Green Bay Packers WR Romeo Doubs will be going into his second season in 2023. Who he will be catching passes from still remains a question but there’s no question about Doubs being a big part of the Packers offense. Doubs, a 2022 4th round pick from the University of Nevada, had a very solid rookie season, especially given where he was selected in the draft.
Doubs played in 13 games as a rookie and finished 2022 with 42 catches for 425 yards (10.1 YPC) and 3 touchdowns. His best games with the Packers came early in the season. In a Week 3 road matchup in Tampa, Doubs hauled in 8 receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown. The following week against New England, he posted a 5/47/1 stat line. In Week 8 in a Sunday Night Football game in Buffalo, Doubs made one of the catches of the year that resulted in six for the Pack.
Doubs, the Packers OTA’s and pre-season darling last year, had an impressive rookie season all-things considered. For one, there was a lot of pressure put on the 22 year old to come in to the offense right away and contribute as a rookie. Also, there were the expectations from Aaron Rodgers – who while understands patience and development with players – also demands excellence from everyone he plays with, especially the pass catchers.
The wildly disappointing production from veteran WR Sammy Watkins didn’t make matters easier for Doubs too, given Watkins was expected to take some of the workload off the young receivers shoulders. Instead, with fellow rookie WR Christian Watson being a non-factor due to inexperience and injuries the first half of the season, Doubs was forced into action and expected to produce at the level of an NFL veteran.
One of the most impressive qualities from Doubs through out his rookie season was his calm demeanor and level-headed approach. While the season certainly had it’s ups and downs, Doubs showed an exceptional level of maturity in his character of being the same person every day and that is a quality you love to see from any player, let alone a young one.
If you think Doubs had a subpar rookie year and I’m overrating him, I’d encourage you to compare his rookie statistics to some other notable Packers through out the years.
Doubs – 67 targets, 42 receptions, 425 yards, 3 touchdowns
Jordy Nelson – 54 targets, 33 receptions, 366 yards, 2 touchdowns
Randall Cobb – 31 targets, 25 receptions, 375 yards, 1 touchdown
Davante Adams – 66 targets, 38 receptions, 446 yards, 3 touchdowns
MVS – 73 targets, 38 receptions, 581 yards, 2 touchdowns
Allen Lazard (2019) – 52 targets, 35 receptions, 477 yards, 3 touchdowns
Keep in mind, Doubs is in company with the good Packers receivers over the years. He was good enough to see the field and produce. I’m not even mentioning guys like Amari Rodgers, Samori Toure, J’Mon Moore, etc. Even a guy like Donald Driver wasn’t productive as a receiver until his 4th year in the NFL and look at how his career ended up going.
Speaking of Driver, Doubs reminds me a little bit of him moving forward. While Doubs isn’t as quick twitched (yet) as Driver was in his prime, they share the same positive traits of being solid possession receivers, a willingness to catch passes over the middle of the field and flashing strong hands.
As the Packers head into 2023, there’s no doubt that Doubs and Christian Watson will be big parts of the offense. Based on what we saw from Doubs in his rookie season and comparing his stats to other good Packers receivers in their rookie season, I’m confident we’ll continue to see Doubs grow and improve, especially at just 22 years old.
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Alex grew up in a family of Chicago Bears fans in the suburbs of Chicago but was always a Packers guy. Alex\'s AIM name when he was in elementary/middle school was PackerAlex. He now lives in Nashville, Tennessee and you can follow him on twitter at @Alex_Mayer93.
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