Earlier in the preseason I suggested the Packers open up their wide receiver competition. I don’t know if the Packers’ brass got the message, but the receivers on the lower end of the roster certainly lived up to their end of the bargain. The third preseason game was a 60 minute wide receiver showcase, with several contenders putting up their best statistical performances of the exhibition slate.
J. Michael Sturdivant has been perhaps the strongest contender and put together the best statistical performance
of any Packers receiver this preseason so far. He caught six passes for 112 yards and a touchdown, the score coming on a beautifully designed play that sprung him down the left sideline for six.
Sturdivant finishes the preseason with nine catches for 142 yards and a touchdown. Just as importantly, he played 19 snaps on special teams during the Packers’ three preseason games, including six and three, respectively, on the Packers’ crucial punt and kickoff coverage units. I don’t know if it’s enough to make the 53 man roster, but that’s about all you could ask for from an undrafted player trying to make a case for himself.
Isaiah Neyor has been the next strongest roster contender, and his stats have been more steady than spectacular. He had ten total catches across three preseason games, finishing with exactly 100 yards. He failed to find the end zone, but that doesn’t mean much in preseason competition, when opportunities can be inconsistent and quarterback play can be spotty. Neyor actually played a bit more on special teams than Sturdivant, logging 21 snaps in three games, but 10 of those snaps came on kickoff return, which is a lower priority than the coverage units.
Will Sheppard was the next most productive receiver. Due to being a bit smaller (but not much) than both Sturdivant and Neyor, I think most roster watchers have penciled him in behind his bigger-bodied counterparts, but he showed up against the Cardinals in a big way. He caught three passes for 26 yards and a score, but his real highlight was an 81-yard punt return for his second touchdown of the evening. If big plays carry weight in roster competitions, no wide receiver made a bigger one than that. Sheppard finished the preseason with 10 catches for 81 yards and two touchdowns.
Finally, Kisean Johnson saved his best for last. Signed by the Packers on August 9, Johnson has come along slowly and his opportunities have been more limited than the rest of the lower-end receivers, but he made up some ground (statistically, at least) on Friday night. Johnson caught four passes for 52 yards and two touchdowns, including the game-winner to cap off the Packers’ two-minute drive to end the game. Those catches represented his full statistical output in this year’s preseason, but it was an eye-catching performance, to be sure.
As impressive as each of these players may have been, the harsh reality is they’re competing for maybe one roster spot. Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, and Matthew Golden have roster spots locked up, as does Savion Williams (despite injuries and generally unimpressive play). Beyond those four, Bo Melton and Skyy Moore seem like good bets as special teams contributors. For any of the four receivers we talked about in this piece to have a shot, the Packers would have to keep seven wide receivers on their initial 53-man roster. That’s not unheard of, but it shows how tenuous the life of a player on the roster bubble can be: no matter how well you perform, the ruthless accounting of NFL roster building still might mean you end up out of a job.
