Paul Bretl | 7/31/2024
GREEN BAY, Wis. — Romeo Doubs was a standout performer during the Packers’ seventh training camp practice on Tuesday. Certainly those highlight plays are important and needed, but it’s Doubs’ consistency that makes him such a reliable presence in this offense.
“I think Rome’s had an outstanding spring,” said Matt LaFleur during minicamp. “I really do, and it’s evident by the work he puts in on a daily basis. He’s in there in the morning catching off the JUGS. He’s one of the last guys to leave the building. He’s very deliberate about the work he puts in and I think it’s shown.”
During the one-on-one period early on in Tuesday’s practice, Doubs found himself matched up with Jaire Alexander on three occasions and was able to win all three reps. On the first rep, Doubs unleashed a few different moves before breaking hard inside and making the catch for a touchdown. On rep No. 2, Doubs made a leaping catch. And on rep No. 3, Doubs created separation on an out route, but Jordan Love led Doubs just a bit too far.
“I think Doubs is a close second for my favorite, being one of my top receivers in the league,” said Alexander after Tuesday’s practice. “So I always want to go against Doubs. The dude’s freaking really good. He come in his rookie year not catching a single pass on me. Now we’re going up for 50-50 balls now. Dude is really good.”
Then during the team portion of practice, Doubs caught a pass on a fade route from Love during a red zone drill, and had another roughly 25 yard reception on a deep corner route.
“I’m still looking for growth and I’m still working on some things,” said Doubs. “I’m not going to sit here and act like things are completed but, as a player, I look forward to progress every day and it’s great when it shows up.”
With Christian Watson missing time last season due to injury, and Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks experiencing expected growing pains that come with being a rookie in the NFL, Doubs provided Love with a consistent target each week.
Doubs would appear in 17 games last season, and including the playoffs, he led the team in targets, receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns. In total, Doubs caught 69 passes for 908 yards and nine touchdowns over 19 games, including a 151 yard performance in the playoffs against Dallas.
Along with Doubs’ overall production, he was a favorite target of Love’s in some key situations during the Packers’ run in that second half of the season. Against the Los Angeles Chargers, Doubs caught the go-ahead touchdown in the final minutes. On a fourth-and-one in the second half against Kansas City, Doubs caught a 33 yard pass from Love that put the Packers at the 11 yard line. Then in Carolina, Doubs caught a 36 yard pass on third down, which then led to the go-ahead field goal.
The element of Doubs’ game that has allowed him to distinguish himself from a production perspective and make those pivotal receptions in late game situations is his ability as a route runner.
“It has been really cool watching Romeo over these last three seasons; the steps he makes every single year,” said Adam Stenavich. “His route-running right now has been pretty tremendous. He’s always had super-strong hands but the routes that he’s putting on tape right now are pretty impressive and he ended the season last year, the last half of the season, he was playing at a pretty high level.
“He’s really continued that in camp so far. I think with him, it’s just working on the techniques of all the different routes and being elite at all of them is really going to help his game. But he’s shown pretty cool stuff on film so far.”
In it’s truest form, no, the Packers do not have a No. 1 wide receiver on the roster like some other teams around the NFL–although that actually ended up being one of the strengths last season. Almost regardless of the situation they faced, Love was willing to throw the ball to any one of the six receivers. From the defensive perspective, this forces them to defend the entire field. They can’t just hone in on one or even two players. This leads to better spacing, and more room to operate, and more one-on-one matchups as well.
It still remains to be seen if this season one of the Packers receivers will grab a hold of that title, although that happening certainly isn’t a requirement for success. However, in terms of production and reliability in key moments, Doubs is making a case.
“I mean just from a consistency basis, you get it every single play with Rome right now,” said Watson on Tuesday. “I think he’s really taken it up a notch this camp so far.”