The Green Bay Packers may not have a specific number one wide receiver, but they sure do have a great deal of talent at the position. Going into last season, there were a great deal of questions concerning their pass catchers, all of whom were either rookies or second-year players. Of course, these questions were enhanced by those surrounding Jordan Love, who was going into his first season as the Packers’ starting quarterback.
While Love and his pass catchers started off the season slowly, they started to hit their stride midseason and eventually clinched the NFC’s final wild card spot. Furthermore, they upset the Dallas Cowboys in the first round of the NFL Playoffs behind an incredible receiving performance from Romeo Doubs.
Doubs’ 150-yard performance, though, was just the most recent in a string of strong showings by various Green Bay wide receivers. It seemed like there was a different pass catcher stepping up and having a big game every week, which is just how the Packers like it. They feel that having a plethora of wide receivers that can go off on any given Sunday makes them much more difficult to defend.
Green Bay Packers Rookie Wide Receiver Jayden Reed Stood Out in 2023
That being said, there was one Packers wide receiver who stood out above the rest last season: rookie Jayden Reed. The 2024 second-round pick stepped right in as Green Bay’s starting slot wide receiver, taking the place of the legendary Randall Cobb.
Not only did Reed lead or share in the lead of every receiving category on the team last season, he broke Sterling Sharpe’s franchise rookie record for receptions in a season. Indeed, Reed had one of the best rookie seasons in the Packers’ long 100+ year history:
| Wide Receiver | Year | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
| Billy Howton | 1952 | 53 | 1,231 | 13 |
| James Lofton | 1978 | 46 | 818 | 6 |
| Sterling Sharpe | 1988 | 55 | 791 | 1 |
| Jayden Reed | 2023 | 64 | 793 | 8 |
As seen above, Reed is listed with a Hall of Famer in James Lofton and two wide receivers who should be in the Hall of Fame in Sharpe and Billy Howton.
NFL Analyst Bucky Brooks Names Green Bay Packers Wide Receiver Jayden Reed to His All-Breakout Team
As good as Reed was last season, there is a great deal of thought around the league that he will be even better in 2024. He (and the rest of the Packers’ wide receivers) will be in their second year with Love as the starting quarterback, and there should not be the hiccups that plagued them at the start of the last season.
Bucky Brooks, the well-respected analyst with NFL.com, thinks so highly of Reed that he added him to his All-Breakout Team for 2024:
“On a team without a true WR1, Reed could ascend to the top spot as a reliable chain mover with strong hands and dynamic running skills. Operating primarily out of the slot, the second-year pro is a rare find as a vertical threat, possessing polished route-running skills that enable him to win on crossers, digs and deep overs. Reed earned Jordan Love‘s trust during a fine rookie season (64 catches, 793 receiving yards and eight scores) that put the former second-rounder on the radar as a potential No. 1 option in Green Bay. These two should make even sweeter music in their second season together.”
When Reed was first drafted in the second round, many fans hoped he would become the next great Packers receiver that was picked in that round, joining the likes of Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, and Davante Adams.
Perhaps they will end up being right.
