Acme Packing Company
Green Bay’s pass-catchers are hitting their benchmarks. Expectations are the issue
When Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs went to Radio Row and stated that the team needed a number one wide receiver, he wasn’t wrong. When the Packers’ receivers responded negatively on social media, with Dontayvion Wicks quote tweeting the video with thumbs-down emojis and Jayden Reed calling out fans for selling the young receivers out so quickly, they weren’t wrong either.
The Packers found themselves in a cap crunch following the Aaron Rodgers “all-in” era when the team restructured contracts to try to keep their roster together for a couple more runs. At the end of it, we all knew it would mean that young players would be forced into the starting lineup early.
Receiver. in particular, was a position that general manager Brian Gutekunst decided was going to be a group that would be built through Days 2 and 3 of the 2022 and 2023 drafts. So far, the receivers that he’s picked have hit their benchmarks, even if you might argue that the team hasn’t spent enough assets at the position.
Let’s run through the numbers.
Since entering the league, here’s where the Packers’ top four receivers rank league-wide in receiving yards:
On the surface, that seems to check out. The perception right now is that Green Bay has a bunch of WR2 or WR3 options, but not a true go-to receiver — the argument that Jacobs, himself, made. I wouldn’t argue with that.
Among peers drafted in the same classes that the Packers’ receivers were brought in, here’s how Green Bay’s receivers rank in the same stat:
Hey, they’re doing pretty good for young players! Now you understand where the Packers’ receivers were coming from when they lashed out at the reaction to Jacobs’ statements. When you look at how well these receivers are doing compared to players drafted after them, instead of comparing Day 2 and 3 picks to first-round receivers, benchmarks being hit become even clearer.
Below is how many players drafted behind these Packers receivers have outproduced them in receiving yards from the same draft class, which is really how you should be judging whether or not the Green Bay receivers are outperforming their draft slot or not:
Arguably the worst production to draft slot return on investment is Christian Watson, who due to injuries has been outperformed by just three players drafted after him: his own teammate, Pickens and a player playing an entirely different position. Maybe you can make the argument that the team should have taken Watson over Pickens, but the Packers brought in Pickens — who has a history...
