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

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.