What would the Packers’ passing game look like without Watson, Doubs?

The Green Bay Packers are dealing with a wide receiver issue. No, it’s not replacing Davante Adams, Allen Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Randall Cobb over the last two seasons — at least that’s not the problem we’re talking about. The Packers’ current issue involves hamstrings.

Through Thursday, 2022 second-round pick Christian Watson has been unable to practice leading up to Green Bay’s season opener against the Chicago Bears due to a hamstring injury. On top of that, Romeo Doubs — who missed the preseason finale with a hamstring injury — missed Wednesday’s practice and was a limited participant on Thursday. To add to that, rookie fifth-round pick Dontayvion Wicks is coming off a hamstring string injury of his own.

With so many soft tissue injuries at once, we already have to ask: What would the Packers’ receiver room look like in a game without Watson and/or Doubs?

Based on Green Bay’s first-team preseason snaps, which should be used as a depth chart projection since the team seemed to use the reps to prepare for the regular season, the next man up as an outside receiver is probably going to be Malik Heath. Heath was an undrafted player this offseason who wowed the team by leading the squad in both receptions and receiving yards this preseason.

In the preseason finale, with Doubs out of the lineup, it was Heath — not second-round rookie Jayden Reed — who replaced those snaps at outside receiver. Reed remained in the slot, which is the role that he has nearly exclusively focused on during his time in Green Bay. Heath actually out-snapped Reed 22-20 when Love was in the game in the third preseason game.

Behind Heath on the depth chart at outside receiver will probably be second-year second-round pick Samori Toure, who out-snapped Wicks 15 to 7 with Love on the field during the preseason. What’s uncertain, though, is if there is a breaking point for Reed to enter the starting lineup in two-receiver sets. Based on the preseason, that breaking point will come at least behind Heath. Is that point ahead or behind Wicks and/or Toure seeing playing time, though?

Below is what we anticipate the outside receiver depth chart to be going into Week 1, without Reed — who is the wildcard.

Outside Receiver Depth Chart

1. Starters: Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs
2. Malik Heath
3. Samori Toure
4. Dontayvion Wicks

The Packers also have two more receiver options, Grant DuBose and Bo Melton, on their practice squad. If either Watson or Doubs is inactive against the Bears, don’t be surprised if one of those practice squadders is called up this week, either.

Should one of the starting receivers miss time, you can go ahead and throw Heath in as an injury replacement. If both are unavailable, though, we’re in some pretty uncharted territory for this roster.