Green Bay Packers: 5 Players Who Must Step Up For Jordy Nelson

Dec 8, 2014; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jordy Nelson (87) celebrates a touchdown catch with wide receiver Randall Cobb (18) during the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons at Lambeau Field. Green Bay won 43-37. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Pending final confirmation from an MRI, Green Bay Packers elite wide receiver Jordy Nelson will miss the entire 2015 season with a torn ACL, causing the entire preseason’s validity to be questioned again. The immediate ramifications for the Packers are more serious, because it’s extremely difficult to completely replace a true No. 1 receiver who caught 98 passes for 1,519 yards and 13 touchdowns in the previous season.

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Nelson’s ability to win downfield, against elite secondaries, at the catch point, and in key situations have made him Aaron Rodgers‘s favorite target and one of the NFL’s top ten wide receivers. Even though the Packers don’t have a tailor-made replacement at their disposal, they do have an unproven youngster with similar tools and several other receivers who have the ability to pick up the slack, particularly with Rodgers at quarterback.

Of course, wide receivers aren’t the only players who can help overcome the production lost, so here are five players, including two players who aren’t wideouts, who must step up with Nelson out.

Next: The Tight End