Packers Keep Making Moves at Receiver

The Green Bay Packers waived/injured receiver Jadon Janke on Monday, the start of the second and final week of organized team activities. Janke did not practice when reporters were allowed to watch practice last week.

Janke’s release was perhaps foreshadowed by the addition of undrafted rookie Sam Brown, who was teammates with – and had better production than – Packers first-round pick Matthew Golden while they were at Houston.

Janke, who was signed less than three weeks ago, went undrafted in 2023 out of South Dakota State, where he was teammates with Packers tight end Tucker Kraft and undrafted rookie running back Amar Johnson. Janke finished his career with 170 receptions for 2,800 yards (16.5 average) and 30 touchdowns. As a sixth-year senior in 2023, he caught 57 passes for 946 yards (16.6 average) and 10 touchdowns. He scored 25 touchdowns during his final three seasons.

As a rookie, he spent training camp with the Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins.

The transaction leaves the Packers with 89 players on their roster, not including Australian-born kicker Alex Hale, who has an exemption as an international player.

The Packers have 12 receivers on their roster. Even with Christian Watson sidelined by a torn ACL, the reality is Janke would have had a tough time scaling the mountain of a depth chart consisting of:

Jayden Reed, a second-round pick in 2023, led the Packers in receptions and receiving yards each of his first two seasons. Among receivers in the 2023 draft class, he is sixth in receptions, fifth in yards and second in touchdowns. He had the third-highest drop percentage last season.

Romeo Doubs, a fourth-round pick in 2022, hasn’t had a big season and still doesn’t have a 100-yard game during the regular season, but he’s sixth among receivers in the draft class in receptions and yards and is tied for first with 15 touchdowns.

Dontayvion Wicks, a fifth-round pick in 2023, is 12th among receivers in the draft class in receptions and receiving yards. He had the second-highest drop percentage last season but was better down the stretch.

Bo Melton, a seventh-round pick by Seattle in 2022 who didn’t see any action as a rookie, has 24 receptions for 309 yards in two seasons with Green Bay.

Malik Heath went undrafted in 2023 but has 25 receptions for 222 yards and three touchdowns in two seasons.

Mecole Hardman, a second-round pick by the Chiefs in 2019, had 126 receptions in his first three seasons but only 52 receptions the last three seasons. In 12 games last year, he caught 12 passes for only 90 yards. He’s a sure-handed returner with big-time speed, though.

Matthew Golden broke the Packers’ infamous streak of not selecting receivers in the first round. The fastest offensive player in this year’s draft, Golden emerged as Texas’ go-to receiver down the stretch.

As a fifth-year senior at TCU, Savion Williams was a dual-threat as a receiver (60 receptions for 611 yards and six touchdowns) and runner (51 carries for 322 yards and six touchdowns). At 222 pounds, he’s built like a running back.

Julian Hicks went undrafted and unsigned last year but earned a shot as a tryout player at the rookie camp. He showed enough to earn a season-long spot on the practice squad.

Cornelius Johnson was a seventh-round pick by the Chargers in 2024 after catching 138 passes for 2,038 yards and 14 touchdowns in five seasons at Michigan. He spent most of the season on Green Bay’s practice squad.

Sam Brown went undrafted and unsigned even with solid production at West Virginia, Houston and Miami and a 9.91 Relative Athletic Score. He impressed at a tryout last week.

Christian Watson will miss a big chunk of the season as he comes back from a torn ACL. The seventh receiver selected in 2022 is 10th in games played, 10th in receptions, seventh in receiving yards and tied for third in touchdowns, one behind Doubs and Atlanta’s Drake London.

The Packers figure to open the regular season with Reed, Doubs, Wicks, Golden and Williams taking up five spots at receiver. If the Packers keep six, Heath, Melton and Hardman would be the front-runner for the final spot.