Ever since being taken in the second round of the 2019 draft by the San Francisco 49ers, Deebo Samuel has been one of the premier triple threats in the NFL.  Not only has he caught 283 passes for 4,122 yards and 19 touchdowns, but the Niners love to get him the ball in the running game.  He has amassed 1,007 rushing yards and 19 more scores.  He also averages 25.4 yards on kickoff returns. 

Deebo was a first team all pro in 2021, and the only reason his stats have declined a bit in the last two seasons is because of injuries, and the diversity of weapons on the San Francisco offense.  He is explosive and elusive in the open field and often turns short plays into big gainers by breaking tackles and exploding through gaps. 

Do the Green Bay Packers have a player with a similar skill set?  I believe they do.  Jayden Reed demonstrated in his rookie season that he can make plays in all three categories.  Despite learning the pro game on the fly, he led the Packers in receptions and receiving yards, and tied for the team lead in receiving touchdowns.  He also tacked on 119 rushing yards and two more scores.  In addition, he led the team in average yards per punt return. 

Like Deebo, Reed is often used as a jet sweep threat across the backfield, and he’s good at it.  In week ten against the Chargers he rocketed down the sideline off a jet sweep for a 32 yard touchdown.  Against the defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs Reed carried the ball twice on the opening drive. 

Also like Deebo, Reed’s team loves to call his number in the clutch.  32 of his receptions, and six of his rushes resulted in first downs.  The two players possess similar speed.  Samuel’s 40 time at the combine was 4.48.  Reed ran a 4.45.  Deebo is a little bigger at six feet tall and 215 pounds.  Reed measures at 5’11” and weighs in at just 187.  But despite his slight build he held up well in his first season, missing only the week sixteen game against the Panthers. 

The former Michigan State star also fits into his team in a way similar to Samuel.  The Niners have many other options on any given play, so they can use Deebo as an effective decoy, drawing defenders away from other threats such as Christian McCaffery, Brandon Aiyuk and George Kittle.  Reed’s speed and route running forces defenses to account for him, opening up opportunities for a range of other options including Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks, and now Josh Jacobs. 

Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander, who faces Reed regularly at practices, compares him to a different receiver.  “I mean, he has full potential,” Alexander said about Reed at OTAs. “He reminds me of a young Randall Cobb. But he’s, I think, you know, he’s better. He’s hungry, man. When you got a young guy coming in who’s hungry for the ball, they’re gonna make their plays. And you see it.” 

That hunger and all out effort has not escaped the attention of Matt LaFleur who says “I love the way he attacks the game.”   For his part, Reed says he has only scratched the surface of what he feels he can do.  With a year under his belt, number eleven says the game is coming easier to him.  “Man, it’s night and day.  Just knowing the playbook, leverages, places on the field, just knowing my job, understanding the game and having that confidence.” 

As versatile as he is, Reed won’t pout if he doesn’t get the ball a lot.  In the playoff win against the Cowboys, he had not a single catch nor rush attempt.  He’s okay with that.  He says his goal is to win a Super Bowl, that the stats will come organically.  In the meantime, he’s more than content to be the Packers’ Swiss Army knife. 

Just like Deebo.