The Packers not only have not had a 1,000-yard receiver since Davante Adams left, but they haven’t even had one with as many as 800 yards. That has left a question about whether the Packers have a WR1.
Whether they need one is another question entirely.
Coach Matt LaFleur made clear Monday that he is sick of the questions about whether the Packers have a No. 1 receiver.
“I want to vomit every time I hear No. 1 receiver. It drives me crazy,” LaFleur said, via video from the team. “That’s something you guys talk about. I think we’ve got a bunch of them. I think the beauty of them is they’re capable of doing many things, which gives us a lot of versatility from an offensive perspective in terms of how we use these guys and deploy their talents. Especially those, I would say top-four guys, they’re capable of being a No. 1 in some capacity. It’s just how do we want to attack somebody? Where do we want to put those guys? Who’s going to get the ball? I don’t know. It could change on a week-to-week basis. We saw it last year.”
The question specifically was about where Dontayvion Wicks fits in the pecking order after the 2023 fifth-round pick made a 65-yard reception in the Packers’ preseason opener. Wicks was one of the four receivers the Packers had last season with more than 400 yards receiving.
Jayden Reed (793 yards), Romeo Doubs (674), Wicks (581) and Christian Watson (422) give Jordan Love options, so maybe he doesn’t need an Adams to get it done. The 2023 Chiefs won Super Bowl LIV without a 1,000-yard rusher or receiver.
The Packers didn’t have a 1,000-yard rusher last season, but now departed Aaron Jones ran for 1,121 yards in 2022.