You hear about Davante Adams, because of course you do. And all training camp long for the Green Bay Packers, you’ve heard about depth chart battles at wide receiver involving players like Jake Kumerow, J’Mon Moore, Equanimeous St. Brown, and even Trevor Davis.
There has been a lot of talk about Green Bay’s wide receiver group this preseason, and that’s not even mentioning Marquez Valdes-Scantling, who many expect to take a massive leap forward in his second season in green and gold. Storylines are easy to come by, as eight or more wide outs battle for what could end up being only six roster spots, but very few people have been talking about Geronimo Allison – and they need to be.
Allison has been having a quiet camp considering all the other noise coming out of Green Bay this August, but it’s very likely he ends up playing a major role this season for Aaron Rodgers and the offense, and only Adams may be more important for the overall success of this unit.
Entering his fourth NFL season, all with Green Bay, Allison is actually a veteran in the wide receiver room. He’s played in only 30 games over the last three seasons and injuries have led to some inconsistent returns, but he’s entering this season healthy and there’s very good reason to believe that the formerly undrafted wide out from Illinois is due for a massive year.
Remember, it’s all about trust for Rodgers, and over the past few seasons his trust in Allison has obviously grown. It doesn’t hurt that he checks in at a healthy 6-foot-3, 202 pounds and has a great wingspan, but Allison has also shown the propensity to run great routes, catch everything that comes his way, and he’s also sneaky good deep threat. While he may not be the biggest or fastest wide receiver in the NFL, Allison has made some pretty big plays for the Packers.
Like this play:
https://twitter.com/HailRodgers12/status/912116770433101824?s=20
Or how about this one?
Here’s the truth about Allison. He’ll probably never be on the level of a Davante Adams or any of the other star wide outs in the NFL. There’s good and then there’s great, and Allison probably slides more into the good category than he does into the latter more often than not. With that said, there’s nothing that would suggest Allison can’t be a great No. 2 wide out for the Packers and, in fact, there’s plenty of evidence that would lead one to believe that he can be one of the top second options in the NFL, and certainly within the NFC.
Not only can he threaten a big play on just about any snap, he’s also as consistent as they come in the short-passing game. He has good footwork near the sideline and his size and wing-span make him a natural candidate to go over the middle. Former head coach Mike McCarthy loved using Allison’s speed up the sideline or on deep-posts, but everything coming out of camp points to new head coach Matt LaFleur using Allison as a slot receiver in his offense – and that has the potential to be a dangerous development for the Packers.
Allison is fast enough to blow by linebackers and he’s big and physical enough to be a mismatch against any safeties or slot cornerbacks over the top of him. We know LaFleur will use pre-snap motions and misdirection plays to free up targets for Rodgers rather than asking them to just get open – like McCarty did – and with his ability to run routes and his soft hands, Allison is a prime candidate to have a big year.
Frankly, that needs to be the case for Green Bay if the Packers want to not just make the playoffs, but have a deep run.
Adams will get his, even against double-teams, but having a solid No. 2 or 2a would not only make Adams’ life that much easier, but it will make the Packers that much more explosive on offense.
It’s easy to be hyped about Valdes-Scantling or hope that Kumerow can become the next Jordy Nelson, but both of those dreams may not end up being complete realities. The Pack will need another wide out they can count on when the chips are down.
When healthy, Allison has proven that he’s that guy. He may be having a quiet preseason, but don’t lose track of No. 81.
Follow Us
Subscribe