Cory's Corner: Tough Decisions For Wide Receivers

A pivotal position group this summer in Green Bay is the wide receivers. 

And the reason is because there are so many capable wideouts in camp right now. Which is why I would opt for the Packers to keep seven wideouts. 

Obviously, there’s Davante Adams, in my opinion, the best wide receiver in football right now. You could say DeAndre Hopkins, but Adams has a higher catch percentage and more receiving touchdowns over the last two years. 

Then you’ve got Marquez Valdes-Scantling. He isn’t a fan favorite among many, but he has cleaned up his catch consistency in camp and is a constant deep threat. Allen Lazard is another lock that has a great rapport with Aaron Rodgers. And if you’ve got a solid relationship with your future Hall of Fame quarterback, what else do you need? 

Devin Funchess has really shined so far. I was very impressed with him on Saturday night, especially because he hasn’t played since the 2019 season opener. And there’s no way that the Packers are cutting Randall Cobb. The Packers engineered a trade for Cobb on July 28. It only cost the Packers a sixth rounder for one of the better receivers in the Rodgers’ era. 

That’s five guys right there. You’re also not cutting Amari Rodgers, who was drafted in the third round to be Green Bay’s future slot receiver. 

Then you have Malik Taylor. He was an undrafted free agent in 2019, spent that entire season on the practice squad and now he’s making an impact on special teams. Then there’s Juwann Winfree, a sixth round pick by the Broncos in 2019. His shoulder injury isn’t exactly helping, but he has shown that he can be relied upon to make the tough play. 

That’s eight guys. I don’t see a spot for Equanimeous St. Brown. He has been given a lot of chances, but hasn’t really capitalized on them. 

The biggest competition is going to come down to Taylor and Winfree. Funchess could also push for a spot among the top three wideouts, but that’s a tall order given that he didn’t play last year. 

I would rather keep seven over six because that group of receivers is solid. And because it isn’t a guarantee that Taylor or Winfree would make it to the practice squad. 

This unit is much better than last year. Remember, the players with the second-most and third-most receptions last year were a tight end and a running back. 

This dynamic unit will make the Packers’ offense even scarier. Might as well keep as much athleticism as possible.