Green Bay Packers: Jared Abbrederis vs. Jeff Janis

Our wide receiver edition debating featured position battles throughout training camp is our most highly speculated battle yet. Today, we take a look into who will have a bigger role this season at the wide receiver position for the Green Bay Packers, Jared Abbrederis or Jeff Janis.

Position Overview

Since the beginning of the 2014 season, Green Bay has been very fortunate in seeing a surplus of talent develop at the wide receiver position. Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb are players known league wide, but behind them the Packers had a lot of question marks. Green Bay elected to take three wide receivers in the 2014 draft with Davante Adams, Jared Abbrederis and Jeff Janis, in hopes of refacing their depth at the wide receiver position. The 2014 season saw Adams blossom into becoming the definitive third option at wide receiver while Janis turned heads in training camp, the preseason, and even saw some time on the field during the regular season. Abbrederis was having a very respected training camp before tearing his ACL ruling him out for the whole season.

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To throw another curve ball into this, the Packers elected to take all purpose player Ty Montgomery out of Stanford in the 2015 draft, who was a second team all american at the wide receiver position. While we are only three practices into training camp, Montgomery is receiving much praise from spectators. With his versatility to play special teams and wide receiver, he will be apart of the franchise for the long haul moving forward.

That leaves Abbrederis and Janis to battle for the fifth position. Green Bay only kept five wide receivers last season, but in some cases, a team may elect to go with a sixth wide receiver but will only dress five. Looking at the roster configuration, it seems Green Bay will only go with five players at wide receiver again so we have a huge debate on our hands.

Jared Abbrederis

Pros

Abbrederis brings in many options given his play making ability. Coming from the University of Wisconsin, Abbrederis was a featured player for the Badgers even after walking onto the team originally. His play making ability does not go unnoticed, and his ability to make plays after the catch is something to be talked about. He has very good hands and is also great at swatting passes away if need be. He has a lot of potential at the wide receiver position after playing quarterback in high school and transitioning to wide receiver in college. His football intelligence is off the charts for a wide receiver which comes from his prior quarterback experience. His awareness will go a long way in the NFL when he is on the field. He also is a fierce competitor and very well-coached.

Nov 16, 2013; Madison, WI, USA; Wisconsin Badgers wide receiver Jared Abbrederis (4) during the game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Camp Randall Stadium. Wisconsin won 51-3. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Cons

Unfortunately Abbrederis’ flaws are probably the most notable over every other player we’ve analyzed in this series which is highlighted by his injuries. Abbrederis was having a very respectful camp last season before being hurt so he has a lot to prove this season. The first day of training camp saw Abbrederis go down with a concussion with no time table to return as he will go through concussion protocol. He also had concussion issues in college.

Being a fifth round pick, it was expected that Abbrederis would need to molded into a professional player after not having much experience at the wide receiver position. Along with the injuries, Abbrederis also may lack the strength it takes to become a professional football player as he benched 225 lbs only four times in draft workouts being the lowest of any other participant. He is also short at 6’1 and does not have the ability to go out and grab the jump ball. Lastly, he does not have great straight line speed and will struggle at breaking free from defenders in the NFL.

Jeff Janis

Pros

Jeff Janis was relatively unknown coming out of the 2014 NFL Draft, but he has certainly made a name for himself within the Green Bay organization. Being a division two athlete, nobody really knew much about what he could bring to the table even though he worked out very well. His leaping ability is among the best on the team right now, and he has a tremendous jump ball ability. He is also very fast running the 40 yard dash in 4.3 seconds officially at the NFL combine. He models his game after Jordy Nelson and will continue to grow working into him and within the coaching staff. His outstanding work ethic could make him a viable red zone threat as he progresses into an established NFL player. He already has experience in an NFL uniform where Abbrederis does not.

Cons

Janis played division two football at Saginaw Valley State University which may have hindered his development. Also, he does not have very big hands and does not consistently attack the football as much as he should. He also waits for the ball to come to him rather than attack the ball at its breaking point. He looks timid at times despite his strength and will let his counter part on defense dictate how he attacks routes. That being said, he needs to be more physical in the NFL game because he is not the best blocker on a consistent basis.

The Bottom Line

In all honesty Green Bay may find a way to keep both of these players on the 53 man roster at the end of August. You have to be impressed by both of them being late round picks which can be attributed to the coaching staff in Green Bay.

Right now I give the edge to Janis because of his experience in an NFL uniform and making the team last season. Abbrederis is not able to stay healthy and has a very comparable talent level to Janis so his injuries really hurt his chances against somebody who has been able to stay healthy. Both players are tremendous competitors and have much respect for each other as they were roommates at the senior bowl before the 2014 draft. I admire both talent levels and ability from each player so this is a very hard call to make. However, given all of the circumstances, I think you have to roll with Janis at this point.

Agree with me? Yes or No make your voice heard by voting below.

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