Green Bay Packers Preseason: Receiver depth showcased vs Eagles

The Green Bay Packers didn’t have Aaron Rodgers in Week 1 of the NFL preseason, but that didn’t stop a deep group of wide receivers from showing out.

Once again the Green Bay Packers found a way to win a game on the back of their passing attack. This time, though, they did it without the help of Aaron Rodgers. In fact, their top targets barely saw the field either.

That’s right, Davante Adams had just three targets. Meanwhile, Randall Cobb had two targets and Martellus Bennett had one. Oh, and Jordy Nelson wasn’t even active. While having so much talent see almost no playing time may be a problem for most teams, the Packers depth got a chance to show off.

Week 1 of the preseason is usually an opportunity to give some unknown players a chance. As you saw, though, the Packers have four major pass-catching threats already on their roster. That means the options behind them might not be as weak as other teams.

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If you want to dig even further, that means players looking for opportunities with the Packers in the preseason aren’t your regular training-camp-hopefuls. Instead, the Packers saw Geronimo Allison (12 catches for 202 yards in 2016) grab one reception for 10 yards. Then there was Jeff Janis, a special teams ace and position-flexible-weapon on offense, who recorded one catch for 20 yards and a touchdown.

That’s not all, though, as Trevor Davis took a punt back 68 yards for a touchdown. Proof that receivers can win jobs with more than just their pass-catching abilities. Finally, there were the players with no NFL experience.

DeAngelo Yancy (their 2017 5th-round pick) reeled in three passes for 67 yards. Meanwhile, Max McCaffrey picked up three receptions for 60 yards. Michael Clark and Malachi Dupre had two receptions each. Clark picked up 19 yards and a touchdown, while Dupre amassed 16 yards. Then there was Montay Crockett, who gained 12 yards on one catch.

At the moment, none of those players are stars. They all bring something unique to the Packers though, and all form to give Green Bay exceptional depth. While players like Clark and Yancy might be the most exciting this preseason, that doesn’t mean they’re the only depth pieces of importance. McCaffrey and Davis may have been the biggest proof of that in Week 1.

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With so much depth at receiver, it will be interesting to see what the rest of the preseason brings. The Packers are going to have a tough time cutting down the depth chart. At least it’s a good problem to have.

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