If Aaron Rodgers is to have a bounce-back season in Green Bay's new offense, he'll need more playmakers than just Davante Adams. Geronimo Allison is the favorite for No. 2 duties, but another possibility is second-year wideout Marquez Valdes-Scantling. Rodgers has good things to say so far.
“I think Marquez has had a fantastic spring and really stepped up as a guy who can be an every-down player," says Rodgers. Among other things in the linked story, Rodgers says he wants to throw even more to Davante Adams, and also had positive things to say about Jimmy Graham.
Valdes-Scantling looked like the best of the three wideouts Green Bay selected in last year's draft, which included J'Mon Moore and Equanimeous St. Brown. He seemed to hit the rookie wall late in the year, with St. Brown doing a little better down the stretch. But overall, not a bad rookie season for Valdes-Scantling.
He ended up catching 38 passes for 581 yards and 2 TDs. That average of 15.3 yards per catch was a top-10 figure, among wideouts with at least 70 targets last season.
WR YARDS PER CATCH (70+ TARGETS), 2018 | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Player | No | Yds | Avg | TD | Tgt |
DeSean Jackson, T.B. | 41 | 774 | 18.9 | 4 | 74 |
Josh Gordon, 2 tms | 41 | 737 | 18.0 | 4 | 71 |
Mike Evans, T.B. | 86 | 1524 | 17.7 | 8 | 138 |
Tyreek Hill, K.C. | 87 | 1479 | 17.0 | 12 | 137 |
John Brown, Balt. | 42 | 715 | 17.0 | 5 | 97 |
Tyler Lockett, Sea. | 57 | 965 | 16.9 | 10 | 70 |
Courtland Sutton, Den. | 42 | 704 | 16.8 | 4 | 84 |
T.Y. Hilton, Ind. | 76 | 1270 | 16.7 | 6 | 120 |
Marquez Valdes-Scantling, G.B. | 38 | 581 | 15.3 | 2 | 73 |
Kenny Golladay, Det. | 70 | 1063 | 15.2 | 5 | 119 |
Brandin Cooks, LAR | 80 | 1204 | 15.1 | 5 | 117 |
A.J. Green, Cin. | 46 | 694 | 15.1 | 6 | 77 |
Robby Anderson, NYJ | 50 | 752 | 15.0 | 6 | 94 |
Julio Jones, Atl. | 113 | 1677 | 14.8 | 8 | 170 |
DJ Moore, Car. | 55 | 788 | 14.3 | 2 | 82 |
Chris Godwin, T.B. | 59 | 842 | 14.3 | 7 | 95 |
Robert Woods, LAR | 86 | 1219 | 14.2 | 6 | 130 |
Donte Moncrief, Jac. | 48 | 668 | 13.9 | 3 | 89 |
DeAndre Hopkins, Hou. | 115 | 1572 | 13.7 | 11 | 163 |
Odell Beckham, NYG | 77 | 1052 | 13.7 | 6 | 124 |
Allen Robinson, Chi. | 55 | 754 | 13.7 | 4 | 94 |
Corey Davis, Ten. | 65 | 891 | 13.7 | 4 | 112 |
Antonio Callaway, Cle. | 43 | 586 | 13.6 | 5 | 79 |
Tyler Boyd, Cin. | 76 | 1028 | 13.5 | 7 | 108 |
Amari Cooper, 2 tms | 75 | 1005 | 13.4 | 7 | 107 |
Sterling Shepard, NYG | 66 | 872 | 13.2 | 4 | 107 |
Alshon Jeffery, Phil. | 65 | 843 | 13.0 | 6 | 92 |
Keelan Cole, Jac. | 38 | 491 | 12.9 | 1 | 70 |
Calvin Ridley, Atl. | 64 | 821 | 12.8 | 10 | 92 |
JuJu Smith-Schuster, Pitt. | 111 | 1426 | 12.8 | 7 | 166 |
Mohamed Sanu, Atl. | 66 | 838 | 12.7 | 4 | 94 |
Davante Adams, G.B. | 111 | 1386 | 12.5 | 13 | 169 |
Antonio Brown, Pitt. | 104 | 1297 | 12.5 | 15 | 168 |
Devin Funchess, Car. | 44 | 549 | 12.5 | 4 | 79 |
Doug Baldwin, Sea. | 50 | 618 | 12.4 | 5 | 73 |
Keenan Allen, LAC | 97 | 1196 | 12.3 | 6 | 136 |
Adam Thielen, Min. | 113 | 1373 | 12.2 | 9 | 153 |
Emmanuel Sanders, Den. | 71 | 868 | 12.2 | 4 | 98 |
Josh Doctson, Was. | 44 | 532 | 12.1 | 2 | 78 |
Jarvis Landry, Cle. | 81 | 976 | 12.0 | 4 | 149 |
Jordy Nelson, Oak. | 63 | 739 | 11.7 | 3 | 88 |
Zay Jones, Buff. | 56 | 652 | 11.6 | 7 | 102 |
Julian Edelman, N.E. | 74 | 850 | 11.5 | 6 | 108 |
Demaryius Thomas, 2 tms | 59 | 677 | 11.5 | 5 | 89 |
Nelson Agholor, Phil. | 64 | 736 | 11.5 | 4 | 97 |
Michael Thomas, N.O. | 125 | 1405 | 11.2 | 9 | 147 |
Michael Crabtree, Balt. | 54 | 607 | 11.2 | 3 | 100 |
Dede Westbrook, Jac. | 66 | 717 | 10.9 | 5 | 101 |
Adam Humphries, T.B. | 76 | 816 | 10.7 | 5 | 105 |
Golden Tate, 2 tms | 74 | 795 | 10.7 | 4 | 113 |
Larry Fitzgerald, Ariz. | 69 | 734 | 10.6 | 6 | 112 |
Willie Snead, Balt. | 62 | 651 | 10.5 | 1 | 95 |
Cole Beasley, Dall. | 65 | 672 | 10.3 | 3 | 87 |
Taylor Gabriel, Chi. | 67 | 688 | 10.3 | 2 | 93 |
Stefon Diggs, Min. | 102 | 1021 | 10.0 | 9 | 149 |
Jermaine Kearse, NYJ | 37 | 371 | 10.0 | 1 | 76 |
Danny Amendola, Mia. | 59 | 575 | 9.7 | 1 | 79 |
Chester Rogers, Ind. | 53 | 485 | 9.2 | 2 | 72 |
I don't think it's a given that Valdes-Scantling is a factor this year. But somebody needs to step up behind Adams, and while Allison is the favorite, injuries have been a factor there. Maybe it's the second-year wideout who offers the field-stretching ability to the offense, either as the No. 3 or perhaps the No. 2.
--Andy Richardson