Green Bay Packers: Time to consider Davante Adams a top-5 wide receiver

In case you weren’t aware, Green Bay Packers wideout Davante Adams should be considered a top-five wide receiver in the NFL. Here’s why.

The Green Bay Packers have had a bevy of talent at the receiver position through the years – from James Lofton, Sterling Sharpe and Antonio Freeman in the ’80s and ’90s, to Donald Driver, Greg Jennings, James Jones, Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb in the 2000s and beyond.

The latest product in Green Bay’s talented receiver carousel is Davante Adams, who’s quickly emerged into one of the NFL’s elite playmakers.

Drafted in the second round of the 2014 draft, Adams eventually took over as the No. 3 receiver in Green Bay’s offense as a rookie. He played in all 16 games en route to 38 catches, 446 yards and three touchdowns in his debut season, helping quarterback Aaron Rodgers win his second NFL MVP award.

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Adams took a sizable step backward in his sophomore campaign, however, struggling both mentally and physically. He battled an ankle sprain that forced him to miss three games, which later contributed to a lack of playing time. Adams played in 13 games, but didn’t have much of an impact when he was on the field, mustering together just 50 receptions for 483 yards and one score on 94 targets.

It wasn’t until the 2018 season when Adams broke out onto the national scene. He posted his first season of over 1,000 yards, recording 111 catches for 1,386 yards and 13 touchdowns. Though the Packers missed the playoffs, Adams enjoyed his first season of national stardom.

Still, Adams wasn’t considered an elite receiver yet – at least among the national audience. He went on to miss four games this past season and finished three yards shy of 1,000 yards, but it appears Adams is finally receiving the recognition he deserves.

Though his stats may not have indicated it in 2019, Adams was easily one the five best receivers in the NFL. Watching the way he runs routes, releases off the line of scrimmage and runs after the catch shows that Adams is an elite receiver.

In fact, several experts believe Adams is the best at releasing off the line of scrimmage as it currently stands; maybe ever. After sending him a video asking for critiques, Adams famously made former Bengals’ receiver Chad Johnson cry because of how skilled his route running was on tape.

That said, if you need stats to be persuaded, there’s this: since Adams entered the league in 2014, only four players in the entire league have scored more total touchdowns. From 2014-19, Adams has scored 50 total touchdowns in 94 games played (playoffs included), good for fifth-most in the NFL during that span.

If that wasn’t enough to convince you, Adams is also a chain mover. Since his rookie season, he’s recorded 285 first downs (playoffs included). He also shows up when he’s needed most in the playoffs, having recorded 45 receptions for 687 yards and six touchdowns in eight playoff appearances.

Adams has been named to three straight Pro Bowls and has just begun scratching the surface of what he can truly be. Having just turned 27 years old in December, the talented wideout has plenty of years left to grow in his prime, which is scary for NFL defenses.

At his peak, Adams is a top-five receiver in the league — on par with DeAndre Hopkins, Julio Jones, Odell Beckham Jr., Mike Evans and Michael Thomas — based on both on-field production and what he demonstrates on film. Drawing from the past few seasons, we can comfortably say Adams is one of the NFL’s elite at the receiver position.