Professor

http://www.packersnews.com/archives/...25920099.shtml

By Pete Dougherty
PackersNews.com

The Green Bay Packers need immediate help at receiver.

The problem is, receiver is among the most difficult positions for an NFL team to get immediate help from its draft, even with an early-round pick.

In the last five years, 71 receivers have been selected in the first two rounds of the draft. In their rookie seasons, they’ve averaged a paltry 21.0 receptions. About 30 percent of them (21) had 40 receptions or more as a rookie; only 7 percent (five) had 50 receptions or more; and only two, Arizona’s Anquan Boldin (101) and Houston’s Andre Johnson (66) had 60 receptions or more.

When those draft numbers are broken down to second-round picks, only six of 23 caught at least 40 passes, and only Boldin caught 50 or more. So Greg Jennings, a second-round draft pick by the Packers, will be bucking the odds if he’s a significant contributor in his rookie season.

“I’m hoping (Jennings) is one of those six,” said offensive coordinator Jeff Jagodzinski when told of the number of second-round picks with 40 or more catches as rookies. “Let’s hope so. Two days in shorts, it’s hard to tell. But the guy has flashed some. He can catch, he can get in and out of a break like we thought he could.”

After trading disgruntled receiver Javon Walker on the first day of the draft, the Packers need a bona fide threat opposite Donald Driver. But their recent history with rookie receivers illustrates the challenge Jennings and other draft picks face in adjusting to an NFL passing game that is exponentially more sophisticated than colleges deploy.

In 2001, Mike Sherman drafted receiver Robert Ferguson with a second-round pick, No. 41 overall, and got nothing out of him (zero receptions) as a rookie. Ferguson had head, back and quadriceps injuries that slowed his progress, but he was out of his element in that rookie year and only played in one game.

In 2002, Sherman traded up to select Walker with the 20th pick in the first round. Walker went to the Pro Bowl in 2004, but he had only 23 receptions as a rookie and was a non-factor for his first 1½ seasons.

Regardless of the odds, though, Jennings was more impressive than any of the Packers’ other 11 draft choices at this past weekend’s minicamp.

The former Western Michigan player was the 52nd pick and the fourth receiver selected, behind Ohio State’s Santonio Holmes (No. 25 overall by Pittsburgh), Florida’s Chad Jackson (No. 36 by New England) and Miami’s Sinorice Moss (No. 44 by the New York Giants).

Jennings (5-feet-11, 197 pounds) stood out over the weekend partly because of his position — receivers have an inherent advantage in minicamp settings, where there’s no tackling and no live rush on the quarterback. On several catches, however, he appeared quicker making cuts and attacking the ball than all of the receivers other than Driver.

“(The NFL game) is not too big for him, which sometimes happens to rookies,” coach Mike McCarthy said.

AllTheTime

he's gonna be stud

ILPackFan2

I hope so,he is lookin good and i think he can be another chad johnson minus the attitude, i hope hes better than chad jackson cuz we couldve had him damn it

stormdriver

That's exactly what I said. The only thing I didn't like about our draft is that one New England trade.

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Idaho Vandals Fan
Green Bay Packers Fan

AllTheTime

yeah, i would have liked to see them go after a higher profile running back too, like Lendel White, but i cant really complain

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beneichten

you guys do have a stud, no doubt about that, once yall picked him I knew you would like him because he was such a threat in the NCAA...

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stormdriver

We have a ton of RBs already. We are gonna have to cut a couple before camp even. Why would we add another??

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Idaho Vandals Fan
Green Bay Packers Fan

BucBaller

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Go Bucs!!!!

juggalo6772

I dont care if jennings is the next jerry rice, as long as aaron rodgers is the guy throwing to him youre going to lose ball games.

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Professor

jugg, how can you be sure about that, based on three games, i mean in brett's first two games he was 0-5 with 2 int's and in steve young's first five games he completed only 52% of his passes with 3Td's and 8 int's, peyton manning's first 4 games he was at 55% completion with 3TD's and 11 int's and threw 28int's in his first year, I am not saying that he will be any of these guys, but you can't judge a guy after 3 games and not one full yet.

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