Green Bay Packer wide receiver Ty Montgomery’s 37 yards last week against Seattle may not look huge, but the rookie had a quietly productive Week 2 with 4 receptions on 4 targets.  Montgomery was not targeted in Week 1 in Chicago, but when fellow receiver Davante Adams became hobbled with an ankle injury, Montgomery was able to step up and pick up some of the slack.  It was not a spectacular game, but Montgomery made several nice catches and ran some nice routes.

Montgomery features a rare blend of size and athleticism.  At just 6′ 0″, Montgomery weighs somewhere in the neighborhood of 215 – 220 lbs.  That’s fairly heavy for a receiver of his stature, but with a 4.5 40 time, Montgomery’s speed is not sacrificed for his size.  It’s rare that one finds a receiver built like a running back who is also a weapon in the return game.  Montgomery very briefly flashed some of those abilities last week against the Seahawks.

Montgomery was also utilized out of the backfield, in much the same way that the Packers have used Randall Cobb in the past. 

Montgomery’s size is also an asset in blocking after the catching.  Below you can see how Montgomery help extend Cobb’s catch with a shove on linebacker Bobby Wagner followed by a block on Richard Sherman.  Not a bad little play. 

While Adams has been upgraded to probable against the Kansas City Chiefs tonight, it’s unclear how much he’ll really be used.  Montgomery may not have taken the league by storm last Sunday night, but he certainly proved that he’s capable of becoming a regular part of the offense.  Rather than push Davante, the coaching staff and Aaron Rodgers may be comfortable mixing Montgomery in more often. 

It remains to be seen just how effective Montgomery can be as a part of the Green Bay receiving corps, but, very early on, he certainly seems to be the next wide receiver score for Ted Thompson’s already long list.  Montgomery, however, seems to bring something different to the table than those other Thompson draft day steals.  With size closer to Ahman Green than, say, Greg Jennings, Montgomery may be able to develop into a player that gives the Green Bay offense another wrinkle: blocking down field, bouncing off tacklers, and otherwise just adding a little bit of toughness to an already explosive offense, all the time looking like a true receiver with speed and athleticism to match.

Montgomery’s development starts now.  Looking at an increase in targets, Montgomery could be a difference maker in tonight’s game.  He’s still raw, especially as a receiver, but I think that Montgomery could very well double his yardage from last week and then some.  He’s certainly one of the more intriguing young players on the offensive side of the ball.

 

 

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Taylor O\'Neill is a Packer fan born and raised in Oshkosh, WI. He currently lives in Florida and is pursuing his PhD. Taylor is a writer with PackersTalk.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @TaylorONeill87 for more Packer news.

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