Although all of the pressure will be squarely on the shoulders of new starting quarterback Jordan Love this season, the reality is that the 24-year-old replacement for 4-time MVP Aaron Rodgers will only be as good as his supporting cast lets him be.
The Green Bay Packers lost a good chunk of their receiving yards this offseason when wide receivers Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb, as well as tight end Robert Tonyan, left via free agency. What’s left behind of the receiving crew is a collection of young talent that has shown glimpses of brilliance, but will be called on to consistently deliver for Love as the “go to” guys this season
That unknown element among the team’s pass catchers could be the difference between taking an NFC North that is wholly up for grabs and finishing near the bottom of the standings.
Wide receiver Romeo Doubs could be the key to it all.
While Christian Watson finished his rookie season big and appeared to be setting himself up as the top big play guy on the team leading into his sophomore year, Doubs, coming into his own sophomore season, has been doing everything right to be Jordan Love’s top play maker.
The 23-year-old Doubs, a fourth round pick in the 2022 draft, has impressed everyone with his tenacious field play and tireless work ethic. He’s also built a genuine rapport with Love that has translated to some head-turning successes at the OTAs this offseason.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has taken notice of Doubs, his work ethic, and the way he’s gelling with Love. As a matter of fact, wanting to do too much is more of an issue with him than doing too little.
“There’s sometimes where you almost have to pull him back because he’s so invested into it and puts so much time into it,” said LaFleur, who also recently compared Doubs’ style to that of Davante Adams. “You never have to worry about whether or not he’s working…
“So, I expect him to be able to pick up right where he left off. He’s done some unbelievable things throughout the course of these OTAs, just whether it’s with the route running, the catches, and just continues to build on that rapport he has with Jordan.
“I think that ‘Rome’ has done a nice job of really making that next step. Now, he’s got to go out and do it in games. But, I think what we’ve seen from him in practice — just how deliberate he is with what he’s trying to work on, he’s doing a great job of really getting his feet to the ground, running violent routes, violent cuts, being aggressive with his hands.”
With the pairing of Watson and Doubs, the Packers may be on to something big. Doubs, especially, may be crucial to the grind ‘em down, wear ‘em out style conducive to NFC North success.
