Last year's Green Bay Packers had one of the youngest skill-position corps in the history of football. Specifically at wide receiver, the Packers didn't have a single player on the active roster who entered the league before 2022. In other words, their entire receiver corps was comprised of first- and second-year players.
The most productive player among that group in 2022 second-round pick Jayden Reed, who finished the year with a team-high 94 targets, a team-high 64 receptions, a team-high 793 yards, and a tied-for-team-high 8 touchdown grabs. Working primarily out of the slot (Reed aligned there on 72.3% of his routes, according to Tru Media, the seventh-highest slot rate out of the 289 players who ran at least 100 routes last season), Reed emerged as Jordan Love's top target. He also averaged over 2 yards per route run, which is historically a highly encouraging sign for rookie receivers.
Along the way, he made quite an impression on his teammate, cornerback Jaire Alexander. The star corner compared Reed to a former teammate, a slot receiver who eventually turned himself into a Pro Bowler.
"I mean, he has full potential. He reminds me of a young Randall Cobb. But he's, I think, you know -- (whispering) he's better," Alexander said through a laugh, via NFL Media. "He's hungry, man. When you got a young guy coming in who's hungry for the ball, they're gonna make their plays. And you see it."
Reed was much more productive during his rookie season than was Cobb, who was a converted option quarterback coming out of Kentucky. Cobb caught just 25 passes for 375 yards and a touchdown during his debut season. But he quickly emerged as one of Aaron Rodgers' top targets, catching 80 passes in Year 2 and then 91 for 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns during his Pro Bowl 2014 season.
The Packers have a crowded receiver room with Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, and Bo Melton alongside Reed, but there is certainly an opportunity for one of those players to separate himself as The Guy. With his guaranteed slot role, Reed could be the best bet among the group. And then, he could potentially reach the heights that Cobb eventually did.
