After the offseason departures of Green Bay’s top wide receivers, there have been lingering concerns about whether or not the Packers’ rookie pass-catchers will be able to contribute to the team’s efforts to fill the void left by those players. These concerns have persisted even before training camp has begun. In response to it, the quarterback Aaron Rodgers had some reassuring advice for the team: “Deep breaths.”
On Wednesday, Aaron Rodgers appeared on the Pat McAfee Show to discuss the progress of the Packers’ wide receiver draught class. This draught class is expected to assist in the reconstruction of the Packers’ receiver room following the trade of Davante Adams to Las Vegas and the loss of Marquez Valdes-Scantling to Kansas City, respectively. The veteran quarterback, who has won the Most Valuable Player award four times, stated that he has complete faith in the ability of the rookies to adapt to life in the NFL, and he believes that both time spent on the practice field and the guidance of veterans will quickly transform them into quality receiving targets.
“Every year there are opinions that start coming out about players in helmets and shorts, and I would say let’s everybody just take a nice deep long breath and trust the training camp time that we have, trust the coaching staff, trust the relationships that will continue to be formed, and trust the guys in the room like Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, and Sammy Watkins to help these young guys out,” Rodgers said. “Every year there are opinions that start coming out about players in helmets and shorts
Adams has been Aaron Rodgers’ primary target for the past five seasons, during which time he has amassed at least 1,300 receiving yards in three of those seasons. Valdes-Scantling was also well-known for his ability to generate dramatic plays and finished each of his four seasons averaging at least 15 yards gained per reception. Players such as Cobb, Lazard, and Watkins have been given the difficult burden of making up for the loss of those numbers now that they are no longer on the team. The Packers went to the 2022 draught class for assistance in this quest because that class featured a robust pool of pass catchers for them to choose from.
However, although six other teams were successful in drafting a receiver in the first round, the Green Bay Packers made the decision not to utilize any of their first-round picks on that position. When it came to the Packers’ turn at the draught, the value of the selection simply wasn’t there. They went with two Georgia defensive players instead, and they didn’t take any wide receivers until Day 2 or Day 3. The first player to do so was North Dakota State’s Christian Watson in the second round of the draught, followed by Nevada’s Romeo Doubs in the fourth round, and finally Nebraska’s Samori Toure in the seventh round.
Rodgers stated at the time that he understood the team’s reasons for waiting to take receivers until the value dropped down. He also reminded anyone who had doubts about the Packers’ ability to turn lower-round draught picks into an elite talent. In addition to other players, Adams, Cobb, and former Packers WR Jordy Nelson were all taken in the second round. During their time with the Pack, all of these players more than proven their worth.
Rodgers stated on Wednesday that he believes there is the possibility for the new receivers to have comparable success and contribute to the offense early based on what he has seen so far of them during offseason training.
According to Rodgers, “Physically, they definitely look the part, all three of them,” and he was referring to the players. “Each of the three players that we picked possesses a unique set of physical gifts. Even though Doubs and Watson, the first and second-overall picks, are obviously larger than the seventh-round pick, he still has a lot of stuff to him. Therefore, I believe that it will turn out quite well.”
Even though there is still work to be done to get rookies ready for the start of the season, Rodgers believes that the rookies will have an advantage if they are able to get their early reps in practice against the top-notch Packers defense. This will give them an idea of what they’ll face during games.
“Playing against our top three corners, Jaire [Alexander], Eric Stokes, and obviously Rasul [Douglas], is the best teacher for them on what it’s going to be like to play NFL ball,” said Rodgers. “There’s no better teacher for them on what it’s going to be like.” Therefore, those men will experience a relatively smooth transition into the NFL.
Rodgers’ statements should serve as an indication that the Packers feel confident in their current group of pass-catchers and their ability to help replace the team’s lost production at the position come Week 1 of the 2022 season, despite the fact that the need for depth in the receiving room is one of the most significant question marks heading into the 2022 campaign.