NFL Spin Zone
Fansided

Davante Adams Flashing Promise for Green Bay Packers

By Keegan Matheson

facebooktwitterreddit

Davante Adams rushed up to the Miami 16-yard line with his team trailing the Dolphins 24-20, the clock ticking down through the teens, and no timeouts remaining.  Aaron Rodgers looked from from sideline to sideline yelling “Clock. Clock”, and motioning for a spike to kill the clock.  When Rodgers channeled his inner Dan Marino, however, dusting off the fake spike, the rookie WR did not miss a beat.

Rodgers locked eyes with Davante Adams, connecting with him for the sixth time on the afternoon.  With Dolphins CB Cortland Finnegan playing him 8 yards off the line, Adams took the quick-hit pass for a 12-yard gain to set up a game-winning touchdown to TE Andrew Quarless with just three seconds remaining.  Most impressive was the rookie’s presence of mind to get out of bounds, as his failure to do so would have ended the game.

More from Green Bay Packers

“I saw how far he was off me and I looked up at the clock for a second, ran it and got as much as I could,” Davante Adams told Tyler Dunne of the Milwaukee-Wisconsin Journal Sentinel.  “I tried to move the ball as close to the end zone as I could. I took what was available.”  The Green Bay Packers may have found a young WR with not only the physical makeup of an NFL starter, but the crucial mental awareness.

Jarrett Boykin opened the season as the Green Bay Packers third-string receiver, but injuries have opened the door for Davante Adams to step in and lay claim to the position, which he is quietly doing.  Aaron Rodgers, as much as any quarterback in the NFL, places a great value on trust and accountability with his wide receivers.  The rapid maturation of Adams, who turns just 22 this December, is putting him into a veteran’s role within one of the league’s top passing attacks.

Davante Adams could be another name in a long line of exciting wide receivers selected by Packers’ GM Ted Thompson in the 2nd Round.  Randall Cobb joined Green Bay with the final pick of the 2nd Round (64) in 2011, Jordy Nelson was drafted in the 2nd (26) in 2008, and former Packers’ star Greg Jennings came with the 52nd pick in 2006.

In his 2013 Sophomore season at Fresno State, Davante Adams led the nation in receptions with 131, to go along with 1,719 yards  and 24 TDs.  Those statistics were heavily inflated by the offensive system, which could have raised some suspicion during his scouting process, but the production is encouraging nonetheless.

Live Feed

Even with some unknowns, Packers OL dominates preseason
Even with some unknowns, Packers OL dominates preseason /

Dairyland Express

  • Packers DBs made sure Jordan Love didn’t get an easy training campFanSided
  • Jordan Love proves a point in Packers preseasonLombardi Ave
  • What to Know: 14 Packers won’t play in final preseason gameDairyland Express
  • 3 Darlings from Packers 2023 Training CampDairyland Express
  • Packers' Lukas Van Ness will make a Lambeau leap into the NFL in 2023NFL Mocks

    • Lacking some elite athletic skills, such as long-speed, Adams relies on his superior ball skills and short-area explosiveness.  He proved to be a natural hands catcher through his college career, and enters the league as a mature route-runner for his age.  Despite lacking traditional jump-ball height, his 6’1, 212lb frame is aided by a 39.5” vertical jump, tied for 3rd in the 2014 NFL Combine among receivers.  His foremost appeal to the Packers may lie in his potential to be a strong YAC receiver.

    If Adams is able to stick at third on the depth chart, he will occupy the spot that James Jones excelled in during his final seasons as a Packer.  In 2012, Jones hauled in 14 touchdowns, and he averaged close to 800 yards receiving over his past two seasons in the role.  Given his departure and the lack of production from Green Bay’s TE position thus far, the opportunities will certainly be there.

    Packers fans have every reason to be excited, to a certain point.  Keeping in mind that Adams is still just 21 years old, it could still be 2-3 full seasons before he shows his full potential.  This can be both a good and bad thing.  Year after year, player after player, unrealistic expectations are developed from brief stretches of promise.  Davante Adams might be in a better position than any rookie WR’s to grow his game long-term, but any judgment on his potential should be reserved for well after the league has had an opportunity to see him twice, and study his film.

    My optimism in Davante Adams lies in the idea that he has ample secondary skills, and does not rely on one dominant act on the football field.  For example, if a rookie enters the league with world-class speed, but no NFL-level secondary talents, they will struggle to succeed once Defensive Coordinators learn to eliminate their only advantage.  I feel that Adams can have his route-running taken away and still rely on his explosiveness, or have his speed taken away and still rely on his jump-ball and natural catching abilities.

    Thankfully for Adams, the Green Bay Packers will only play him when they truly feel he is ready, and Aaron Rodgers will only look his way when he is fully trusted.  After a slow start to his career, Adams has begun to show a spark of what might be.  His game is still miles from where it could one day be, as is anyone’s at his age, but his path to success is clear and encouraging in Wisconsin.

    Home/Green Bay Packers