It should come as a shock to absolutely nobody that has followed my writing so far that I am not at all a fan of how the Green Bay Packers front office has assembled its receiving corp. While there is almost certainty a definite six set to make this roster barring injuries, the talent pool is rather shallow and a seventh addition to this corps would vastly improve its ceiling in the passing game. At the moment it appears that Allen Lazard, a slow blocking receiver is set to make this roster. In addition, slot receiver Randall Cobb and veteran playmaker Sammy Watkins seem poised to land on this roster now. Sammy Watkins has not played a full season since his rookie year in 2014. Young draft picks from the last two years Amari Rodgers, Christian Watson (who is still on PUP) and Romeo Doubs also seem set to make this team. Rodgers had an abysmal rookie season and hoping on his development alone, plus the development of a day three pick in Doubs could certainly spell doom for the team, regardless of what the fans want to believe. That is why I have compiled this list of five wide receivers the Packers should target through both free agency and the trade market. All of these players can be bought on the low and fit into the Packers hamstrung salary cap.
Number Five: Tyler Johnson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
First up on the list at number five is Tyler Johnson, a Buccaneers fifth round pick out of Minnesota in 2020. By no means is Johnson a remarkable player. In fact compared to his pre draft eval he has been rather disappointing with a PFF grade of only 55.4 last season. But he has two years left on his rookie contract and he is currently buried on an absolutely loaded Buccaneers receiving corp. Coming out of college Johnson was seen as more of a route runner as he is on the slower side. Coming out he was also seen as a physical playmaker, something the Packers lack as Allen Lazard for all his positives in blocking, is not actually a good contested pass catcher. There is a good chance he gets cut after the end of the preseason so the Packers should move quickly to flip a late day three pick for him to capitalize on the two years remaining on his contract.
Number Four: Miles Boykin, Pittsburgh Steelers
Miles Boykin from the Steelers is an interesting prospect to add. Not one I would necessarily be a huge fan of but with where he is at as a player, he would still make a great addition to this receiving corp. Boykin’s number one trait is run blocking, but he is still a good receiver outside of this (unlike Allen Lazard). He is an average separator with slightly below average hands. Boykin was a third round pick for the Baltimore Ravens in 2019 before being cut by them this spring and being claimed off of waivers by the Steelers. His addition would help benefit both the running game and play action game but would most likely not impact the drop back passing game as much. I would suspect it would take a late day three pick to pry him away from the Steelers as they too already have a loaded receiving corp.
Number Three: Emmanuel Sanders, Free Agent
Emmanuel Sanders is a name that has been occasionally linked with the Packers for some time now. After spending his 2021 season with the Buffalo Bills Sanders now remains a free agent. Sanders is easily past his prime at this point as he is 35 years old and has seen a steady drop in his production the last few years. In 2021 with the Bills Sanders recorded 42 catches off of 68 targets for 626 yards and 4 touchdowns. His PFF grade was a solid 65.6. Sanders showed that even as he has slowed down and started to lose a step he can still remain a quality complementary piece for any passing game, as well as a good veteran mentor for younger players. There is a good chance Sanders would take a vet minimum deal for a chance to compete for a ring with a hall of fame Quarterback in Aaron Rodgers.
Number Two: Will Fuller V: Free Agent
Remember when the Packers attempted to trade for Will Fuller V in 2020? Yeah I do too. I also remember them acting like it wasn’t a big deal missing out on a vertical threat like Fuller, regardless of what issues popped up for him after the trade deadline. Now two seasons later Fuller remains a free agent as he is recovering from a broken thumb suffered while playing for the Miami Dolphins last season. Fuller is exactly the type of player you can never get enough of. An ultra fast vertical receiver that can take the top off of any defense. While yes this will more then likely be Christian Watson’s role here, he is still on the PUP and you can never have enough speed in the wide receiver room. Coming out of college in 2016 Fuller ran a 4.32 forty time. He slowly developed over his time in Houston before truly arriving on the scene in 2020. He recorded 53 catches for 879 yards and 8 touchdowns in only 11 games that season before being suspended. While he is not a player you can ever rely on to stay healthy, getting six to eight games in a season from him including the playoffs could very well set the difference between winning and losing close games with other high end contenders.
Number One: Darius Slayton: New York Giants
I cannot help it. The thought of trading for Darius Slayton gets me super excited as both a fan and as an admirer of proper roster management. Slayton was a fifth round pick for the New York Giants in 2019 and immediately took off and appeared poised to become one of the next best receivers in the league. With the shell of Eli Manning and a horrific rookie Daniel Jones throwing him the ball he managed to record 48 catches for 740 yards and 8 touchdowns. He put up a similar statline in 2020 with Daniel Jones. Then he fell off a cliff in 2021, recording 26 catches for 339 yards and 2 touchdowns. Now Salyton is buried on the Giants depth chart behind the likes of Kenny Golladay, Sterling Shepard, Wan’Dale Robinson and Kadarius Toney. Slayton is seen as a good deep threat with 4.39 speed. While he is on his way out in New York his price will more then likely remain right around the late day two, early day three mark in terms of compensation. While many may see this as expensive for a player that will most likely be a one year rental, if the goal is to finally win a Super Bowl with Aaron Rodgers this is the way to go. Pairing a player of Slayton’s caliber with Rodgers would most certainly fix the issue at receiver for the Packers and would give them a great chance at making a run for a championship.
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Great article, Cody!