Christian Watson: Sitting out in Week 17

A North Dakota State product, Watson nearly crept into the first round of last year’s draft after blazing a 4.36 40-yard dash at 6-4, 208, with a 38.5-inch vertical to boot. He ultimately went 34th overall to the Packers, still earlier than nearly anyone expected, and after dealing with some early injuries became the big-play threat the team had envisioned. Seven of Watson’s 41 catches went for touchdowns, as did two of his seven carries, though all nine of his scores came in a four-game stretch from mid-November to early December. The good news is that he didn’t completely disappear thereafter, averaging 4.0 catches for 52.5 yards on 6.3 targets the final four weeks. Fellow rookie wideout Romeo Doubs, meanwhile, failed to build on a promising start to the season and was marginalized in Green Bay’s offense by the end of the year. It could be those two second-year guys at the top of the depth chart this spring, only now in a more run-based offense with Jordan Love replacing Aaron Rodgers under center while Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon lead the way out of the backfield.

In terms of opportunity, Watson probably has it best of the rookie wide receivers, joining an Aaron Rodgers – Matt LaFleur offense that lost Davante Adams (169 targets) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (55). The rub? Watson might not be the most pro-ready prospect, given that he’s 23, played at FCS program North Dakota State and never caught more than 43 passes in a single season while spending a lot of time blocking in run-first offenses. On the other hand, he had a dominant share of the Bison’s passing game – including 35 percent of the receiving yards and TDs last year – and then lit up the Combine with a 4.36 40, 136-inch broad jump and 38.5-inch vertical at 6-4, 208. The Packers took Watson at No. 34 overall, boosting a woefully thin wideout group that otherwise consisted of Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins, Randall Cobb and Amari Rodgers. They also grabbed Romeo Doubs in Round 4, but Watson’s physical specs and draft capital make him the long-term upside play of the bunch, while Lazard is the floor play with a guaranteed starting job. Watson did hit a speed bump after the draft, requiring minor knee surgery that kept him on the sideline for the start of training camp, whereas fellow rookie Doubs managed to earn praise from Rodgers in the early days of camp. Watson came back from the PUP list Aug. 15 and thus has a chance to be ready for Week 1 still, though he won’t necessarily have a key role.