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Rich Cimini, ESPN Staff Writer
FLORHAM PARK, N.J. — Aaron Rodgers drops back in the pocket and gives a quick look to his right, perhaps to freeze the safety. His eyes dart back to the left and, with almost no hesitation, he launches an arching spiral toward the sideline, about 30 yards downfield. It goes up like a rocket and comes down like a feather, eluding the cornerback’s pleading fingertips. It settles safely into the hands of his wide receiver, No. 17.
Rodgers has made that throw countless times in his career to his favorite 17. For eight years, it was Rodgers and Davante Adams, a prolific combo for the Green Bay Packers. No receiver has caught more passes from Rodgers than Adams (907). The quarterback’s new No. 17 is Garrett Wilson, and they’re developing fast chemistry at New York Jets training camp. Video of that 30-yard sideline pass, which occurred Tuesday, went viral on social media.
“Davante is in a category by himself,” Rodgers said of the current Las Vegas Raiders star, “but (our) 17 reminds me of the other 17, as far as his ability to get out of breaks and his quick twitch at the line of scrimmage, for sure.”
The Rodgers-Adams connection was special. We’re talking about 68 touchdown receptions, plus another eight in the playoffs. You can’t re-create that kind of magic in a few practices, but the potential is there. After all, Wilson was the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2022, and he’s making highlight-film plays in practice on a daily basis.
gather round everyone, it’s time for your daily @AaronRodgers12 to @GarrettWilson_V highlight pic.twitter.com/x5wHEy0ZAU
— New York Jets (@nyjets) July 25, 2023
Over the weekend, Rodgers was flushed from the pocket and threw into the back of the end zone for Wilson, who made a leaping, over-the-shoulder grab with his fingertips. He actually caught the back point of the ball, somehow managing to get both feet down. A frame-by-frame replay showed him on the tips of his toes, almost like a ballet dancer working on his pointe technique.
Wilson has heard the Adams comparisons since the spring, when he and Rodgers started together. He’s flattered, of course, but not ready to proclaim himself Davante 2.0.
“He was my favorite receiver growing up,” Wilson said. “When you’re a young kid, you don’t really realize it, but you’re trying to steal something from everyone’s game, whether it’s OBJ or Davante or Stefon Diggs.
“I try to take a lot of things from what he [Adams] did well, but, man, he’s special. You can see the lab work that he puts in throughout the offseason. It’s special to watch. I’ve got a long way to go before I get to that point.”
Rodgers made an interesting point in comparing the receivers, noting that Adams’ breakthrough in Year 3 (2016) was triggered by a new-look body. He went from 220 pounds to a “chiseled” 208, according to Rodgers.
“For him, it was about changing his body,” he said of Adams.
Wilson needs to do the opposite, according to Rodgers.
“If he has five or 10 more pounds of muscle, he’s going to be really, really difficult to handle,” he said. “But in the meantime, he’s got all the skill set you want, plus the attitude and the work ethic and the character, which you really appreciate.
“Some of the plays out here, we’re not going to take for granted, but it’s also Garrett, so you expect him to make some of these plays.”
Let’s go to the tale of the tape, using their scouting-combine weights and measurements — Wilson from 2022, Adams from 2014.
Wilson was faster than Adams — 4.36 seconds in the 40-yard dash, compared to Adams’ 4.56.
Adams was bigger (6-foot-1, 215 to 6-foot, 183), jumped a little higher (39.5 inches to 36) and had a slightly bigger wingspan (78 inches to 77).
We’re splitting hairs, of course. They’re very comparable in terms of body type and athletic testing.
“Garrett is incredible,” said wide receiver Allen Lazard, who was Adams’ teammate for three seasons in Green Bay. “I see a lot of resemblance as far as Davante. To me, Davante is the best in the league, hands down. It’s clear as day. But there are a lot of things they do — mannerisms, personalities, abilities — that resemble each other.”
Wilson, drafted 10th overall out of Ohio State, delivered one of the best rookie seasons in franchise history. Despite instability at quarterback — three different starters — Wilson finished with 83 receptions for 1,103 yards and four touchdowns. Considering the quarterback struggles, it might have been one of the best rookie seasons ever.
Consider: Wilson’s primary quarterback was Zach Wilson, who led the Jets with a mere six touchdown passes. None of the previous 22 rookie wide receivers to reach 1,000 yards played on a team where the leading quarterback had as few as six scoring passes in that season.
Now Zach Wilson has been replaced by a future Hall of Famer, which should bode well for Garrett Wilson’s career trajectory. The Adams comp likely will continue. If there’s one part of Adams’ game he’d like to steal, Wilson said, it’s his release — his ability to beat his man at the line of scrimmage.
“It’s second to none,” Wilson said. “Davante is the man, for sure.”
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