Green Bay Packers' Past & Future Position Analysis, Volume IV: Receivers

Many fans are focusing on what their teams will do in free agency, which is literally minutes away. Knowing the Packers are not active in free agency, I do not hold much hope for that.

Instead, I resume my series analyzing each position on the Green Bay Packers, examining wide receivers and tight ends. For those of you who cannot remember from over three weeks ago when I submitted my last installment, I am looking at not only how each player performed in 2008 but what their future with the team is.

Greg Jennings: 80 catches, 1292 yards, 16.2 average, 9 TDs

Jennings just keeps getting better. Many thought he would suffer most from the departure of gunslinger Brett Favre, since he was Green Bay's biggest downfield threat. Instead, Jennings improved enough to make his first Pro Bowl in just his third season.

Thus, he is already one of the best receivers in the league and young enough to safely assume he will only get better. He has great ability to go up and get the ball, good hands, and can go over the middle as well as be a downfield threat. His speed is good and his athleticism makes him good after the catch.

The one drawback is his size: 5'11", 198 pounds; he is strong and plays bigger than that, and has not had durability issues thus far in his career. But he is not a guy who can exploit small cornerbacks.

Donald Driver: 74 catches, 1012 yards, 13.7 average, 5 TDs

Driver's catches fell from his Pro Bowl season in 2007, when he was Favre's favourite target. This is to be expected since it was his tenth season, and at 34 years old, his role is likely to continue to diminish in the seasons to come.

However, he still reached the 1000-yard plateau for the sixth time in his career, his yards only dropped off 36 from the previous year because he averaged almost a full yard more per reception, and his touchdowns were up. Thus, there is no reason to think he will not continue to be productive for years to come.

Driver can still be counted on for his leadership and the big catch. He is a decent-sized target (6'0", 194 pounds) with good speed and as a former high-jumper, still possesses good athleticism. He is also one of the most instinctive receivers in the league, and has the elusiveness after the catch that Marvin Harrison had in his prime.

In 2008, he was the third-best receiver in the division; in 2009, he still may be. But I would say it is a sure bet he has been selected to his last Pro Bowl, and I do not think he can be counted on for 1000 yards again, either.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?