Packers: Three breakout candidates for the 2019 season
1. Equanimeous St. Brown
After letting Randall Cobb walk in free agency and not signing or drafting another wide receiver, Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur are putting faith in their young talent to complement Davante Adams. One player to watch is Equanimeous St. Brown, who finished 2018 the strongest among the rookie pass catchers.
EQ caught 21 passes for 328 yards in his rookie season, but it’s important to look beyond the numbers. After all, Jordy Nelson only had 33 receptions for 366 yards and two touchdowns as a rookie. Cobb had 25 catches for 375 yards and a touchdown in his first season.
St. Brown saved his best performance for last, leading the Packers in receiving yards in the overtime victory over the New York Jets in Week 16, catching all five of his targets for 94 yards.
One thing that stood out was EQ’s yards-after-the-catch ability — of his 328 receiving yards, over a third came after the catch. St. Brown has the speed to break away from defenders in the open field, and he has the height (six-foot-five) to dominate in the slot in LaFleur’s offense.
Next. Packers 53-man roster predictions following 2019 NFL Draft. dark
All three of last year’s draft picks at receiver have potential to make a huge contributions in 2019, but my pick for a breakout season is EQ. The sixth-round pick showed flashes of potential throughout his debut season and he could be a breakout star on offense this year.