Nearing preseason, Green Bay Packers fans are excited about rookie Matthew Golden being one of Jordan Love’s receivers. Selected with the 23rd pick of the draft, Golden was for all practical purposes Green Bay’s biggest “splash” of the offseason. He gives the receiver room a large part of its upside. Running back Josh Jacobs is the roster’s greatest offensive weapon aside from Love at quarterback.
According to this summer’s team-by-team playmaker rankings, however, ESPN doesn’t see a lot to love from Green Bay’s group. Despite Golden’s potential, Jacobs’ reliability, and possible growth from many others, the Packers received the same placement they did a year ago.
Green Bay Packers Punished in Rankings by Lack of Elite Receiver
Engineered by senior NFL writer Bill Barnwell, the rankings exclude quarterbacks, coaches, and offensive lineman, and weigh wide receivers more heavily than running backs or tight ends. It’s a system predicated on “elite players and a team’s top five contributors.” The author clarifies that the list is not intended as a ranking of offenses in their completion.
The system also accounts for injuries and injury risk. The Packers may get dinged off the bat due to Christian Watson’s potential absence to start the season.
The ranking, then: same as 2024, Barnwell puts Green Bay 17th on the list, ahead of only the Bears in the NFC North division. By comparison, the Lions and Vikings ranked 2nd and 6th, respectively.
True, the Packers don’t have a clearcut no. 1 receiver, which hurts them in the “elite players” area. Jacobs rushed for the 6th most yards last season and is the definition of a workhorse, but again, the list inclines toward receivers.
Still, Tucker Kraft is sneakily a beast. Receivers include Golden and a lot of young guys who, in theory, should continue progressing next season. 17 seems a tad low. At the very least, it’s suprising to see a squad scant of non-passing playmakers like the Chiefs ranked five spots ahead.
Puzzling Lack of Growth Defined Packers 2024 Receiver Corps
There’s more going on here than perhaps a touch – just a touch – of Kansas City bias. The article expresses concerns over Jacobs’ ball security and surprisingly below-average EPA per play. For the most part, though, the Packers’ mediocre grade starts and ends with the receiver room, which tied for third in the league with 33 drops last season.
High hopes notwithstanding, progress was not something the team’s recieivers showed much of:
“With so many promising young receivers, it seemed inevitable that at least one of Green Bay’s primary pass catchers would take a step forward in 2024. Somehow, they went 0-for-5.”
Jayden Reed’s plateau is indeed a common talking point in Packers circles. After a promising rookie season, he followed up with solid but similar production as a sophomore.
“Jayden Reed was wildly inconsistent,” Barnwell writes, “in part because of the Packers’ reluctance to use him out of the slot. (He averaged 1.3 YPRR split out wide and 2.7 everywhere else.)”
While Reed’s ceiling may be capped, a combination of individual growth and better scheme could lead to a jump of some kind in year three.
Green Bay’s section also references Romeo Doubs’ frustrating campaign of injuries and behavior issues. Despite a high average yards per catch, Watson has not become the producer the team hoped.
One young receiver graded out very, very poorly:
“Dontayvion Wicks tied Quentin Johnston for last in the league in ESPN’s catch score, which is not a comparison a player wants to draw.”
A definite bright spot, Kraft is recognized for having “lone impressive campaign from the young guns.”
The overall ranking is a bit harsh, but the good part is that Packers playmakers can take it upon themselves to improve. This isn’t the 49ers’ constantly injured, always-absent collection of names. The silver lining of it all is Golden. If he can be the elite receiver some believe he will be, perhaps not this year but at some point, the Packers won’t have to rely on positive performances from such a larger number of guys.
