The Green Bay Packers are loaded with young talent that will be asked to assume bigger roles in 2023. That is especially true on the offensive side of the ball, where Green Bay has one of the most inexperienced groups the NFL has ever seen.
Jordan Love is taking over for Aaron Rodgers as the starting quarterback. Despite heading into Year 4, he has 10 career appearances, including one start, with 83 career passes. The quarterback room other than him has zero combined pass attempts.
The Packers have cut costs offensively everywhere other than running back. There isn’t a wide receiver on the roster with more than one season of NFL experience and the tight end depth chart could be topped by two rookies.
One of the wide receivers that the Packers have high hopes for is Christian Watson. The second-round pick out of North Dakota State had a slow start to his rookie season but flashed his immense potential in the second half.
Heading into the 2023 season, he looks to be Love’s No. 1 target in the offense. With Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb both leaving to join the New York Jets, there are a lot of targets up for grabs. Watson will benefit from that and see his target share increase exponentially. That is one reason why Nick Baumgardner of The Athletic selected Watson as one of his second-year breakout players for the 2023 season.
“Some of this is going to be Jordan Love-related. Still, if the second half of Watson’s rookie season is any indication of what’s to come, the Packers will have a weapon on their hands this year no matter the QB situation.
Watson’s success came in bursts a year ago, including a three-TD day vs. the Cowboys. The next step will be consistency. The 6-foot-5 Watson, a former small-school star, has adjusted to the speed of NFL defenders and hasn’t lost his ability to make an impact all over the field.”
Watson has been a standout for the Packers throughout the offseason. Most recently, in joint practices with the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots, he has been dominating as both teams struggled to figure out a way to slow him down.
His role in the offense is going to be expansive. He can win virtually anywhere on the field with his rare combination of size and athleticism and has been showing that in training camp. As long as Love can put the ball where it needs to be, Watson is going to explode for the Packers in 2023.
