In Netflix’s Receiver documentary, George Kittle emphasized how much Deebo Samuel‘s presence means to the San Francisco 49ers. When Deebo went down with a shoulder injury against the Cleveland Browns, he missed a significant part of that game and the Week 7 and 8 matchups against the Minnesota Vikings and Cincinnati Bengals. During that stretch, the Niners went 0-3 after starting the season 5-0.
Kittle mentioned that the 49ers have parts of their game plan fully dedicated to Deebo. When Samuel went down, it was tough for Kyle Shanahan to adapt to overcome his unavailability. The impact of his absence was evident. For the first five weeks, the Niners averaged 33.4 points per game. However, without Deebo, they averaged only 17.
You can’t exactly replicate a player like Deebo. However, the Packers have Jayden Reed, a wide receiver with a similar playing style.
Like Samuel, the Packers often use Reed as a jet sweep threat across the backfield. He dashed down the sideline in Week 10 against the Los Angeles Chargers for a 32-yard touchdown on a jet sweep.
Thirty-two of Reed’s receptions and six rushes resulted in first downs. The two players share comparable speed. Samuel clocked a 4.48 in the 40-yard dash at the combine, while Reed posted a 4.45. Deebo is 6’0”, 215 lbs., whereas Reed measures 5’11”, 187 lbs. Despite his lighter frame, Reed stayed healthy during his rookie season, missing only the Week 16 game against the Carolina Panthers.
He fits into Green Bay’s offense like Deebo fits into San Francisco’s. If Deebo is not open, Brock Purdy can throw to Brandon Aiyuk, George Kittle, and Christian McCaffrey. Similarly, when defenses cover Reed, Jordan Love can go to Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks, Josh Jacobs, Luke Musgrave, and Tucker Kraft.
Jayden Reed has proven to be as effective through the air as he is on the ground. He broke Green Bay’s rookie record for catches in a single season and posted the third-most receiving yards by a rookie in Packers history. Reed also rushed 12 times last year, averaging 10.8 yards per carry and scoring two touchdowns.
Reed averaged 2.05 yards per route run as a rookie. In the past decade, 21 wide receivers have averaged over two yards per route run in their rookie seasons, many of whom have gone on to have impressive careers. The Packers have three such players on their roster, including Reed. He is a superior route runner compared to Samuel and can potentially be even more impactful for Green Bay than Samuel is for San Francisco.
Jaire Alexander praised Reed extensively during OTAs. “He reminds me of a young Randall Cobb,” Alexander said. “But he’s, I think, you know, he’s better. [Reed is] hungry, man. When you get a young guy coming in who’s hungry for the ball, they’re gonna make their plays. And you see it.”
Reed can be a game-changer for the Packers, even as a decoy. Opponents must respect his abilities in the air and on the ground. LaFleur can use him to fake a jet sweep, causing the defense to hesitate just enough for Josh Jacobs to break away for a 20-plus-yard gain. Will defenses double-team him? Congratulations, Christian Watson just burnt your single-high coverage for a 50-yard touchdown.
We can expect a more mature version of Jayden Reed in Year 2. Green Bay’s passing game coordinator, Jason Vrable, has done a fantastic job. With Reed’s skill set, he has the tools to become Green Bay’s most versatile and dangerous offensive weapon.
