Since Green Bay Packers QB Aaron Rodgers has now completed his third season as the starter, I'm taking a look back at his reliance on different receivers since 2008. It's also a look at who's been the most productive.
Using the wide receiver and tight end stats from Football Outsiders, I've created the following table for the 2008 season:
| 2008 | DYAR | Passes | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jennings | 243 | 140 | 12 |
| Driver | 185 | 116 | 21 |
| Jones | 73 | 30 | N/A |
| Nelson | 41 | 54 | 58 |
| Humphrey | 33 | 16 | N/A |
| D. Lee | 26 | 50 | 24 |
| Martin | 6 | 26 | N/A |
| Finley | -13 | 12 | N/A |
If you're not familiar with their stats, DYAR is a cumulative total quantifying each player's production over the course of the entire season. A couple players aren't ranked because the number of passes thrown their way is so low.
Unsurprisingly, Greg Jennings and Donald Driver powered the offense. James Jones isn't ranked, and only had 30 pass attempts that season, because he missed six games due to a knee injury. But after he returned, he bounced back to become their third most productive receiver that season.
Neither Jordy Nelson or Jermichael Finley impressed as a rookie, but that didn't make it a disappointing season for either of them. Nelson was a surprise 2nd round draft choice, and he showed promise along with some rookie mistakes. Finley didn't play at all until the last few weeks in the season, but he was only 21 years old with a lot to learn. The other three receivers at the bottom didn't produce, and it's the reason none of them are on the team anymore.