There are currently 11 wide receivers on the roster in Green Bay. On cutdown day last season, the Packers only kept five receivers on the initial 53-man roster. Those receivers were Davante Adams, Allen Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Equanimeous St. Brown, and Malik Taylor. 

To start camp this year, the Packers will have third-round draft pick Amari Rodgers and last year’s free agent acquisition who opted out of the 2020 season, Devin Funchess, in addition to Chris Blair, Reggie Begelton, Juwann Winfree, and Bailey Gaither.

It seems likely Green Bay would also keep only five wide receivers in 2021, especially considering the depth of talent at tight end. That means it’s possible over half the receivers in the position room won’t be there when the season begins. Starting with Adams, here are the 11 receivers in order of their potential to secure a roster spot. 

Davante Adams

Adams set some personal and franchise records in 2020. While he only played 14 games (really more like 13.5) Adams had 18 touchdowns and 115 receptions, surpassing Sterling Sharpe’s previous record (112). He finished the season with 1,374 receiving yards, averaged 98.1 yards per game, and posted a career-high 77.2% catch percentage. In addition to achieving career bests, Adams made his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl and his first ever first-team All-Pro. Of course, Adams is a roster lock and is simply on this list for inclusion’s sake. 

Amari Rodgers

The Packers selected Rodgers in the third round of the 2021 NFL Draft, bundling a fourth round pick to move up and grab him at No. 85 overall. The Clemson receiver’s senior year was his best, posting 1,020 yards and seven touchdowns in 12 games. The 5-9, 212lb receiver brings a different dynamic to Green Bay’s offense, giving the Packers a more traditional option for the slot role. In addition to the impact he’ll have as a receiver, Rodgers will also audition at camp for the team’s return duties. At Clemson, Rodgers primarily returned punts though he does have kick return experience. He had 68 punt returns for 529 yards with one touchdown in 2018. The rookie sits just behind Adams as the position’s second roster lock. 

Marquez Valdes-Scantling

Valdes-Scantling battled consistency issues to start the season before emerging as the offense’s clear WR2 in 2020. He had 690 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 33 receptions, averaging a league-leading 20.9 yards per catch. In the playoffs, Valdes-Scantling had a quiet outing against the Rams before exploding in the NFC Championship Game against the Buccaneers. He ended the day with 115 yards and one touchdown on four receptions. That’s good for a whopping 28.75 yards per reception. He played 76% of offensive snaps in 2020. It’s a safe bet that MVS not only makes the 53-man roster, but plays a significant role in the offense in 2021.

Allen Lazard

Lazard had a strong start to his 2020 campaign before he suffered a core injury that kept him out six full games. He finished the season with 33 receptions for 451 yards and three touchdowns. In Week 3 against the Saints, Lazard had six receptions for 146 yards and a touchdown. He’s a reliable option for quarterback Aaron Rodgers on third downs, too, as 23 of his receptions in 2020 moved the chains. Lazard was an exclusive rights free agent the Packers kept around, so his spot on the roster also feels safe. 

Devin Funchess

This is where everything starts to get interesting. The Packers signed Funchess in free agency last season, but he opted out due to the pandemic, meaning he hasn’t played any meaningful snaps in a football game since 2019. That was also his lone season with the Colts, where he played in one game for Indianapolis before injuring his clavicle against the Chargers and missing the remainder of his season. So, truth be told, Funchess hasn’t played consecutive games since 2018 with the Panthers. Funchess has only started 16 games in one of his NFL seasons (2017), hauling in 63 receptions for 840 yards and eight touchdowns. Excluding his one game with the Colts, Funchess has never had a season catch percentage over 56.8%, so that could be cause for concern. He’s certainly a candidate for the fifth roster spot, but he lacks return experience and any familiarity with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, so he’s got an uphill climb in camp. 

Equanimeous St. Brown

St. Brown has also dealt with injuries during the beginning of his career. He played in 12 games for the Packers in 2018 and showed flashes (21 receptions, 328 yards) before losing his 2019 season to an ankle injury. He returned to the active roster in 2020 but made only one start for the Packers. St. Brown has one career touchdown, coming in the snow at Lambeau Field against the Tennessee Titans. He’s a familiar face on offense and someone his quarterback has praised in training camp, but he hasn’t gotten many opportunities to see the field. If he does want to secure a roster spot, his best way to do that may be on special teams where he played 10% of snaps in 2020. He’s under contract for one more season, so the Packers could give him the fifth (or a sixth) roster spot to see what they have in him, or cut ties early and let him try to latch on somewhere else. 

Malik Taylor

The Packers liked Taylor enough to give him the fifth receiver spot out of camp in 2020, a move that surprised many. He was active for 15 games last season, catching his first NFL touchdown Week 13 against the Eagles. While he had only five receptions on the season, he did have a large presence on special teams, playing 42% of snaps. With the selection of Rodgers in this year’s draft and the return of Funchess, it’s more difficult to see Taylor earning a roster spot this year unless he puts on an electrifying performance in training camp. As will be a trend with the bottom guys on the depth chart, his best shot at sticking on the 53 will likely come as a special teams contributor. 

Bailey Gaither

The only reason Gaither is so high on this list is because of his special teams abilities. An undrafted rookie out of San Jose State (shoutout James Jones), Gaither brings a unique size to the receivers room. At 6-0, he’s the second shortest on the roster behind Rodgers, with the smallest frame at 188lbs. Gaither finished his collegiate career with 135 receptions for 2,227 yards and 18 touchdowns. He also has ample experience returning both kickoffs and punts for the Spartans. While Rodgers will likely get first crack at return duties, Gaither could also make an immediate impact for new special teams coordinator Maurice Drayton. 

Reggie Begelton

Begelton spent the 2020 season on Green Bay’s practice squad. He was elevated to the active roster for one game, playing two snaps on offense and two snaps on special teams. He signed a reserve/future contract in January to continue playing for the Packers. He’s most known for his career in the Canadian Football League, where he played three seasons with the Calgary Stampeders and put up some impressive numbers. He tallied 149 receptions for 2,236 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2019 and became the fifth player in Stampeders franchise history to record at least 100 receptions in a season. 

Juwann Winfree

Winfree joined the Packers practice squad in October of 2020. He was selected by the Broncos in the sixth round of the 2019 NFL Draft where he played in three games before ending up on injured reserve. Green Bay activated him for two games during the season where he played eight offensive snaps and 21 special teams snaps. Winfree spent his freshman year of college at Maryland before transferring to Colorado. He finished his collegiate career with a combined 807 yards and six touchdowns. 

Chris Blair

The Packers signed Blair to a reserve/future contract this past January. Blair played college football at Alcorn State and was the school’s leading receiver in 2018 (529 receiving yards, six touchdowns). In 2019, he ranked sixth in the nation with 21.2 yards per reception. He also led the team again with 931 yards and seven touchdowns, posting five 100-yard receiving games during that season.