Analysis
With the ongoing situation involving Aaron Rodgers’ future on the Green Bay Packers, they decided to address their wide receiver room of the future by selecting Clemson’s Amari Rodgers. Moving up to pick 85 in a trade with the Tennessee Titans, the Packers now have added a proven slot receiver that is coming from a solid collegiate program.
The 5’9”, 212 lb. receiver flashed across the middle, catching balls from number one overall selection Trevor Lawrence, and his ability to separate from his defender while using strong ball-tracking skills makes him a valuable target running crossing routes. His proven ability to high-point balls and use his athleticism to hide his hands can make him a favorite target for whoever is the starting quarterback for Green Bay moving forward.
Some concerns surround his ability to handle press coverage, especially at the NFL level, but those issues come with most WRs entering the league. He also can misuse his line of scrimmage moves and route fakes, but these elements can be worked through.
Amari Rodgers also did tear his ACL during school, but made a quick six-month recovery after it, and looked just as explosive, if not more, coming out of the procedure. His dedication to being a solid player has been evident since he joined Clemson, and he is a solid addition to the WR core for Green Bay.
Team Fit
The fit on this team is very evident, and while adding a pass-catching option to this offense certainly has been a prerogative set by the media, Amari Rodgers helps quell some fears about what our receiver core will look like after this upcoming season. With Davante Adams set up for a bank-breaking extension, the addition of Amari Rodgers helps bring in a long-term option.
Being able to fill the role that has been vacated since the days of Randall Cobb, Amari Rodgers is being seen as a seamless fit across the industry by those in the media. Adding a wideout should not been as a move to please Aaron Rodgers – it should be seen as a move made by general manager Brian Gutekunst to better this team, both now and in the future.
An underrated element of what Amari Rodgers brings to the table is his role in the special teams, as his prior return history is something that Green Bay would love to have. With Tyler Ervin not having returned, combined with their way below-average stats in both punt and kick returns, Amari Rodgers would be a great spark-plug.
In his 2020 season, Amari Rodgers produced 77/1,020/7 for Clemson, and he continued his strong play into the Senior Bowl. His performance there cemented his status as a great slot option in the middle rounds of the draft, and GB finally moved up to address a large hole in their offense.
Get to know Amari Rodgers
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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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