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An early look at Jayden Reed’s route to the field for the Packers

By Emmett Matasovsky

Nov 27, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans wide receiver Jayden Reed (1) makes a touchdown catch against Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Johnny Dixon (3) during the fourth quarter at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 27, 2021; East Lansing, Michigan, USA; Michigan State Spartans wide receiver Jayden Reed (1) makes a touchdown catch against Penn State Nittany Lions cornerback Johnny Dixon (3) during the fourth quarter at Spartan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /
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May 23, 2022; Renton, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Bo Melton (81) returns to the locker room following an OTA workout at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports
May 23, 2022; Renton, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Bo Melton (81) returns to the locker room following an OTA workout at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports /

The bottom of the depth chart

Jeff Cotton (Undrafted, Idaho, 26 years old)

Jeff Cotton is entering his third year in the league and has yet to record a stat. He made his NFL debut in Week 17 of the 2021 season for the Jacksonville Jaguars but did not record a statistic. Cotton appears to be a little more than a training camp body, and should not challenge Jayden Reed.

Bo Melton (7th round, 2022, Rutgers, 23 years old)

Bo Melton was a draft classmate of Kenneth Walker III, being selected by the Seahawks last year. He is nearly identical in terms of size to Jayden Reed, being 5-foot-11 and 189 pounds compared to Reed’s 5-foot-11 and 187 pounds. Melton was a Seahawk practice squad stowaway for most of the season, being waived at final cuts and re-signed the next day. Late in the season, he was signed by the Packers to their active roster but did not record a stat.

You might be familiar to this name, as Melton had a few years of statistics against the Spartans. In 2019, he recorded a catch for six yards. In the Rutgers upset of MSU during the COVID-19 shortened campaign, Melton led the Scarlet Knights with four catches for 50 yards. Melton missed the 2021 edition of this annual Big Ten East game.

Much like Cotton, I expect Reed to have a massive edge on Melton entering training camp this fall.

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