The Green Bay Packers are counting on rookie receiver Matthew Golden to provide tangible results this season. They would not have drafted him 23rd overall, bucking a decades-old franchise trend of eschewing first-round receivers, if they did not have high hopes for him. Later in the draft, they also selected TCU receiver Savion Williams at no. 87. While expectations are not as high for Williams, the team still believes he can contribute.
What if the rookies don’t, though? What then? “Locked on Packers” host Peter Bukowski names a variety of “Plan B’s” Green Bay could turn to. One involves a third-year receiver making a significant next step.
Green Bay Packers Shouldn’t Assume Golden and Williams Will Settle in Immediately
To set the record straight, not a lot of Packers people are expecting a year-one flop from Golden. There has already been talk about whether the Texas Longhorns’ leading receiver last season can Jordan Love’s number one option as a rookie. Still, there is the possibility that the lights prove too bright, the defenders too physical, or that team scouts simply overestimated Golden’s abilities.
“What if Matthew Golden just isn’t ready?” ventures Bukowski. “Maybe he’s not big enough. Maybe he’s not as nuanced a route runner as the Packers hoped. … What’s Plan B?”
This type of scenario is more plausible for Williams, who set career bests in catches (60) and yards (611) as a senior for the Horned Frogs but isn’t nearly the player Golden is.
“Savion Williams is not experienced running this kind of offense,” notes Bukowski. “It’s possible he can’t come in and contribute at a level where he’s really making a meaningful difference.”
If the Packers don’t get the production they’re hoping for out of either player, particularly Golden, other guys will need to step up. Entering his third season at a now-or-never inflection point, Dontayvion Wicks is primed to do so.
Dontayvion Wicks Could Pick Up the Slack
Wicks isn’t the only candidate for improvement, of course, as Jayden Reed and Tucker Kraft could both make strides on the pass-catching front. The offensive line, buttressed by the free agency addition of Aaron Banks, will help determine success or failure. At quarterback, Love remains Bukowski’s “X-factor” for the offense.
Still, in the receiver room, Wicks has growth potential that players with more solidified skillsets, like Reed or Kraft, do not. That’s what would make him a pivotal factor in the event that Golden or Williams fails to meet expectations.
In year two, Wicks’ numbers actually decreased. Despite more targets, he barely matched his rookie reception total (39) and accounted for only 415 receiving yards. His average yards per catch fell by 4.3.
One thing Wicks does do, however, something which has proved a problem for Packers receivers, is break open.
“We see the separation. We know what he’s able to do as a route runner. He moves differently than every other player on this team. You certainly can price in a step forward. If he takes a step forward, he can be really good.”
If Golden can’t be that guy as a rookie, the Packers would love for Wicks to make up the difference.
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