Green Bay Packers receiver Jake Kumerow has very little NFL experience, but he's earned respect from emerging star cornerback Jaire Alexander. Alexander was the Packers' first-round pick last year, and he had a very promising rookie season. Kumerow was an undrafted free agent back in 2015, and he finally got his first regular season experience just last year.
In five games, Kumerow finished with eight catches for 103 yards and a touchdown. Despite the limited action, Kumerow has received a ton of hype due to Aaron Rodgers' glowing comments about him.
During a recent interview with Jason Wilde of the Wisconsin State Journal, Alexander admitted that he underestimated the unheralded University of Wisconsin-Whitewater product at first.
“For sure. Yeah. He comes out here with that long hair, that nice smile — nobody’s taking that stuff seriously,” Alexander confessed. “And then he goes deep on you and you’re like, ‘Oh, all right, OK, I’ve got to put some respect on him.’ For sure.”
Now that he's seen him up close a bunch, Kumerow has impressed the talented young corner.
“Jake Kumerow, he’s a beast,” Alexander continued. “Cool. Cool guy, a competitor, I really like his hands, his routes. He’s real good. He’s one of those sleeper kind of receivers, (where) you don’t really expect it. Shoot. He’s definitely good.”
Rodgers was asked about the differences he's seen from Kumerow this year compared to last year's camp, and he had even more praise for the former UDFA.
“He just looks even more comfortable. He’s always been a very smooth route runner; he’s just even more comfortable,” Rodgers said. “The thing I look for, (like) the throw I hit him on in Family Night against Jaire, was his ‘late hands.’ That’s just something that’s hard to teach. The trust to wait ‘til the last second to put your hands out there against a great defender who’s basically playing his hands and not seeing the football, you can’t teach that.”
It sounds like Kumerow could be in for a breakout season, although he'll be battling for position in a crowded receiving corp.
Follow Us
Subscribe