The Green Bay Packers know they need help on offense. They are about 90% sure Jordan Love will be their starting quarterback. The good news is that they’re still equipped with Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon in the backfield behind a solid offensive line. The less good news is that they really don’t have any tight ends besides Josiah Deguara and Tyler Davis. That means a lot will ride on the team’s young wide receivers avoiding any kind of sophomore slump.
Green Bay will probably end up with an additional second-round pick if Rodgers heads to the New York Jets. They will most likely use that pick on a tight end, which makes sense. Another edge rusher would be nice, too. And they still need to fill out their receiving roster.
During the coaches meetings last week, head coach Matt LaFleur said that he would like to add a veteran receiver or two. They will have to come close to the league minimum due to cap space issues, but that wouldn’t be a bad idea. They have Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure at receiver right now. All were rookies last year. Further down the depth chart, they have Bo Melton and Jeff Cotton. That’s not a receiving corps that will scare anyone in the NFL.
We can all but guarantee a few receivers go to the Packers in this year’s draft. How high will they go with those picks? That remains to be seen, depending on the Aaron Rodgers trade. And no matter where they pick a receiver, the current pass-catchers will need to not only avoid regression but take the next step. The sophomore slump is real. The Packers will have to absolutely make sure this doesn’t happen.
Packer Receivers 2022 Stats
Let’s first take a look at last year’s stats from Waton, Doubs, and Toure. It will be good perspective to help set expectations for 2023. Yes, the team will have a new quarterback and new players plugged in. But those receivers will have to step up and make themselves reliable.
Watson led the team in receiving touchdowns last year with seven. He had 611 yards and 41 receptions in 14 games. He probably has the most pressure to take the next step and become Green Bay’s WR1. His impressive rookie season suggests it was wise for the Packers to move up in the second round in the draft to get him.
Romeo Doubs played in 13 games. He ended with three touchdowns, 425 receiving yards, and 42 receptions. That’s one more catch than Watson. However, Doubs ended up being almost invisible near the end of the season. It’s hard to say if Rodgers just lost faith in him or something else happened, but his absence was concerning after such a great start.
Samori Toure only appeared in 11 games for Green Bay. He had 82 yards and one touchdown during his rookie year on five receptions. Like Doubs, he completely disappeared down the stretch. As of now, he is currently the team’s No. 3 receiver. It would basically be impossible for him to have a sophomore slump. Crazier things have happened, though.
Have Other Packers Receivers Had Sophomore Slumps?
Let’s take a look at some of Green Bay’s current great receivers. Did any of them have slumps their second year?
In 2014, Davante Adams had 446 yards and three touchdowns on 38 receptions in 16 games. In 2015, he had 483 yards and 50 receptions in 13 games, but just a single touchdown. The next year he would find the end zone 12 times, so 2015 qualifies as a bit of a slump.
Cobb had 25 receptions, 375 receiving yards, and scored one touchdown over 15 games in his rookie season in 2011. You could argue he was mostly used as a return specialist and was behind a lot of talented receivers. His second year was the opposite of a sophomore slump. He had 80 receptions, 954 yards, and eight touchdowns in 2012.
Greg Jennings had a path similar to Cobb’s. But then again, Jennings came bursting right out of the gate. As a rookie in 2006, he had 45 receptions, 632 yards, and three touchdowns. His second year resulted in 920 yards and 12 touchdowns on 53 receptions.
Jordy Nelson’s case is quite unique. In 2008, Nelson had 366 yards and two touchdowns on 33 receptions. In his sophomore year he only played in 13 games but had 22 receptions for 320 yards and another two touchdowns. It wasn’t until his fourth year that he jumped to 15 touchdowns in one season.
Are Packers Receivers immune to the Sophomore Slump?
Receivers haven’t suffered with the Packers in their second year much recently. Donald Driver and James Jones each had a slow build. Last season, Green Bay really hit on receivers, and they made an immediate impact on the team.
It also shows that these young receivers can have decent or below average seasons and the team can still be playoff contenders. We shouldn’t be surprised if a young receiver has a lackluster season or two, but the best players always persevere.
Green Bay has a lot of options in the upcoming draft. The team will probably still sign a veteran receiver and possibly a tight end as well. But they have some already solid weapons for Jordan Love to throw to for this season and beyond. And if LaFleur can run the offensive he wants to, you will see a lot of attention paid to the running game. As long as that gets going, the receivers should see plenty of quality targets.
And can you imagine if the Green Bay Packers draft a receiver in the first round after spending almost two decades not doing it for Aaron Rodgers?
