A handful of training camp practices isn’t enough time to make a full and accurate assessment of a rookie wide receiver, but Green Bay Packers veteran Randall Cobb sees special potential – potential being the key word – in fourth-round pick Romeo Doubs, one of the early standouts of camp.
“Nobody knows his ceiling just yet,” Cobb said Friday. “He has a lot of tangibles, a lot of special gifts. That’s potential. We all know potential is one thing…it’s going to take a little bit of time to figure out how good he is going to be. But he has the pieces. We never want to set too high of expectations for people, but he’s shown some flashes.”
Doubs made a big splash on Thursday with a leaping catch in traffic for a touchdown and another score to end team drills. It’s early in camp, but he’s getting mixed in with the first team and consistently making plays for Aaron Rodgers.
Finishing contested catches is one area where Cobb sees something truly special in Doubs.
“The biggest piece is just his ability with the 50-50 ball,” Cobb said. “When it’s thrown up and it’s between him and the DB to make a play. That’s one thing you can’t coach. You can’t really teach that. You either have it or you don’t, and he has it. That’s special.”
Cobb knows this trait: He’s played alongside former Packers receivers such as Jordy Nelson, James Jones and Davante Adams, who all turned into playmakers with an ability to win on 50-50 balls.
Coach Matt LaFleur said Doubs has settled into an effective routine early on as a rookie, helping him get comfortable and play fast early in his first training camp.
Cobb sees a young player hungry to learn with a professional attitude and the right mindset for realizing his potential.
“He has the tools,” Cobb said. “It’s on himself and on me and our receiver group to mold him and build him and help him realize what he has. I’ve been very impressed with him so far since I’ve been here. Him and Christian. I’ve been impressed by both of them.”