Ranking the top five Green Bay Packers wide receivers during the Aaron Rodgers era.
Since the Aaron Rodgers era began in 2008, many great wide receivers have played for the Green Bay Packers.
Which receivers make the top five?
Many deserve honorable mentions, such as Donald Driver, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Allen Lazard.
Let’s look at Green Bay’s top five wide receivers to play with Aaron Rodgers.
Note: All franchise receiving career records and single-season records are according to Pro Football Reference.
5. James Jones
- Years with Packers: 2007-13, 2015
- Receiving yards with Packers: 5,195
- Receiving touchdowns with Packers: 45
A third-round pick by the Packers in 2007, James Jones didn’t take long to become a trusted target for Aaron Rodgers.
While he was rarely the No. 1 wide receiver during his time in Green Bay, Rodgers knew Jones would make a play when the team needed it most.
Jones spent the first seven years of his career in Green Bay. He helped the Packers win a championship. He caught five passes for 50 yards in Super Bowl XLV. In 2012, he led the NFL in receiving touchdowns with 14.
The team moved on from Jones following the 2013 season, and he signed with the Oakland Raiders.
However, in the 2015 preseason, Green Bay lost Jordy Nelson to a torn ACL. Jones just so happened to be a free agent again, so they gave him a call.
Jones immediately made a difference, catching four touchdown passes in the opening three weeks. He ended up having a career year, making 50 receptions for 890 yards and eight touchdowns.
You can’t talk about some of the great Aaron Rodgers offenses without including James Jones.
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4. Randall Cobb
- Years with Packers: 2011-18, 2021-present
- Receiving yards with Packers: 5,899
- Receiving touchdowns with Packers: 46
Randall Cobb isn’t just one of Aaron Rodgers’ favorite ever targets, but he is also responsible for many of the most memorable plays in recent franchise history.
Think the NFC North division-winner on fourth-and-8 at Chicago in 2013. In his first game back from a broken leg, no less. Or his 75-yard game-winning touchdown to kick off the 2018 season, also against the Bears. How about his Hail Mary touchdown catch in the 2016 playoffs?
And how could we forget Cobb’s NFL debut, when he returned a kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown.
Cobb was a backup in his rookie year but saw an increased role in 2012. Starting eight games, Cobb caught 80 passes for 954 yards and eight touchdowns. He was limited to just six games in 2013 due to injury, but responded with a Pro Bowl year in 2014, catching 91 passes for 1,287 yards and 12 touchdowns.
After spending the first eight years of his career in Green Bay, Cobb then spent seasons at the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Texans. In 2021, the Packers made a trade with the Texans to bring Cobb home.
Cobb has always had a knack for making plays at crucial moments. Take this past season as an example. He only made 28 receptions in total, but 21 of them went for first downs.
The former second-round pick ranks 11th in Packers franchise history for receiving yards and 10th for receiving touchdowns. He still has time to climb the rankings.
You won’t find a player more loved by fans than Randall Cobb. It’s about time he got a Super Bowl ring.
3. Greg Jennings
- Years with Packers: 2006-12
- Receiving yards with Packers: 6,537
- Receiving touchdowns with Packers: 53
A two-time Pro Bowler, Super Bowl champion, and now part of the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, Greg Jennings had an incredible career.
He spent seven seasons with the Packers and was a star in their Super Bowl run. After making 76 catches for 1,265 yards and 12 touchdowns in the 2010 regular season, Jennings starred in the playoffs. He had 100-yard games in the divisional round and NFC title game before catching two touchdowns in Super Bowl XLV.
Jennings had three straight 1,000-yard seasons between 2008 and 2010, and five consecutive years of putting up over 900 receiving yards.
After an excellent seven-year stay in Green Bay, Jennings ranks ninth for receiving yards in Packers franchise history. That is despite being the only player in the top 10 to play fewer than 100 regular season games.
Following the 2013 season, Jennings signed with the rival Minnesota Vikings in free agency, a move that didn’t go down too well with the fanbase. He spent two years in Minnesota before finishing his career with the Miami Dolphins.
Despite signing for a division rival, there’s no denying just how great a career Jennings had in Green Bay. Without him, they may not have won a Super Bowl in 2010.
2. Jordy Nelson
- Years with Packers: 2008-17
- Receiving yards with Packers: 7,848
- Receiving touchdowns with Packers: 69
After the career Jordy Nelson had and his connection with Aaron Rodgers, it’s quite incredible he doesn’t top this list.
At their best, the Aaron Rodgers-to-Jordy Nelson connection was unstoppable. Defenses knew what was coming but could do absolutely nothing about it.
Rodgers drops back. Play-action pass. He fires deep downfield to a wide-open Jordy Nelson. A work of art.
Nelson ranks sixth in franchise history for receiving yards and third in receiving touchdowns. He enjoyed four 1,000-yard campaigns in Green Bay and three years of double-digit receiving touchdowns.
He caught a touchdown pass in the Super Bowl to help Green Bay defeat the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010.
Nelson made his first Pro Bowl and was named a second-team All-Pro in 2014 after catching 98 passes for 1,519 yards and 13 touchdowns.
After losing the entire 2015 season to a torn ACL, many wondered whether Nelson would ever rediscover his best form. In 2016, he led the league in receiving touchdowns and was named NFL Comeback Player of the Year.
With his crisp route-running, speed to stretch defenses, and telepathic connection with Rodgers, Nelson was almost impossible to stop.
Nelson isn’t just one of the best receivers in the Rodgers era, but an all-time Packers great.
1. Davante Adams
- Years with Packers: 2014-21
- Receiving yards with Packers: 8,121
- Receiving touchdowns with Packers: 73
Aaron Rodgers said that Davante Adams is the best player he’s ever played with. That says a lot. Rodgers has been teammates with Charles Woodson, Julius Peppers, Jordy Nelson, and Clay Matthews, just to name a few.
During his eight-year stay in Green Bay, Adams became the NFL’s number one wide receiver and shattered multiple single-season franchise records.
Adams finished his Packers career with 8,121 yards and a mind-boggling 73 touchdown catches in 116 games. He has made the Pro Bowl five years in a row and is a two-time first-team All-Pro.
Only Donald Driver has more career receptions for Green Bay. Adams also ranks fourth for receiving yards in franchise history and second in receiving touchdowns.
He owns single-season franchise records for receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns.
Adams ranks first, second, and fourth for most receptions in a single season in Packers history.
Adams wins with his world-class release off the line. Defensive backs are immediately put on the back foot and stand no chance with Adams’ smooth route-running.
This offseason, Adams was traded to the Las Vegas Raiders. But no matter what he does the rest of his career, he will forever be a Green Bay Packers legend.
This season, it will be the first time since 2007 that Green Bay has had a wide receiver corps without either Davante Adams or Jordy Nelson. Two irreplaceable talents. All-time greats.