The Packers have a group of receivers behind Davante Adams who are largely unproven. The other receivers on the roster have a combined 101 receptions, while Adams finished last season with 111.
Geronimo Allison, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Jake Kumerow and Trevor Davis will compete for playing time and receptions.
But Aaron Rodgers has made it clear how much he thinks of Kumerow.
“The key is . . . his being reliable and earning my trust,” Rodgers said last week, via Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal. “I never feel like there’s been a real difficult recipe or plan. It’s you know what you’re doing; you’re in the right spot at the right time; and you don’t make repeat mental mistakes. And that is who Jake Kumerow is. He is an extremely intelligent guy who is in the right place at the right time. He makes contested catches; he makes the plays that are there; and he does the little things. I’m always applauding in an overt way [what he does] to let the other guys know, ‘This is how you practice.’
“[It’s] just little things that he does — I think almost innately — that separates him from a guy you might not trust as much because you know the guy is going to do it right. He’s always going to be in the right spot; he knows what he’s doing all the time and what the other guys are doing. And when he gets a chance to make plays, he makes plays. And he does it in a super classy, understated way.”
Kumerow, 27, just needs experience. He made his NFL regular-season debut last season after bouncing around the league.
In 2018, he appeared in five games, with two starts, and made eight catches for 103 yards and a touchdown.
“I definitely feel more ready, having a few games under my belt, a few more balls thrown to me from A-Rod,” said Kumerow, who also has spent time with the Bengals and Patriots. “It feels good. I have more confidence going in — hopping in the huddle, going in at any moment of the practice. Whereas last year, I’d get a few reps here and there but now with more reps I just feel ready and confident to attack any play.
“Being one of the older guys in the group, I feel like I have to be consistent out there and set a good example for the guys and try to take on more of a role this year. Every single year, I’ve felt more and more like a pro, and this year is a big jump. I see a lot of opportunity. Just to prove yourself every year, that’s what I always see it as. Nothing’s ever given. Maybe Davante, the top guy, he’s going to be out there. But other than that, it’s anybody’s ball game.”
