GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Jayden Reed acknowledges that the Green Bay Packers receivers didn’t perform quite the way they wanted last season.
That left them plenty motivated to take a step forward this season, even before the front office selected two more receivers in the first three rounds of the draft.
The additions of Texas’ Matthew Golden — the first Packers wideout drafted in the first round since Javon Walker in 2002 — and TCU’s Savion Williams have made the competition at receiver one of the biggest
stories to watch around Green Bay’s training camp.
“We’ve got so many different guys who can do so many different things, which makes us so dynamic,” said Reed, whose 55 catches for 857 yards last season led the Packers in both categories. “I think that’s always how our room has been. We’ve just added more talent to the room.”
Christian Watson’s eventual return from a torn anterior cruciate ligament will only add to that talent. Even with Watson expected to miss the start of the season, the Packers face plenty of hard choices in determining which receivers to keep on the 53-man roster.
The Packers have enough depth at receiver that Bo Melton has spent much of the offseason working out at cornerback instead. Melton caught 24 passes for Green Bay from 2023-24.
Green Bay’s receivers also were garnering plenty of attention last training camp after the Packers made a late-season surge in 2023 that resulted in a surprise divisional playoff appearance. The presence of Reed, Watson, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks gave Green Bay plenty of young talent, even if there wasn’t a clear-cut No. 1 option.
But they didn’t show much improvement a year ago. While the various statistical services offer different totals regarding dropped passes, Pro Football Reference says Packers quarterback Jordan Love had 7.3% of his attempts dropped last season. Only Daniel Jones had a higher rate of passes dropped.
“Not to the standard, for sure,” Reed said. “I do think we made a lot of plays, but we left a lot of plays out there as well.”
They’ve been making plenty of plays so far in camp.
Golden has been particularly impressive, showcasing his speed and demonstrating he has the traits of a future No. 1 receiver. Williams, drafted in the third round, is practicing as well after recovering from shoulder surgery that limited his offseason activity.
“It’s starting to slow down for me,” said Golden, the No. 23 overall pick in the draft. “It’s starting to feel like I can go out there and just play and have fun, not have to think about what I need to do. It’s just going out there getting open, knowing my assignment and alignment.”
Some of the Packers’ returning receivers also have made an impression.
Doubs, entering his fourth season, has produced plenty of highlights. He caught a deep touchdown pass from Love on Tuesday and followed that up with another long reception in one-on-one drills Wednesday.
“I just love where he’s at mentally right now,” Love said. “He’s playing pretty lights-out right now and making a lot of good plays when the ball’s in the air, which is one of those things that’s expected from Rome. He’s done that so many times.”
Mecole Hardman, a three-time Super Bowl champion with the Kansas City Chiefs, signed with the Packers before they drafted Golden and Williams. Hardman has made plenty of plays as well, including a touchdown catch from Malik Willis on a fourth down play Tuesday.
“It’s a very competitive room, a room that’s hungry, a room that’s going to work, that wants to play, that wants to make plays,” Hardman said of the competition among the receivers. “When you get a room like that, I think the sky’s the limit.”
That upside will become even more apparent whenever the Packers welcome back Watson, who has been the team’s top deep threat since his arrival in 2022. Watson, who tore his ACL in the 2024 regular-season finale, says he isn’t setting a target date for his return.
“I’ve been doing cutting stuff already, some route stuff already,” Watson said. “I’m letting the training staff and the strength staff tell me what I got that day. I’m trying not to look too far ahead because then I’m going to want to push for more and more, just how my mind works.”
NOTES: The Packers signed wide receiver Isaiah Neyor and placed offensive tackle Travis Glover on injured reserve. Neyor signed with the San Francisco 49ers in May as an undrafted free agent from Nebraska but got released Monday. He also played college football at Wyoming and Texas.
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