Since the departure of Davante Adams in 2022, Brian Gutekunst has drafted 10 different pass catchers with 6 of those being top 100 draft picks. This offseason, the Packers determined which of these players received contracts, and which now play for other teams. Although true talent was lost, the new Packers’ receiving corps might be a case of addition by subtraction.

The Departures

The two receivers to leave the Packers were Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks, who were the WR1 and WR3 respectively as determined by number of targets. Doubs signed a 4-year, $68 million dollar contract with the Superbowl-losing Patriots. Wicks was traded to the Philadelphia Eagles for a 2025 fifth pick and a 2027 sixth round pick. Both are valuable players, as their contract and trade compensation show, but also had frustrating tendencies. 

Doubs is excellent at finding a way to be open, but does not have the athleticism to add yards after the catch. In 2025, he led the team in receptions, but finished 12th among the Packers receiving corps in yards after contract per reception. Despite some amazing highlight catches, Doubs struggles to consistently catch the football with a career drop percentage of 7.8%*, double the league average.

Wicks shares Doubs’ struggle to catch the football with the same career drop percentage. Since becoming teammates Doubs has the most drops at 16 with Wicks right behind at 14*. His talent as a wide receiver shows up on tape, but he has never been able to push ahead of the receivers around him. Even in 2024, when he led the team in targets, he finished 5th in yards*.

The Remainders

The 2026 Packers’ receiving corps is projected to be headlined by Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden, and Tucker Kraft. Watson and Reed were both given contracts that should keep them with the team through 2027, while Kraft may soon become the highest paid tight end in the NFL. Including Golden on his rookie contract, this corps is set up for the long haul.

It doesn’t take much digging to see why the Packers chose the players they chose. Christian Watson was the 6th wide receiver in yards/route run across the league, ahead of Amon-Ra St. Brown, CeeDee Lamb, Ja’Marr Chase, and Justin Jefferson.*

Jayden Reed ranked 32nd in the same category, while receiving less than $20 million average per year. Although Reed is under 6 feet tall or 200lbs, he excels at breaking tackles where he finished 10th in broken tackles per reception among wide receivers with at least 20 targets.**

Tucker Kraft was the best receiver or tight end in the NFL in 2026 in yards after catch as well as broken tackles per reception. Despite only playing 8 games, he finished 8th among all tight ends in yards after catch and touchdowns. He sits just a few spots below Watson in yards per route run as the 13th player in that statistic*. In a division of excellent tight ends, Kraft may be the best.

Golden did not have the expected rookie season for a first round selection, but this was mainly due to a lack in targets. He has reportedly been Jordan Love’s “go-to” receiver, a role formerly held by Doubs, which should drastically increase his targets in 2026. Lining up on the opposite side of fellow speedster Watson will create serious athletic mismatches for all but the best NFL secondaries.

Together, the Packers’ receiving corps, statistically, is one of the best in the NFL. That hasn’t necessarily shown up in their fantasy statistics (yards and touchdowns), but 2026 could be very different.

Turning up the volume

No Packers receiver has crossed the 1000 yard mark since Davante Adams in 2021. This is due to a lack in total passing volume and targets to any one receiver. The platoon approach meant targets had to be spread among 5+ receivers.

Doubs and Wicks, together, represented 131 of the 460 total passing targets in 2025, over one-quarter of all passing attempts. Unless the Packers massively increase the number of running plays next season, those targets will now go to the reformed Packers’ receiving corps.

Additionally, between uncertainty in Josh Jacobs and Marshawn Lloyd’s availability and hope for a healthy Jordan Love, the number of passes may increase in 2026. Love has finished 19th in total pass attempts in the past two seasons, health and a focus on the passing game will certainly push his attempts up the list.

Love has said that working with a smaller group of receivers has helped him build better chemistry and timing with his receivers. This chemistry will have exponential effects in accuracy to put the ball where these receivers can catch it and communication and familiarity with the plays, especially in critical 2 minute situations.

Considering these factors, I have created a prediction of what the receiving stats could be for the 2026 Packers’ receiving corps.

Watson: 53 receptions, 920 yards, 8 touchdowns

Golden: 53 receptions, 661 yards, 10 touchdowns

Reed: 42 receptions, 572 yards, 5 touchdowns

Kraft: 59 reception, 818 yards, 8 touchdowns