There was, perhaps, no bigger question mark heading into the 2023 NFL season than the Green Bay Packers offense. Of course, the majority of these questions surrounded Jordan Love, who took over as the starting quarterback after Green Bay made the decision to trade Aaron Rodgers to the New York Jets. Love answered those questions by having the best season of any Packers quarterback in his first year starting.
However, Love and his status as the next franchise quarterback for the Packers was not the only question the team faced, nor was it the only pressing one. In addition to trading Rodgers, Brian Gutekunst and the rest of the front office/coaching staff made the collective decision to get younger on offense.
Even before Rodgers was traded, wide receiver Allen Lazard signed a four-year $44 million contract with the Jets. Prior to signing with New York, Lazard expressed to the media that the Packers had made it pretty clear to him that they were not interested in bringing him back.
In addition to Lazard leaving, Green Bay also allowed Randall Cobb, Marcedes Lewis, and Robert Tonyan to depart in free agency.
The Green Bay Packers Replenished Wide Receivers and Tight Ends in the 2023 NFL Draft
With most of their veteran wide receivers and tight ends gone, and with very little cap space thanks (for the most part) to the $40 million dead cap hit they still carried from Rodgers’ three-year $150 million contract, the Packers looked to the NFL Draft to replenish their depth at the wide receiver and tight end positions.
After taking edge rusher Lukas Van Ness with their first round pick, Green Bay used their next three selections on tight end Luke Musgrave, wide receiver Jayden Reed, and tight end Tucker Kraft. On day three of the draft, they added wide receivers Dontayvion Wicks and Grant DuBose.
After the draft, the Packers also signed undrafted free agents Malik Heath and Ben Sims.
The Green Bay Packers Wide Receivers and Tight Ends Surprised Everyone
The 2023 season was not perfect for the Packers’ pass catchers by any means. Christian Watson struggled with injuries all season, Luke Musgrave suffered a lacerated kidney, and the young pass catchers needed to time to build chemistry with Love.
But when they clicked, they became one of the most prolific group of pass catchers in the NFL. By the end of the season, they boasted one of the most balanced passing attacks in the NFL:
| Player | Receptions | Yards | Touchdowns |
| Romeo Doubs | 59 | 674 | 8 |
| Christian Watson | 28 | 422 | 5 |
| Jayden Reed | 64 | 793 | 8 |
| Dontayvion Wicks | 39 | 581 | 4 |
| Malik Heath | 15 | 125 | 1 |
| Bo Melton | 16 | 218 | 1 |
| Luke Musgrave | 34 | 352 | 1 |
| Tucker Kraft | 31 | 355 | 2 |
| Ben Sims | 4 | 21 | 1 |
Reed set the Packers franchise record for receptions by a rookie wide receiver while Musgrave tied the rookie record for receptions by a tight end.
NFL Insider Makes Bold Prediction Concerning the Green Bay Packers Wide Receivers
In a recent article published on NFL.com, Ed Edholm wrote about the Packers’ surprising quality depth at the wide receiver position. After lauding both Reed and Wicks as impactful rookies in 2023, he wrote:
“Where do they find these guys? The Packers’ young WR corps could be the best in football before long.”
The well-known consensus among many fans and analysts is that the Packers are only lacking a true number one wide receiver. However, if Watson is able to fend off anymore soft tissue injuries, he could very well be that guy.
If he breaks out in his third season while staying healthy, and if the rest of the pass catchers continue to improve, then Edholm’s prediction will come to fruition sooner rather than later.
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