Getty Aaron Rodgers remains in awe of Christian Watson's speed for the Packers.
Romeo Doubs has been the Green Bay Packers’ most dominant rookie receiver through the first four games of the 2022 season, but Aaron Rodgers appears to still be just as high on second-round rookie Christian Watson’s potential.
In what has become a regular occurrence for the four-time MVP quarterback, Rodgers was asked to discuss Doubs and the impact he has had early in his Packers career during his October 4 guest appearance on The Pat McAfee Show. The 22-year-old Doubs has become a focal point for the Packers offense over the first month of the season and currently leads them in receptions (19), receiving yards (184) and targets (24) in addition to being tied with Allen Lazard with two receiving touchdowns.
For all the attention that Doubs has garnered, though, it has raised some concern among fans about Watson — the No. 34 overall pick in 2022 — with him struggling to match the same level of production as his fellow rookie receivers. Watson has caught six of his 10 targets for 51 yards and just scored his first NFL touchdown last week on a 15-yard jet sweep run in the win over New England, but he has also run less than half the number of routes (43) as Doubs (107) and missed Week 3’s game with an injury.
Rodgers, however, continues to adore Watson’s speed and even admitted to McAfee that he has seen a few things on tape that remind him of what he saw with former Packers All-Pro receiver Davante Adams during his rookie season in 2014.
Here’s the full quote from Rodgers about Watson:
Look, I tell you, he’s got special speed. He really does. He’s got incredible stride length. When you watch some of the film back, it’s similar to watching Davante his rookie year. You know there were games where I didn’t give Davante a ton of looks, but you go back and watch the film, and you’re thinking, ‘Man, this guy is open often.’ It’s like that from time to time with Christian. There’s a few routes, I mean not as much as Davante, I just think Davante was a little more polished route runner as a rookie, but there are a few times where I might need to give him a second look even when things don’t look great from the start because he does have that different type of speed. But we’re finding ways to use him, I think, and again, we have to have patience.
Watson Could Bloom for Packers as Season Progresses
Watson had the opportunity to make one of the most legendary entrances of all time for a Packers rookie wide receiver when Rodgers targetted him for a would-be 75-yard touchdown reception on the first play of their Week 1 opening drive against Minnesota. It was a chance that Watson literally let slip through his fingers, but one that also led some people to unfairly doubt his potential for the Packers moving forward.
One of the great things about Watson’s missed play was seeing his speed at work. The former North Dakota State standout ran one of the fastest 40-yard-dash times (4.34 seconds) at the 2022 Scouting Combine among rookie receivers and he put it on full display on his first NFL route, leaving veteran Patrick Peterson in his dust and gaining an ample about of separation.
The Packers have tried to capitalize on Watson’s speed throughout his first three games for them by making him their primary jet sweep/motion piece behind the line. He has lined up as a runner no less than 11 times in each of his first three games, and despite him only taking two handoffs so far, the Packers have forced opponents to account for his speed and sent him into motion several times to add complexity to their play calls.
As Rodgers alluded, there have also been several instances where Watson has found a way to get separation on his defender later in his routes. The Packers have been taking fewer deep shots and making quicker throws — as Daire Carragher pointed out in his recent piece for 247sports — but there is room for that to change with Rodgers already conscious of missed opportunities created by not letting routes develop long enough.
Either way, Rodgers has a succinct way of describing his outlook for both rookies.
“I think both of those guys can be dudes,” Rodgers said.