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Breaking down Packers WR depth chart entering training camp

As is the case most summers, the wide receiver position will be back in the spotlight when the Green Bay Packers open training camp later this month. This time around, the position is legitimately intriguing. The Packers lost Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown, signed veteran Sammy Watkins and drafted three rookies, providing plenty of moving pieces for Matt LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers to sort through this summer.

How will the depth chart shake out at training camp?

We break down the position by categorizing all the wide receivers into five tiers:

Veterans, likely starters

Sammy Watkins (11) is shown during Green Bay Packers minicamp Tuesday, June 7, 2022 in Green Bay, Wis.

Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb and Sammy Watkins are expected to enter training camp as the top three on the depth chart and likely starters come Week 1. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers said Lazard will get a chance to be the No. 1 receiver and Watkins will get legit opportunities to contribute in the passing game. Cobb, who is returning for his 10th season in Green Bay, is a close friend of the quarterback and an accomplished slot receiver. All three have worrisome injury histories, including Watkins, who is looking to stay healthy and revive his career. The trio has combined to play in 283 NFL games, so there is experience at the top. Lazard and Cobb have been efficient complementary players in recent years, and Watkins, the fourth overall pick in 2014, has the talent. All three will be elevated by playing with Rodgers in a receiver-friendly offense, but the Packers need all three to stay healthy and play at a high level or this could be one of the most unstable receiver groups in football in 2022.

Returning veterans on the fringe

Juwann Winfree and Malik Taylor combined to play in 17 games and catch 10 passes last season but each will enter the 2022 season as fringe roster players. Taylor is going into his fourth season in Green Bay, while Winfree has been with the Packers since the 2020 season. Both are well-versed in the Matt LaFleur offense and hungry for a bigger role, but both will be hard-pressed to make the 53-man roster considering how the additions this offseason affected the current depth chart. Winfree and Taylor must be excellent on special teams this summer to have a shot. They will each get a chance to play a ton of snaps with Jordan Love during the preseason and must make the most of the opportunity. Remember, Winfree was the star of the offseason workout program last spring, while Taylor led all NFL players in receiving yards during the preseason last summer. Can one of the two take a big leap and beat out one of the rookies for a roster spot? The Packers may have to keep seven on the roster for one to be Winfree or Taylor.

The second-year wildcard

(AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

Amari Rodgers’ rookie season was nothing if not underwhelming, both as a receiver and a returner. He couldn’t get on the field for the offense, and he made more mistakes than splash plays on special teams. Rodgers cut weight and is more comfortable in the scheme, so the Packers are confident he’s ready to take a big step in Year 2. Can Rodgers earn snaps in the slot, provide some value on gadget touches and improve as a returner? As a third-round pick entering his second season, Rodgers’ roster spot should be mostly secure. But he’s got to prove his rookie season was a fluke and he’s ready to play a bigger role in 2022. The player we saw last season wasn’t ready to be an NFL receiver. This is a big summer for Rodgers and his development as a young player. Competition for roster spots will be fierce.

The three draft picks

Second-round pick Christian Watson, fourth-round pick Romeo Doubs and seventh-round pick Samuri Toure provided a long overdue infusion of young talent for the Packers’ wide receiver room. Watson, the team’s highest pick at receiver since Javon Walker, is an alien athlete with the deep speed to replace Marquez Valdes-Scantling and the versatility to get on the field in a unique role as a rookie. The Packers need his field-stretching ability right away. By most accounts, Watson had a strong spring. Doubs is a polished rookie receiver who dominated at the college level. His experience and big-play ability give him a real shot at playtime as a first-year player. Toure, who did nothing but create explosive plays at Montana and Nebraska, is a fascinating receiver prospect who is able and willing to play a bunch of roles on special teams. There’s a decent chance all three draft picks will make the 53-man roster and contribute in some way as rookies. Watson and Doubs could be the long-term future at receiver in Green Bay, but Aaron Rodgers turns 39 years old in December, is year-to-year in terms of retirement and needs the young receivers to get up to speed immediately.

The longshot UDFA

Danny Davis, the undrafted rookie from Wisconsin, is certainly the longshot of the group. He wasn’t highly productive as a Badger and lacks a defining trait in terms of size and athleticism. The Packers could see him as a long-term investment project, making the practice squad a legitimate option if Davis flashes during the summer.

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