Packers Jarrett Boykin: 2012 Player Evaluation and Report Card

1) Introduction: General manager Ted Thompson always seems to find hidden gems after the draft. And wide receiver Jarrett Boykin is certainly that. With a handful of starting-caliber wide receivers already on the roster, the undrafted rookie cracked the team’s 53-man roster after an impressive preseason. It’s easy to see why he wasn’t selected in the draft, as he ran a 4.72 forty at the combine, but Boykin certainly impressed the coaching staff enough in training camp to make the final roster. Oh yeah, and here’s a reminder that the Jacksonville Jaguars — yes, those Jaguars — cut Boykin on May 7, only to see him crack the Packers’ roster a few months later.

2) Profile:

Jarrett Boykin

  • Age: 23
  • Born: 11/04/1989, in Chattanooga, TN
  • Height: 6’2″
  • Weight: 218
  • College: Virginia Tech
  • Rookie Year: 2012
  • NFL Experience: 0 years

 Career stats and more:

3) Expectations coming into the season: Not much was expected from Boykin coming into the season. He was the undrafted rookie playing behind emerging talents Randall, James Jones and Jordy Nelson, as well as Pro Bowl players Greg Jennings and Donald Driver. It was a crowded receiving corps, and Boykin was an afterthought.

4) Player’s highlights/low-lights: Boykin caught five passes for 27 yards in the regular season. But the biggest catch of his rookie season was in the regular-season finale against the Minnesota Vikings. Trailing by seven points and facing a fourth-and-one late in the fourth quater, Rodgers hit Boykin for seven yards and a first down. A.J. Jefferson was called for pass interference, but the Packers declined the penalty. It was the first eye-catching play of Boykin’s NFL career.

5) Player’s contribution to the overall team success: Boykin appeared in ten games this season. He contributed on special but didn’t make a significant impact as a receiver. Overall, his impact on the team’s 11-5 season was very limited. But still, it’s encouraging to see an undrafted rookie receiver crack the 53-man roster.

6) Player’s contributions in the playoffs: Boykin didn’t play in the playoffs. He was injured on his first-down catch against the Vikings and never played again.

Season Report Card:

(B) Level of expectations met during the season

(D-) Contributions to team’s overall success.

(F) Contributions to team during the playoffs

Overall Grade: C-

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Marques is a Journalism student, serving as the Sports Editor of UW-Green Bay\'s campus newspaper The Fourth Estate and a Packers writer at Jersey Al\'s AllGBP.com. Follow Marques on Twitter @MJEversoll.

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7 thoughts on “Packers Jarrett Boykin: 2012 Player Evaluation and Report Card

  1. I would say Boykin at least met expectations and deserves a higher grade. Give him a B-. He may not have impacted the Packers win/loss but he certainly met or exceeded what was expected of him.

    Boykin ran much better at his Pro day. His numbers athletically are very similar to Jones, but Jones was stronger. If Boykin gets stronger, he has a chance to become a very solid contributor in the next season or 2. Hes’ a player to keep a close eye on!

    1. Really like the potential he brings to the team – like you said, he’s a James Jones type of receiver thanks to his big, strong hands and sturdy frame. He needs to get on whatever weight lifting regimen that Jones is on and continue to work on the nuances of playing WR, mainly his press-release and body positioning/route running. I think he’ll have a lot of chances to contribute this season

  2. Agree with the B for during season.

    Not expected to do anything pre-season as he was a UDFA pick up on May 7th. Expectation was a practice squad guy. A “B” is deserved.

    No Grade for Playoffs as he was injured.
    B- or C+ total grade.

    Boykin reminds me of Chris Carter of the vikings. I’m hoping he is at least half as productive as Carter was.

  3. Didn’t show enough to really get a feel for his potential. He’ll still have to compete with the draftees and FAs coming to camp. It’ll be interesting to see how he respondsw in the pre-season.

  4. What I like most about boykin going into this season is that he and a draft pick (likely high pick) will battle for the 4 and 5 position. By finding another possible gem in Boykin, TT only has 1 WR roster spot to fill rather than 2. I know its early to say Boykin is a capable starter or number 3 or 4 WR, but we can all agree he is deff worth another look.

    1. Boykin 4.57 40, Jones 4.54 best, other numbers similar and the 3 cone Boykin was much better. I would say they’re very similar. Jones has stronger in bench but Boykin can improve on that w/ an offseason. Boykin has huge hands so should have no trouble catching the ball.

      Everyone thinks Jones is fast, but he’s really not, he gets open more w/ his strength and route running.

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