After trading Davante Adams to the Las Vegas Raiders and Marquez Valdes-Scantling signing with the Kansas City Chiefs, the Green Bay Packers are left with a huge void atop their wide receiver depth chart. There has been a ton of speculation about what the Packers will do at the position in the coming weeks.
They have been linked to some of the star receivers that could be on the trade market, such as D.K. Metcalf of the Seattle Seahawks, Deebo Samuel of the San Francisco 49ers and A.J. Brown of the Tennessee Titans. They would certainly get closer to replicating the production of Adams than a rookie wide receiver would.
Green Bay now has two picks in both the first and second rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft, so smart money would be on them selecting a wide receiver with at least one of those picks. Even if they use more than one, established veterans are still going to be needed around Aaron Rodgers.
The Packers brought in one veteran already, signing Sammy Watkins to a one-year deal. It is a signing that went under the radar as Watkins isn’t a lock to even make the Week 1 roster. He has struggled with injuries and plummeted down the Baltimore Ravens’ depth chart last season, catching a career-low 27 passes for 394 yards and one touchdown, both of which were also career lows.
While many people are skeptical of the addition, one NFL scout that talked to NFL Analysis Network is bullish on Watkins. He believes people are in for a surprise this season.
“I don’t get why everyone is overlooking this move. Yes, Sammy (Watkins) has had his share of injury issues, but if he stays healthy, he’s going to put up monster numbers in Green Bay. Having a guy like Aaron Rodgers gunning to bring you in says volumes about this move.”
There has never been a doubt about the ability that Watkins possesses. He was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2014 NFL Draft for a reason out of Clemson. Alas, he was never quite able to live up to those expectations, breaking the 1,000-yard plateau only once in his career as injuries started piling up after his second season in the league.
It would be quite a bounce-back story for Watkins should he remain healthy and be one of Rodgers’ top targets this season. The opportunity is certainly there for Watkins to find success, he just has to make the most of it.
