Is the Next Jarrett Boykin on the Packers Roster?
Could Myles White end up contributing to the Packers next season?
With Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb due to hit free agency next offseason, the Packers could be looking to draft a wide receiver in April.
Or maybe they’re confident that they can re-up with Nelson and Cobb and aren’t worried about finding another receiver in the draft.
Or maybe they think they have a capable replacement for Nelson or Cobb already on the roster, and the rest of us just don’t know about him yet.
That last scenario seems by far the least plausible, but you never know. Nobody heard of Jarrett Boykin, but he became a reliable receiver and might step into James Jones’ role in 2014 if Jones signs elsewhere.
Of the Packers four “unknown” wide receivers currently on the roster, which one has the best chance of turning into a player? Here’s what I think:
Myles White
Some were saying White was the fastest receiver in training camp. He was also a hurdling star in high school and was signed by the Packers as an undrafted free agent out of Louisiana Tech. Speed and athleticism isn’t the issue for White. Size is.
White is barely over 180 pounds and probably needs to buff up if he wants to stick around and have a legitimate shot at cracking the lineup. If White gets bigger and improves, he can potentially be a deep outside burner who would be a nice complement to the bigger Jordy Nelson, Jones (if he re-signs), Boykin and Cobb (who likes to work inside).
White was called up off the practice squad for the middle part of the season and didn’t do much in 123 snaps. Of course, he didn’t have Aaron Rodgers throwing him the ball, either. White’s season came to an end early when he tore cartilage in his knee.
Chris Harper
He used to play for the Seahawks so he must be halfway decent, right? Well, maybe.
Harper has the size (228) to be another Boykin-type of receiver — tough to bring down and holds his own blocking. But there must be a reason he was cut by the Seahawks (and later by the 49ers) not long after getting drafted in the fourth round. Bob McGinn ranked Harper 12th in his pre-draft wide receiver rankings and quoted scouts who said Harper catches well in traffic and can play in the red zone.
Harper is worth taking another peek at during training camp, but I wouldn’t get my hopes up.
Kevin Dorsey
A hamstring injury landed Dorsey on injured reserve before he could do much of anything.
The Packers picked Dorsey in the seventh round despite the fact that he had poor senior season at Maryland where he caught only 18 passes for 311 yards. Scouts liked Dorsey’s size and his ability to to go after passes no matter what’s going on around him, but nobody was too impressed with his speed.
He played 24 snaps in the exhibition game against Seattle and looked physical, if nothing else.
Will Dorsey come back from his year in the training room ready to take a leap forward and turn some heads? We’ll find out soon enough.
Sederrik Cunningham
A wrist injury landed this rookie free agent on injured reserve at the end of July. I’d be surprised if we see him dress for the Packers again.
9 Comments On “Is the Next Jarrett Boykin on the Packers Roster?”
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Tyrone Walker looked great in training camp last year, and is right now on the practice squad.
There is no practice squad once the season ends. Packers.com does not show Walker on the current roster, although a number of former PS players were signed to ‘futures’ contracts.
The PS wide receiver who is still on the roster is Alex Gillette. See ‘The Real Russ Letlow”‘s comment below.
I can’t believe that there would be any concern about receivers on this team. With the 100 million dollar qb even average receiver should look good. Defense should be the only concern. This team is so inept on defense that there number one concern should be safety, DE, Linebacker, Lineman that can rush. The offense will correct itself. Send Newhouse to the unemployment line along with Devon House and get a couple hungry linemen, even average players would out shine what they have now….DEFENSE….
Receivers that can’t get separation will end up getting our 100 million dollar qb creamed by opposing defenses. Rodgers needs multiple receivers that can consistently get open, so that is important. But you’re absolutely right that DEFENSE needs special attention this year.
Franchise QB’s like Rodgers throw the WR open even w/o much separation. The offense will be elite as it is, but yeah, the D needs more playmakers and should still be the focus.
Palmda,
I think you’re more right than wrong about WRs. A good QB raises the level of play of his pass catchers.
That doesn’t mean I think they can neglect the position.
But they did find Jarrett Boykin on the scrap heap.
one dude we watched at TC last year was Alex Gillett. 6-1, 215, looks big and caught everything they threw at him. Really stood out. Was on the PC during the season. He was a college QB, I believe, so one more year of seasoning at WR and maybe he makes the team. 5th WR?
If the next Boykin is on the roster, it’ll come from either Dorsey or Harper IMO. White is strictly a slot WR behind Cobb, so he won’t find the field much at all and if he isn’t a very good return man might have to fight for a roster spot. I’m looking for a 3rd or 4th rd pick on WR and Donte Moncrief is the one I like.
Chris Harper has all the measurables to be a great receiver, but getting cut twice scares me.
Going a little off topic, I think Bostick could be the next great pass catcher on the team. If Quarless leaves in free agency, he’ll only be competing with rookies for the starting tight end job. Unless TT drafts a tight end in the first couple rounds, I think Bostick will win that job. Who knows? Maybe he’ll put it all together in his third year the way Julius Thomas did in Denver.