Green Bay Packers: Can Davante Adams take the next step?
Davante Adams was besieged by doubters after a brutal sophomore campaign in 2015 in which he played through an ankle injury for much of the season. That season, he failed to consistently create separation and produce as the Green Bay Packers’ No. 1 perimeter threat after Jordy Nelson’s ACL tear.
This past season marked a huge step in the right direction for Adams. With a fully healthy ankle, Adams emerged as a legitimate No. 2 receiver opposite Nelson and at times even surpassed Nelson’s production.
He finished with 75 catches for 997 yards and 12 touchdowns, with that last mark ranking second in the NFL. Most notably, though, was that he improved his yards per catch from a dreadful 9.7 mark in 2015 to 13.3 this past season.
The reason behind the revival? Adams started burning cornerbacks at the line of scrimmage and quickly getting open for Aaron Rodgers. Though he doesn’t have great speed, Adams was finally able to use his quick cuts and agility to escape press man coverage.
He earned honorable mention from Pro Football Focus as the league’s second-best receiver on slant routes, scoring a league-high six touchdowns on the route according to PFF’s stats.
Winning at the line of scrimmage was a big step for Adams. But it’s only half the battle.
Adams’ next step needs to come not from his feet, but from his hands.
To start becoming one of the NFL’s best receivers, Adams needs to start consistently winning at the catch point.
Despite an otherwise promising season, Adams’ year in 2016 was still marred by an unacceptable amount of drops.
That’s an absolutely repulsive GIF. While it doesn’t properly account for all the things Adams did right last year, it certainly shows how much room for improvement there still is.
Adams’ hands and ability to defeat defenders at the catch point were some of his biggest strengths in college, but they’ve shown up far too inconsistently thus far in the NFL.
Reading this scouting report from Nolan Nawrocki before the 2014 draft shows how strange Adams’ progression has been.
"Wins jumpballs in the red zone and shows very good hand-eye coordination to take the ball away from defenders…Lacks ideal functional playing strength to consistently beat the jam and can get hung up at the line."
Well, Adams has certainly corrected the weakness Nawrocki identified, becoming deadly at times for corners in press man coverage. Now, he needs to regain his strength.
Adams has the ability to make the improvements necessary. Five years ago, James Jones had one of the worst seasons of drops in recent memory, including a particularly brutal playoff run in which he dropped several would-be touchdowns.
Jones rebounded from that season, though, eventually turning into a player whose hallmark trait was his ability to out-muscle defenders at the catch point.
That’s a key thing to remember with Adams. It’s not just about catching passes that hit you in the hands. It’s about positioning yourself correctly in relation to defenders to give yourself a chance to catch as many passes as possible.
Adams has shown flashes of that ability so far. With free agency looming in 2018, Adams has the chance to make himself a lot of money if he can make tough catches a more routine accomplishment.