Despite missing four games with a toe injury, receiver Davante Adams still led the Green Bay Packers in catches in 2019 by nearly 40 total catches. This was expected; last June, Packers Wire broke down the top candidates to finish second behind Adams in catches, knowing full well that Adams – coming off a 111-catch season – would be the primary target in the passing game.
The same exercise can be applied to the 2020 season.
Once again, there isn’t an obvious player who will finish second behind Adams in catches. The Packers didn’t make a major addition at receiver or tight end, but they did sign Devin Funchess and lose Geronimo Allison and Jimmy Graham.
Here’s a breakdown of who could finish in second place behind Adams in catches in 2020:
Major contenders
RB Aaron Jones: Considered a dark horse last year, Jones broke out as a pass-catcher in Matt LaFleur’s offense, finishing second on the team in both targets (68) and receptions (49). Expect him to be a major part of the passing game once again, especially now that LaFleur knows Jones can be a difference-making weapon as a receiver. The key will be creating the right matchups – teams adjusted to Jones as a receiver over the course of the 2019 season. It could be argued he needs to be a bigger part of the passing game in 2020.
WR Allen Lazard: Lazard wasn’t even mentioned as an option to finish second behind Adams last year, but the former undrafted free agent – who didn’t even make the initial 53-man roster – still ended up with the fifth-most catches and second-most receiving yards on the team in 2019. The biggest challenge for any young player is having some success and then dealing with the adjustments to that success. If Lazard takes a step, he’ll be the front-runner to be the No. 2 receiver and a real candidate to see 75 or more targets.
WR Devin Funchess: Amazingly, Funchess is the most accomplished pass-catcher on the team behind Adams. That fact doesn’t guarantee he’ll get opportunities in 2020, but the former second-round pick has been a No. 1 or No. 2 target for most of his NFL career. If Rodgers and Funchess can develop some chemistry early, he could give the Packers a big, physical receiver capable of handling a high volume of targets.
WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling: The true wildcard on the list. MVS has flashed big-time playmaking skills during his first two seasons, but the connection between him and Rodgers remains a work in progress. He can really run, but he’s still developing as an intermediate receiver and it’s unclear if he’ll ever be anything more than a sporadically-used deep threat. The Packers are expecting a big jump in Year 3.
Dark horses
TE Jace Sternberger: Someone needs to take over Jimmy Graham’s snaps and targets. Sternberger, a third-round pick in 2019, is the best bet. He’s athletic and has natural receiving ability, both as a field-stretching weapon and possibly as a high-volume underneath receiver. Graham only caught 38 passes on 60 targets last year, so Sternberger’s ceiling is a little limited. Not many tight ends are capable of being top targets in the passing game.
RB Jamaal Williams: The Packers’ No. 2 running back actually finished last season with the third-most catches (39) on the team. He gives the offense three-down ability, and he’d be the primary beneficiary – both as a runner and receiver – of any injury to Aaron Jones. Williams gets plenty of snaps on passing downs, and Rodgers trusts him.
WR Equanimeous St. Brown: He’s coming off a lost season, but St. Brown has the skill set to compete for snaps as a versatile receiver who can run vertically as a perimeter threat and also slide inside and win with route-running from the slot. Allison, last year’s slot receiver, handled 55 targets.
Huge underdogs
TE Robert Tonyan: If Sternberger isn’t ready, it’ll be Tonyan who becomes the front runner to be the top option in the passing game at tight end.
WR Jake Kumerow: Rodgers loves him. LaFleur said the Packers need to get him more opportunities. Who knows.
WR Reggie Begelton: He caught a ton of passes in the CFL. Can he make a Lazard-like ascension in 2020?
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