On Saturday, the Green Bay Packers hosted the Baltimore Ravens in their final preseason game of the year. Some of the young and unproven guys battled for roster spots in a game where none of Green Bay’s starters suited up. Malik Heath particularly stood out in the 30-7 victory.
Heath is a second-year wide receiver out of Ole Miss. He played in 13 of Green Bay’s 17 games and was a starter against the Chicago Bears in the season opener.
Heath had 15 receptions on 24 targets last year, gained 125 yards, and scored a touchdown. That long touchdown was a go-ahead score late in a 24-22 loss to the New York Giants. Not bad for a rookie on a receiving corps packed with young talent.
In Saturday’s game, Heath stepped up throughout the first half and early in the second. He had four receptions on only five targets for 39 yards and a touchdown. He did not play for most of the second half — oh, and he had Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt throwing him the ball.
Saturday was the best game that Heath had in the preseason. In Green Bay’s 23-10 win over the Cleveland Browns, he only made two catches for 22 yards. He had three catches for 22 yards in the 27-2 loss to the Denver Broncos.
Heath’s performance against Baltimore stands out, especially because it’s the last game before the regular season starts. The end of the preseason is a competitive time for players who are battling for starting sports or on the roster bubble. The fact that he could compete with all of these other young guys and outshine them shows he’s willing to put in the work and prove himself when he gets opportunities.
Getting young guys like Heath, Bo Melton, and Ben Sims into the game for quality reps against a good opponent is essential to building the wide receiver group. Young players like Heath can play if starters like Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs get injured or need to rest for a play or two. It creates so many more weapons for Jordan Love throughout the season and became a major theme of the offense. Heath will produce if he gets more quality reps in games and practices.
Think of Christian Watson in 2022 or Dontayvion Wicks last year. Those guys started slow and did not get much attention. But as the season progressed, so did their number of targets, and their overall performance increased meaningfully.
Fans shouldn’t expect him to put up video-game numbers or lead the league in certain categories. However, he has the talent and potential to add a lot of depth to the receiving corps. That will open up more opportunities for other receivers. Plus, the more quality weapons that Green Bay can give Jordan Love, the more efficient his numbers should be this year.
