In a previous edition of this series, we took a look at three bold predictions for Davante Adams. Adams, by far and away, will get the majority of the passes thrown his way, and rightly so. After all, he is arguably the best wide receiver in the NFL today. In this edition, we give three bold predictions for the rest of the Packers’ wide receivers who are currently on the roster.
Bold Prediction #1- Marquez Valdes-Scantling Is Going to Burst onto the Scene
Marquez Valdes-Scantling (MVS) certainly received a great deal of criticism this past season. Some of it crossed the line into the realm of death threats, a tragic indictment on Packers’ fans and their tendency to take a game so seriously. MVS did have a 11.1% drop percentage, which was the target of many fans’ ire. However, what many fans tend to forget is that Davante Adams himself had drop issues early in his career. Many fans back then even called for his release, just as they are doing for MVS. Here at Wisconsin Sports Heroics, though, we believe that MVS is going to break out this season.
MVS led the NFL with 20.9 yards per reception last season. In the NFC title game, he was the only receiver who made any kind of impact on the game. He had four receptions for 115 yards and a touchdown. MVS will use this performance to catapult himself into a breakout year in 2021. He will clean up the drops and put together a 1,000 yard season. Last year, he had 690 receiving yards despite all the drops. With those cleaned up, he will become the Packers’ lethal number two option behind Davante Adams.
Bold Prediction #2- Allen Lazard Will Have 700 Receiving Yards
Amid the MVS criticism, the fact that Allen Lazard’s drop percentage (10.9%) was very close to his. Lazard did, indeed, struggle in 2020. He burst on the scene with a monster game against New Orleans, but was immediately shut down for surgery on a core injury. After he returned from his injury, he was a shadow of the player he had been prior. With an offseason to fully recover, Lazard is poised to have a great comeback season in 2021.
Allen Lazard is not the deep threat that MVS is, nor is he as versatile as Davante Adams. However, when healthy he is a reliable receiver who plays well on the sideline and can make amazing athletic catches. With defenses focusing on Adams and respecting the MVS’s deep threat, look for Lazard to receive plenty of one-on-one or open looks that Aaron Rodgers will take advantage of. In just nine games in 2020, Lazard had 451 receiving yards. Improving his drop percentage and staying healthy will lead to a very productive season for the Packers’ third option.
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Bold Prediction #3- Devin Funchess Will Have 500 Receiving Yards
Devin Funchess opted out of the 2020 season after he lost family members to COVID-19. He will return for the second year of his contract, and even restructured his deal to help the Packers create some cap space. Even though he will be lower on the depth chart this season, we believe that he will still have a productive season in the NFL’s top scoring offense.
Throughout his career, Funchess have averaged just over 500 receiving yards per season in the seasons in which he remained healthy. In 2019, he played in just one game due to injury. Now that he is healthy, he will return to the Packers and pick up where he left off. Aaron Rodgers is adept at spreading the ball around, and Funchess will definitely get his fair share of balls thrown his way.
For More in the Series
Check out:
- Three Bold Predictions for the Packers’ Running Game in 2021
- Three Bold Predictions for Davante Adams in 2021
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1 Comment
My Bold prediction, is that EQ St. Brown will improve as a receiver, and contribute more in the Packers pass attack with more catches and TD’s along with Malikk. Funchess will be cut from the team at the end of spring training saving more Salary Cap money.