As a highly regarded second-round pick, Davante Adams is the Packers’ best hope to replace some of the lost juice, and he’ll get every chance to win the No. 3 job, which would mean substantial playing time. But the league’s and Packers’ histories suggest it’s far from a given he’ll beat out third-year pro Jarrett Boykin for the job.
“I don’t know about immediately, but we need (the rookie receivers) to develop,” Jordy Nelson said. “At some point in time this year, they’re going to have an impact in a game — good or bad. They need to be prepared to go in there.”
When asked why rookie receivers historically struggle in the NFL, Jordy Nelson pointed to the time it takes to develop chemistry with and trust of a quarterback. He said it wasn’t until his third training camp that he could hear a play call and know his assignment without thinking, which allowed him to concentrate solely on how he was going to beat the man across from him.
“He’s not slow,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “He’s fully capable of playing in the NFL. Very strong, he’s an excellent route-runner, particularly at the top of his routes. The ability to separate from the defender is the key, and that’s one of his strongest traits.”
Given his play in 2013 and how the Packers typically bring along rookie wideouts, we believe Boykin will hold off Adams for the WR3 job. If the tight end position continues to be an issue, the team could go with more spread formations (single back with four wide receivers) to get both Boykin and Adams on the field.
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