Profiling the standout players of Packers’ preseason

The young receivers

In the swirling of conversation regarding some wide receivers’ respective futures with the Packers, a few names have emerged in the conversation of who may take their spots on the roster if their release comes to pass. The names that come up among fans with the most excitement to take those spots are Allen Lazard and Darrius Shepherd.

A graduate of Iowa State University, Lazard was a late-season acquisition in December 2018, seeing some action after being signed from the Jacksonville practice squad. He spent one week inactive and then caught a pass for seven yards in the season finale at Lambeau.

Standing at 6-foot-5, Lazard’s imposing stature paid dividends early in the preseason, when he caught a touchdown over Texans rookie Lonnie Johnson, who drew criticism for flexing over rookie Jace Sternberger after an aggressive hit in a joint practice. Totaling his numbers across the three games he played in, Lazard tallied a team-high 114 yards on six catches and a touchdown.

Shepherd was signed as an undrafted free agent in May, and has shown flashes that he belongs on an NFL roster, whether that is in Green Bay or otherwise. Through his four games, he was able to collect eight catches for 68 yards and two touchdowns.

His background at North Dakota State University included current Eagles QB Carson Wentz and Chargers QB Easton Stick throwing to him. Shepherd was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2018 FCS National Championship game, hauling in five catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns.

Lazard’s size is rare, and Shepherd’s ability to find open space has been exciting to see, however, both of them had their preseasons end on sour notes.

Lazard missed the final preseason game against Kansas City, as he was going through the concussion protocol for a hard landing on questionable turf in Winnipeg during one of the more odd preseason games in recent memory. Shepherd had a strong preseason as a returner, showing some electricity in his movements, but had his first real mistake when the ball was punched from his grasp on a kick return near the end of the third quarter.

Health and consistency are tremendous factors in determining the chances of a player’s lasting power in the NFL. Perhaps these backfires have created a situation in which the Packers brass believes they’re best suited for the practice squad, or maybe these instances will be considered a rare occurrence, and give the two a chance to perform with Equanimeous St. Brown potentially going on IR when the season begins.

Both Lazard and Shepherd can contribute on an NFL roster somewhere, and they’ve shown as such with their performance in the preseason. Lazard’s red zone presence and Shepherd’s discount Randall Cobb impersonation may pay dividends for the Packers if they can find a way to get them on the field.

However, with Davante Adams, Geronimo Allison, Kumerow, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and St. Brown, even assuming that J’Mon Moore and Trevor Davis would be released (which is a hard sell, considering that Davis also had a good preseason), Shepherd and Lazard would make seven receivers on the roster. That’s a pretty high number, but if Shepherd was being made a return specialist, that could justify the high count.

Fans of football everywhere can rejoice that preseason football has come to a close, and speculation over who will make what roster can end soon.

Regardless of how this season goes, many of the young men that have been through an NFL training camp and the rigors of preseason will never forget the experience. Some will make a roster, some will find success in a field other than football, but these players all deserve a solid chance at a second look during the 2019 regular season.