The Green Bay Packers will have to find a way to replace over 400 targets and 260 receptions vacated by Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks, who are no longer on the roster. That’s a massive portion of the passing game they must account for. Matthew Golden will have to step up in Year 2 and take on a bigger role in the offense, and they will have to use Savion Williams to make up for some of that lost production.
The 2025 third-round pick only had 10 targets as a rookie last season, and eight of them came during a four-week span. Still, he is not your typical wide receiver. At 6’4”, 222 lbs., there are not many players at the position built like him.
“He can do a lot of that stuff that Matt asks of our guys to do,” Brian Gutekunst said regarding Williams last year. “And then, again, just the ability with the ball in his hands after the catch is really elite. I’ll be interested to see how that evolves and how he evolves in his career and how Matt uses him, because I do think there are a lot of options.”
That’s part of why it makes sense for Green Bay to keep finding different ways to get the ball in his hands instead of using him like a traditional receiver. Screens, end-arounds, jet sweeps, and other designed touches allow Green Bay to take advantage of his size and physicality in space.
“You love the versatility,” Matt LaFleur said regarding Williams last summer. “Just his ability to go in there, play wildcat quarterback, get in the backfield and play as a halfback, or whatever, however you want to use him, jet sweeps.
“You just want to find different ways to give him the ball because he’s so big, he’s so powerful, so explosive, and I think that guys just have a tendency to bounce off of him. I think he’s just scratching the surface of the playmaker he can become.”
I don’t expect Williams to take on a primary role in Green Bay’s receiving corps this offseason. Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and Golden are likely going to be the top options in the passing game. However, the NFL season is long, and injuries can quickly change a depth chart. If one of those receivers misses time, Williams could suddenly take on a much larger role in the offense.
That’s why Green Bay must continue giving him reps at receiver throughout training camp and the preseason instead of limiting him strictly to gadget plays. The Packers clearly value his versatility, but they also need him to develop as a complete receiver in case he is called upon later in the season.
Green Bay also spent a third-round pick on him, and teams typically don’t invest that kind of draft capital in a player they view as only a gadget option. Sure, if Williams can produce in that role, that’s a bonus, but the Packers eventually need him to offer more than designed touches and manufactured plays.
At the same time, this has to be a gradual process. The Packers cannot force too much onto his plate too early and risk hurting his development before he’s ready. The goal should be to slowly expand his responsibilities throughout training camp, the preseason, and the regular season while continuing to develop him as a complete receiver alongside the gadget role that already fits his strengths.
