Projecting Roles For Each Packers Rookie Wide Receiver in 2022

Can anyone be a major contributor?

The anticipation is already reaching peak levels for the Green Bay Packers’ 2022 season. All eyes are on the wide receiver position, which lost Davante Adams via a trade to the Raiders.

The Packers made a conscious effort to overhaul the position in the 2022 NFL Draft, making three selections at the position. They took Christian Watson early in the second round, moving picks 53 and 59 to get him. On day three, they selected both Nevada’s Romeo Doubs and Nebraska’s Samori Toure.

All three enter camp with reasonable expectations and the potential to crack the starting lineup. Yes, Sammy Watkins was brought in as a free agent, but other than Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb, there are no guarantees to who joins them in 11 personnel on Sunday.

Let’s look at what the potential roles could be for each rookie in 2022 in what’s a year of uncertainty at WR for the Packers.

What the Packers Run On Offense

Before we define the roles for the rookies, it’s important to look at the broader scope of what we’ll see from the Packers on offense in 2022. There are plenty of core concepts that will be featured in Matt LaFleur’s system, and those will help us understand where the rooks will fit in.

Note: Dusty Evely did a fantastic job on Cheesehead TV diving further into these concepts if you are interested.

RPOs

One of the biggest shifts for the Packers in the LaFleur era has been the increased use of RPOs. Run pass options give an offense (and more specifically the QB) an option to hit a quick passing concept or hand the ball off.

In a pre-snap decision, you’re looking at where the defense has numbers. If there are more guys out of the box, you’re handing it off. If you have favorable numbers in the passing game, you’re throwing it. Cushion is another indicator, as Aaron Rodgers has often made a quick decision (likely pre-snap) to let his receivers pick up 6-7 yards against defensive backs with huge cushion. Leverage also plays a part.

If it’s a post-snap decision, it’s usually based on a conflict defender. Most of the time, you’re looking at an overhang defender at the second level. If he crashes to help the box, throw it. If the stays put or sinks to spot drop, hand it off.

This comes in all shapes and sizes, from bubble screens, hitting the flat route in a 3x1 frontside, slant routes, smoke routes, stick with reading defender leverage, and then the glance route. The glance route is based on that overhang defender we mentioned, as a receiver is running a skinny post of sorts.

Stick

The “stick” route is a route that is, at its core, an option route based on leverage. If the defender is inside, the receiver runs a quick out route. If the defender has outside leverage, it turns into a hitch. This route is often ran next to a go route, and there are versions with one stick route play side, or two stick routes play side.

Sometimes, the vertical shot will present itself, generating an explosive play. If not, the stick concept is based on getting ahead with early down success to create more favorable later downs, or help move the chains with third down and manageable.

Others

Dagger is a good one to bring up as well here. With the slot receiver on the play side running a go route, and the outside receiver running a dig (or deep in), the clearout of the go route often creates space for chunk plays over the middle of the field. The go route can also become an option route depending on the coverage look.

Play action off of the wide zone runs gives the Packers a myriad of options and variations to put on it. It can be a big-play generator. Smash is a good cover 2 and cover 4 beater, and has its place with the amount of two high and quarters coverage we see in today’s league. Let’s not forget about the favorite of many: All Go HB Seam. There are obviously plenty more we’ll see from the Packers in 2022.

What Role Will Each Rookie Play?

Camp is going well for Doubs, but it seems likely that the Packers (and Rodgers) will want to lean on Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb a lot. Lazard was extremely productive against man coverage in the slot, as was Cobb’s effectiveness at identifying coverage and exploiting weaknesses in zone. Both will be important on the stick concepts to read coverage and pick up good early down yardage. Lazard will likely take “X” duties, as could Sammy Watkins.

Now, on to the rookies.

Christian Watson

It’s unfortunate that Watson is sidelined in camp right know with a knee injury, but his explosiveness will come in handy.

Look for him to get touches off of RPOs, especially against cushion (smoke routes, bubbles), where he can use his explosiveness and short area burst to pick up chunks after the catch. He’ll likely get his chances with go routes, especially on stick concepts where Rodgers can quickly identify if he’s going to win his matchup to make vertical shot plays happen. Of course, in smash concepts and their variations, giving him opportunities on corner routes will be in play as well, as could his services in empty looks, where he could be the number three option on a 3x2 running a go/post from the slot.

Don’t forget about gadget touches either. You can guarantee that the pop passes off of pre-snap motion aren’t going anywhere and reverses will work their way in from time to time. Giving him a runway pre-snap can help create big plays, even with Watson getting the ball behind the line of scrimmage. His vision and curvilinear acceleration will come in handy here.

Will Watson get his opportunities to win mano e mano on the backside of a 3x1 as the true “X”? Maybe! He’s flashed as a route runner to potentially work into that rotation, but for now, a gadget/vertical threat is a great role for Watson as a rookie while he fine-tunes his game as a route runner.

Role: Z/Gadget

Romeo Doubs

So imagine we see Lazard getting a ton of run on the outside, and the Packers need more effective chain-movers in the slot. That’s where Romeo Doubs can slide in and make an impact.

He’s obviously been the standout of camp so far, impressive with his acceleration and work on a vertical plane. Doubs has made flash plays every day, and had a highlight of mossing a defender in red zone work.

Doubs was very much a vertical plane guy in college, winning with big plays down the field. He could also win quickly with crisp footwork at the line of scrimmage. His short area burst and great feel for space gives him opportunities to make big plays with the ball in his hands. He’s a natural hands-catcher, and also saw a ton of production running a speed out on the boundary, eerily similar to the type of route you want to see in stick.

The question with Doubs is handling physicality. Press on the boundary and physical defensive backs in the slot gave Doubs trouble staying in rhythm, as was the case down in Mobile. That’s why the slot could fit him perfectly as he’s refining his release craft against press.

He can stay efficient on the stick route, and is the type of player who can find holes in zone coverage over the middle of the field. He’s still more true route runner than his new teammate, and could be part of concepts where he lines up on the boundary, whether it be on the vertical place with go/hitch/comeback routes, but his speed gives him a chance to be a part of smash concepts and post routes on the boundary. Play action could be where he thrives on deep over routes or winning down the field. If he stays more aggressive at the catch point, the impact for him as a rookie might surpass reasonable expectations for a fourth round selection.

Role: Z/Slot With X Potential

Samori Toure

For seventh round selections, expectations are low, and that’s fair. There’s a lot of players looking to stamp a roster spot in camp. With guys like Juwann Winfree and Amari Rodgers looking to step up, it won’t be easy for Toure.

Toure is smooth though. He’s shown some route-running savvy, and has a good nose for getting north and south with the ball in his hands. He did get backfield touches in his only season with Nebraska, from handoffs to option pitches and handoffs off of pre-snap motion.

He’s a good athlete for the position as well, which opens up the door for possibilities that a few others won’t be able to unlock. He can be a vertical player or underneath receiver, and perhaps he makes the roster because of his potential early impact as a special teamer. If not, he will stick on the practice squad to refine his craft.

Role: Special Teams/Returner If He Makes The 53

Preseason games will give us more info as to where LaFleur and the Packers see these guys, but based on their skill sets, don’t be overly surprised if all three make the roster, and both Watson and Doubs see opportunities as rookies throughout the 2022 season.