve always had a chip on my shoulder. Especially after you get that taste of your first touchdown, and then the Detroit game. That was another one it felt good to be out there. So I’ve been itching to get back on the field ever since then.”
Toure’s advantage over the likes of Reed, in particular, stems from the aforementioned chip on his shoulder, but more so because it’s impossible to replicate a full season in the NFL. Whether he was on the field or not, Toure had the exposure to the professionalism of the game — not to mention the cafeteria and nutrition staff. He added on approximately 10 lbs. of muscle, and now his size is an asset rather than a knock against him. The archaic rules implemented by the Packers mean there’s no video, but Toure allegedly came up with the biggest catch of the day over the weekend, using that extra mass to absorb a hit from Darnell Savage in the process of making a big third-down catch.
Training camp is certainly a place to make a name for yourself, but being a known commodity also gives you a leg up. Drafting Jayden Reed in the second round clearly means that Green Bay has high hopes for the former Michigan State wideout. (And that he’ll be a second-round legend alongside the likes of Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Greg Jennings and Davante Adams.) But it doesn’t mean that Reed will be ready for a major role immediately. Matt LaFleur spoke about Reed being able to fit in across many different parts of the offense, which is certainly a positive. Reed presents a level of explosiveness on plays such as the one below, which few other players on the roster have the skillset to make.
Reed’s versatility will work in his favor over the long run. But for the time being, there’s an opportunity for Samori Toure to carve out a productive role in the slot. There are catches to be had, and if Toure can find a way to make those his at the expense of a few other players, it will be a good problem for the Packers offense to have. Being 25 and the veteran of the group should give Toure the opportunity early on to stake his claim.
