GREEN BAY — The Packers don’t have a wide receiver who has established himself as a bonafide No. 1 target.
There have been times when all five of Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks and Bo Melton have looked the part, however.
Among other instances:
• Watson did so during his eight-catch, 107-yard, three-touchdown game against the Cowboys in 2022.
• Doubs against the Cowboys in the most recent playoffs when he went for 151 yards and a touchdown on six catches.
• Reed as he posted eight catches, 89 yards and two touchdowns against the Vikings late last season.
• Wicks during his nine-catch, 97-yard game against the Buccaneers last season.
• And Melton as he became the Packers’ first 100-yard receiver of the season in Minnesota on New Year’s Eve with nine catches and a touchdown to boot.
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Such an even distribution has led to an interesting discussion. Would the Packers rather have a true No. 1 a la Davante Adams who teams know the ball is going to, or four or five No. 2s and 3s who keep defenses guessing since any of them could play a starring role each week? Nobody in their right mind doesn’t want an Adams-type player, but it’s not exactly a bad thing to feature what the Packers did with their receivers last season.
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It’s possible, though, that this season produces that clear-cut No. 1 at the position. While Doubs and Reed have flashed the ability to fill that role, no player over the last two seasons has done so more than Watson. Hamstring injuries have played a significant role in keeping Watson from his full potential, sidelining him for three games as a rookie and a whopping eight games last season. That led Watson to see a specialist for the injury in Madison, Wis., a week after the season ended, a visit that provided answers for a recurring problem that Watson and the Packers hope is behind them.
“I’m feeling really good,” Watson said recently. “I say it probably every time I talk to you guys but I’m managing it day by day. I’m just trying to stay in the best spot mentally and physically each and every day. I’ve been feeling really good. I just gotta continue to build on that and continue to get that strength up … I definitely feel like I’m at 100 percent in terms of what I’m able to do on the football field right now.”
Watson’s main issue, discovered on his visit to Madison, was asymmetry between his legs. His right was significantly weaker than his left, which strained his left leg trying to overcompensate and also overexerted his right when aiming for equal strength. Watson called the difference “a bad place to be” and it’s a gap in strength that he has closed by a sizable margin this offseason. Watson used a NordBord to test his hamstring strength and while he couldn’t recall his exact numbers from the Madison trip, he said there was a 20-percent difference in strength between his right and left hamstrings when he returned to Green Bay for the first part of the voluntary offseason program.
“Which is huge,” Watson said.
As of last Tuesday, Watson said he was 10-12 percent closer to symmetry. Ideally, he said, you want to be within six percent. To achieve that symmetry, Watson has added an extra set of single-leg hamstring curls on his right leg or added more weight to the reps he was already doing. He hasn’t changed the exercises he does, just how many he does and at which stress level.
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In addition to slightly modifying his weight training, Watson said that he has returned too quickly from injury in the past and vowed to be more patient if faced with a similar situation.
“During the season, I’m trying to play football,” Watson said. “If I’m able to run and feel like I’m able to do what I can do regardless of how one leg is feeling compared to the other, I’m going to go out there and try to play. But for my safety and obviously trying to eliminate risks, you want to get back as strong as you can before you get back out there. Obviously, you have the risk of getting injured again. That’s the No. 1 thing that goes out of my mind. I’m trying to get back and play. Coming back from injury, gotta be a little smarter.”
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Through 23 career games since the Packers traded up in the second round for him in 2022, Watson has 69 catches for 1,033 yards and 12 touchdowns with an average of 15 yards per catch. He’s a more complete receiver than just a speedster who can take the top off a defense with go routes, and keeping Watson healthy will be paramount to showcasing his full repertoire and helping the Packers’ young, high-powered offense reach its full potential in the second year with Jordan Love at the helm.
“Huge difference,” Love said of Watson potentially staying healthy all season. “That’s the key, is trying to stay healthy throughout the season, so we can have him out there every game, which is something I know he’s working hard on. He’s a difference-maker when he’s out there. He’s a playmaker.”
While the Packers haven’t drafted a wide receiver in the first round since 2002, they’ve struck gold on the likes of Adams, Jordy Nelson, Greg Jennings and Randall Cobb in the second. For Watson to join that group of second-round hits at the position, he just needs to stay on the field. It’s not a matter of talent with Watson. That’s evident when he’s healthy.
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That’s been the big question, one which might finally have an answer.
“He’s incredibly bright, which allows us to move him all over the place,” head coach Matt LaFleur said. “Certainly, he brings the sheer size and physicality and speed that he possesses. You better know where he’s at at all times because all it takes is one play. If he gets a sliver of light, he’s able to outrun everybody on the defense, so yeah, he definitely changes and tilts the field in our favor when he’s out there.”
(Top photo: Lauren Leigh Bacho / Getty Images)
