ESPN analyst's recent declaration involving the Chicago Bears might be wildest yet
No. 4: Green Bay Packers
Having the team first overall that should easily be dead last is why this is even a conversation. Packers fans want to argue that they have the best depth in the NFC North, while in reality, their depth isn't any better than the other teams residing in the Midwest.
Depth Chart:
WR1: Jayden Reed
WR2: Romeo Doubs
WR3: Christian Watson
WR4: Dontayvion Wicks
WR5: Malik Heath
WR6: Bo Melton
WR7: Grant DuBose (using him because fans did)
TE1: Luke Musgrave
TE2: Tucker Kraft
TE3: Nobody worth mentioning
Alright, now let's look at what these guys accomplished last season and throughout their careers.
Jayden Reed
I think Reed is the best receiver on the roster, but I don't view him as a true WR1. Maybe he proves me wrong. I loved Reed coming out of Michigan St. and would have enjoyed seeing him in a Chicago Bears uniform. Reed is an excellent slot receiver and proved that in his rookie season by leading the team with 793 yards and eight touchdowns.
Romeo Doubs
I actually really like Romeo Doubs and think he's a little underrated by the average NFL fan. He's a big-bodied receiver who has above-average hands. He too was drafted in the 2022 NFL Draft (4th round) but has been more reliable than Watson. His biggest issue is inconsistency. Doubs will have an exceptional game one week and disappear completely the next.
In 2023, Doubs finished with 674 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. That was good for second in yards on the team and tied for first in touchdowns. He's also not worthy of being a WR1 on any team though.
Christian Watson
Watson has some serious talent. Unfortunately, he also has awful hamstrings and can never stay healthy. He was fourth on the team in receiving yards last season with 422 yards. He ended third in touchdowns with five.
Since being drafted atop the second round in 2022, Watson has only played in 23 games or an average of 11.5 games per season. You know the saying, availability is many times the best ability.
The Rest
Dontayvion Wicks is a very intriguing young receiver. He, too, was a rookie last year (5th round) and finished with 581 yards and four touchdowns. Wicks is a great route runner, but again, he is not a WR1 on any other team in the NFL. I'd even struggle to put him as a WR2 on most teams.
Many Packers fans then brought up Bo Melton, Malik Heath, and Grant DuBose. Seriously? Melton was a 7th-round pick who did barely anything his rookie year. Heath is a UDFA who did even less, and DuBose never made it on the stat sheet.
I like both Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft at the tight end position, but you cannot put either of them ahead of the other top TEs within the division.
Final Thoughts:
There is no reason to have the Packers any higher than fourth in the division. The Chicago Bears easily clear this team at the position, even if they did score more TDs at the position in 2023 -- another point being brought up by Packers fans. Look at their rushing TDs though. Jordan Love led the team with four, and their top two RBs combined for four. This is easily going to inflate your receiving touchdowns if you have a good offense. The Packers do, thanks to a competent coach and play-caller in Matt LaFleur.