Packers: Malik Taylor making a case for a spot on 53-man roster

Malik Taylor is still very much in the wide receiver competition to make the Green Bay Packers’ 53-man roster.

Malik Taylor made a strong case for a spot on the 53-man roster in the Green Bay Packers‘ second preseason game.

It appears the Packers’ competition at wide receiver is still wide open. Outside of the clear top five who are all roster locks, the battle for a potential sixth spot on the 53 continued on Saturday night.

Juwann Winfree had been impressive at training camp but has missed some time with injury. Devin Funchess saved some of his best performances for Family Night and the opening preseason game. But with Winfree and Funchess inactive for the Packers’ second preseason game, Taylor stepped up and had a good night, catching four of his five targets for 66 yards.

It backs up a strong performance in last week’s preseason opener. Against the Houston Texans, Taylor caught all five of his targets for 50 yards.

Special teams gives Taylor and advantage

For now, it seems the sixth wide receiver spot will come down to either Winfree, Funchess, or Taylor. It’s still tough to call.

One moment it looked as if there was no way Winfree couldn’t be included. But an injury has kept him on the sideline for a while now.

One big advantage Taylor potentially has over the other receivers is that he plays on special teams. Last season, he played on 42 percent of the Packers’ special-teams snaps, according to Pro Football Reference, so the coaching staff will know they can count on him in this part of the game.

Maybe the Packers will have no choice but to keep seven wide receivers. But if they only keep six, it’s tough to predict who will take the final spot.

Winfree and Funchess are both in contention, but don’t forget about Taylor. He had another impressive performance on Saturday against the New York Jets.