According to the tracking numbers at Pro Football Reference, Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers tied for the most passes dropped in the NFL during the 2022 season. Like Trevor Lawrence of the Jacksonville Jaguars, Rodgers had 40 passes dropped. His drop percentage of 7.8 ranked second among quarterbacks.
Drops are subjective and often vary from tracking site to tracking site. But the Packers’ ability to consistently catch the football was an obvious issue in 2022.
Pro Football Reference’s list of drops for the Packers:
WR Romeo Doubs: 9
RB A.J. Dillon: 7
WR Allen Lazard: 6
RB Aaron Jones: 6
WR Christian Watson: 4
WR Randall Cobb: 2
TE Josiah Deguara: 2
WR Sammy Watkins: 2
TE Robert Tonyan: 1
TE Marcedes Lewis: 1
WR Juwann Winfree: 1
For comparison’s sake, consider that the Packers only dropped 13 of Rodgers’ passes in 2021, and no player had more than three.
Of course, the 2022 season kicked off with Watson dropping what would have been a 75-yard touchdown from Rodgers on the first play from scrimmage in Week 1. While Watson was solid the rest of the way, the drop provided a glimpse into the future for others in terms of catching the ball.
Jones and Dillon, who were expected to shoulder a bigger load in the passing game, dropped 13 combined passes, or one for every 10 or so targets.
Doubs, a fourth-round rookie, dropped nine total passes, tied for the fourth-most in football despite seeing only 67 targets. His drop percentage – 13.4 – led all players, per Pro Football Reference.
Lazard, who dropped only one pass in 2021, dropped six as his target share went up.
The Packers had a razor-thin margin for error on offense and couldn’t afford missed opportunities. While not all drops are created equal, and not all can be blamed solely on the receiver, the Packers needed to be more consistent creating completions and just couldn’t do it, especially early in the season.
Talent doesn’t appear to be an issue. Doubs, despite his drops as a rookie, appears to be a terrific hands-catcher with a real future as a starter. Watson overcame his early drop and was a star down the stretch. Dillon was almost perfect catching the ball during his first two seasons. Jones missed on a few downfield passes but is otherwise a weapon in the passing game. Lazard’s drops looked mostly concentration-related.
Pro Football Focus had the Packers down for 30 drops in 2022, so it’s possible Pro Football Reference is just a more harsh grader of what is a pass that should be caught.
Regardless of who is playing quarterback next season, the Packers need to be more consistent making plays in the passing game. There are a lot of factors that go into completing a pass, including ball placement by the passer, but the finish is a big one. The Packers must be better catching the football in 2023.
