The Green Bay Packers may have lost to the Atlanta Falcons 25-24 on Sunday afternoon, but there are some rookies who deserve some praise in this football game. Wide receivers Dontavyion Wicks and Jayden Reed both stood out in this game for Green Bay. They are both getting golden opportunities to get chances to make plays on the field because Christian Watson missed the second consecutive game with a hamstring injury, and it will be interesting to see if he can return next week.
The Packers will have their home opener against the New Orleans Saints (1-0), but Watson’s injury will be worth monitoring as the week goes on. As for the rookies, that showed up on Sunday for Green Bay, Wicks caught two passes for 40 yards receiving and a touchdown. He was a fifth-round pick out of Virginia, and Dontayvion Wicks has some serious speed to his game.
He could see an expanded role in this offense even when Watson returns. Wicks caught a 32-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Love for the Green Bay Packers on the opening drive in the third quarter. After the game, Dontavyion Wicks told Wes Hodkiewicz of packers.com:
“It was all on me to score. Coach (Jason) Vrable always says shoot your shot and don’t get tackled by one person. I seen it. I had the vision. When I saw the touchdown, that’s what I was shooting for, to go get that.”
Green Bay Packers Rookie Wide Receiver Jayden Reed Also Shows Out in Loss
Jayden Reed was able to show out for the Packers this weekend. He caught a 9-yard touchdown pass from Jordan Love in the second quarter and also caught a 10-yard touchdown pass from Love in the third quarter for Green Bay. Reed caught four passes for 37 yards receiving and two touchdowns. This was his second career game, and also has a bright future ahead of him out of Michigan State.
.@JaydenReed5 TURNS THE CORNER FOR THE TD!#GBvsATL | #GoPackGo
📺: FOX https://t.co/IC8Sq635UH
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 17, 2023
Jayden Reed also said to Hodkiewicz:
“It’s always great to put points on the board. I ran a few jet sweeps and I had a little flat route and got the touchdown. We just took advantage of what they gave us.”
Reed is the second Green Bay Packers wide receiver this season to have a multi-touchdown game in the same game. Romeo Doubs did a week ago when Green Bay smoked the Chicago Bears 38-20. Doubs this week caught two passes for 30 yards receiving. He had praise for both Jayden Reed and Dontavyion Wicks in the second week of the NFL season against the Atlanta Falcons and said to the media:
“They played a really good game. They were able to get their feet wet a little bit into this league. Can’t wait to see them continue to grow from this.”
It appears as if the top four wide receivers for the Green Bay Packers moving forward will be Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, and Dontavyion Wicks.
