The Packers have placed WR Christian Watson on the PUP list to begin training camp. It's not clear what injury is keeping him from opening camp with his teammates. Green Bay can activate the rookie at any time, so we'll see how long he remains out. The missed time would seem especially significant to a rookie trying to win a starting gig.
Matt Schneidman of The Athletic believes WR Allen Lazard will lead the Packers in receptions. Schneidman cites Lazard’s “sturdy hands” and a budding rapport with Aaron Rodgers. The losses of Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling took away 224 targets, so there’s no doubting the opportunity in front of Lazard. New arrivals Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Sammy Watkins don't exactly supply tough target competition. Our current projections agree with Schneidman’s assessment.
Multiple reports have rookie WR Romeo Doubs impressing in OTA sessions. That's not surprising given the way GM Brian Gutekunst talked about the 4th-round selection in early May. “He’s got length, he’s really fast, he’s a big-time playmaker and he’s done it for multiple years at Nevada,” Gutekunst told the team website. “He’s probably one of the more polished players coming out of college just because of his experience. We’re excited to see what he can do.” That "polish" will tend to show in these early, padless workouts that are missing a number of veterans. Doubs will be worth tracking, though, as the renovated Green Bay WR corps leaves wide-open opportunity. It doesn't hurt Doubs' path that fellow Packers rookie Christian Watson has dropped some passes already. (But no, we're not overrating that issue for Watson right now.)
New Packers OC Adam Stenavich commented on rookie WR Christian Watson. Stenavich is a former O-lineman who most recently coached Green Bay’s O-line. “His combination of size and speed is great,” Stenavich said. “He's a big guy, he can move, he's going to be a problem once he figures things out.” Watson’s physical traits are obvious. But as Stenavich noted, it’ll be the mental part that’s key for the WR's development.
The Packers traded up to select North Dakota State WR Christian Watson with the 34th overall pick of the 2022 NFL Draft. Watson is a truly freaky athlete. The 6’4, 208-pounder registered a 4.36-second 40-time and a 38.5-inch vertical at the Combine to earn a 100th percentile Relative Athletic Score. That obviously gives Watson a lofty fantasy ceiling. But the floor is low. Watson is more athlete than WR right now. He easily won with his size and speed against FCS defenses. But he’s a raw and inexperienced route runner, isn’t as dominant in contested situations as you’d expect and dropped 13% of his catchable targets over the past 3 seasons. Watson is also an older rookie, turning 23 in May. He has plenty of opportunity to earn playing time amid a Green Bay WR corps of Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins, Randall Cobb and Amari Rodgers. We’ll see if Watson is ready.
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