We will consider every Green Bay Packers rookie in 2023. Draft picks, undrafted free agents, gamers acquired via other avenues.
Overview
Sterling Sharpe deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, and Packers followers recognize how greater he would have been if now not for a career-ending injury. Until 2023, he had the franchise file for receptions amongst rookies, fifty five Jayden Reed destroyed that record. The second-round receiver caught 64 passes in 2023, with 94 targets, an indication of how impactful he can be.Reed completed his first NFL season with 793 receiving yards, the 1/3 most with the aid of a rookie in Packers records and the most because 1978. Sure enough, the reality that the Packers invested so a good deal in young weapons and gave them taking part in time helped, however Reed exceeded expectations right away.
The slot receiver led the group in receiving yards, huge receptions, yards per game, and yards after the catch, and was once additionally tied for first in receiving touchdowns.
His versatility is a calling card. Besides the 793 receiving yards, he had 119 speeding yards and two dashing touchdowns. He is the first rookie in Packers history to have at least 500 receiving and at least a hundred rushing yards.Future projection
Jayden Reed is a large section of what the Packers are building offensively. The offense was once lacking a traditional slot receiver considering Randall Cobb wasn’t producing nicely anymore, and Reed confirmed how productive he can be, wherever he aligns.The second-rounder is in particular a slot, however he also had 23% of his snaps aligned out wide, which indicates his versatility. Reed is also a big weapon in give up arounds and jet sweeps, supplanting Christian Watson in that role.
Reed will be an necessary piece of the offense for a long time, and the surplus price he generates is absolutely impactful. He’s slated to make $1.076 million in 2024, $1.402 million in 2025, and $1.729 million in 2026. That’s the magic of investing in young players, and the Packers couldn’t have hoped for better results.
