The saying goes that speed kills, and for the Green Bay Packers’ group of wide receivers, it’s hard to find a time when that has ever been more true.
Matt LaFleur typically prefers wide receivers with bigger frames to help with run blocking, among other things. However, the Packers have threaded the needle, with some targets still having a good frame while damn near all of them having great speed.
Ultimately, the Packers built a team that should thrive on the deep ball.
Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks weren’t running like they had anchors attached to them. However, if they were still with the Packers, they’d be bottom of the barrel when it comes to some speed metrics, including 40-yard times.
Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, and Jayden Reed will lead Green Bay’s receiver room this year. Savion Williams will hope to find a bigger role after being a third-round pick a year ago.
Watson clocked a blazing 4.36 40-yard time at the NFL Combine in 2022 while Reed registered a 4.45. For Golden, it was a jaw-dropping 4.29, and Williams — who somehow has the dubious distinction of slowest in the group — ran a 4.48.
You’d be hard-pressed to find another NFL roster that has its top four wide receivers with a better average 40-yard time.
And Skyy Moore and Bo Melton, behind the core four, are no slowpokes either. Moore ran a 4.41 at the combine and has blossomed into a lethal kick- and punt-returner largely because of his speed. Melton ran a 4.34 at that same combine in 2022.
It’s never been more evident that the Packers have a bunch of burners at wide receiver. While that’s fine and dandy, you need a quarterback who is just as eager to take a lid off a defense and utilize all that speed.
Green Bay has that in Jordan Love.
Love was tied for sixth in passes completed of 40-plus yards last year and also finished in the top 10 in passes of 20-plus yards completed. Keeping in mind that Love missed two full games last year and almost another full game in Chicago, it’s pretty impressive that he landed in the top 10.
Completions are great, but the stat could be deceiving: You can complete a pass that goes for over 20 yards and not have it travel that far in the air. Love can generate offense that way, too.
He finished eighth last year in yards per attempt and was tied for seventh in completed air yards per pass attempt. In all three seasons that Love has been the guy in Green Bay under center, he’s finished in the top 10 in yards per completion. His average target depth numbers have been even higher in ranking status across those same three years.
Love has developed a label from some as a gunslinger of sorts. While it’s not necessarily a positive thing, it is fun to watch Love fling the pill around.
Love’s mindset is: let it rip and take chances downfield. The Packers have now successfully coupled that predilection with several receivers who can fry an opposing secondary.
Watson finished third in the entire NFL last year in average depth of target. His number — a staggering 17.8 yards in that department — is even more impressive when you look around the list and see that a lot of the others in the same territory are reserve players with significantly fewer opportunities. For those players, the numbers are bloated a bit. For Watson, it’s the real deal.
Of the top 12 in average depth of target, only three wide receivers had more total targets on the season than Watson. It highlights how the Packers like to use Watson, letting him show off that top-tier speed and have Love sling that puppy downfield.
Golden is cut from a similar cloth. With more opportunities on the horizon in 2026, he should demonstrate his effectiveness in that category as well. Even with limited opportunities as a rookie, Golden was still top 30 in average depth of target at a healthy 12.5 yards.
If you really want to have some fun, Watson and tight end Tucker Kraft finished top 10 in average yards per reception. It’s an embarrassment of riches. Green Bay has a passing offense built for speed, and it should fully unleash it this year.
