The Green Bay Packers struggled to find a reliable target outside of Davante Adams all season. They had four different players between 400 and 500 yards receiving including the aging Jimmy Graham and running back Aaron Jones. That leaves just two receivers who managed to get to the 400-yard mark for the Packers outside of Adams: Allen Lazard and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

Valdes-Scantling clearly grew out of favor with the coaches and had a total of 5 catches on 19 targets and just 36 yards after week 7. Allen Lazard on the other hand, started to come on strong towards the end of the year. While he only had 477 yards and 3 touchdowns, he showed good growth and started to carve out a role for himself as a reliable second receiving option for the Packers.

While Lazard isn’t the most explosive, his route technique and knowledge grew throughout the year. He started to look more polished, became a frequent target on RPOs, and was a really solid blocker. At 6’5″ and 227 lbs, he’s got to be a guy that can win with his frame, strength, and attack the ball in the air.

Lazard won’t win on pure athleticism so he has to match his physical tools with sound technique and smart play to have consistent success.

With that, let’s take a look at how Allen Lazard’s skill-set can fit in the No. 2 receiver role for the Packers.