Jake Kumerow. Reggie Begelton. Equanimeous St. Brown.

This trio of receivers will need to pick up the slack with free-agent addition Devin Funchess opting out of the 2020 NFL season due to COVID-19 concerns. And with the WR ranks behind Davante Adams already a little thin, having Funchess opt out means that the depth is going to be tested yet again.

Yes, the idea that Funchess was the perfect addition to slide in next to Adams is a bit of an overstatement, built mainly on the fact that the role that Funchess was going to be holding in the offense was not as cut and dry as many would have liked. But nonetheless, the veteran was a solid addition this offseason and one that was looked to be a good fit for the Aaron-Rodgers led offense.

But now, Kumerow, Begelton, and St. Brown need to step up to make up for what kind of production Funchess would have produced – St. Brown, of all three options, looks to be the player with the best opportunity in the offense.

Offensive coaches and Rodgers alike have been throwing around the praise of St. Brown, the former Notre Dame Fighting Irish product showed that he can be an important piece in this team’s offense moving forward, helping take pressure off Adams out of the slot, all while being able to stretch the field with his verticality and speed.

For Kumerow, his roster spot was a bit in question with the addition of Funchess, but with him opting out, the ability for Kumerow to slide in as WR #6 for this team, offering up some special teams acumen in the pressure. The former University of Wisconsin-Whitewater alum was a cult hero in training camps and preseason, and his spot on the roster looks to be a little bit more solid.

Begelton comes from CFL, where he put up some pretty big numbers that helped get the attention of the NFL. With Green Bay adding him over the offseason, Begelton’s role was thought to be one that would be to fight with Kumerow and any other lower-tiered players for one of the final few roster spots.

But with Funchess opting out, Begelton has the potential to even become WR4 for this team, behind Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and St. Brown, which has shades of last year and the year prior written all over it – a WR unit full of potential and high ceilings that will need to learn more as they go instead of bringing in-game experiences to the regular season.

The preseason slate is where some of the lower-roster players make names for themselves, and with the preseason having been canceled, the importance falls onto camps to bring out the best set of 90 guys. For these three, the writing is on the wall for the fact that they need to produce – but can they follow through and help make up for the loss of Funchess?

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Mike Johrendt has been an avid fan of the Packers ever since he can remember. He is now a writer at PackersTalk and you can follow him on Twitter at @MJohrendt23

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