The 90 to 1 Green Bay Packers roster countdown: No. 11 – Jimmy Graham

Can Jimmy Graham be who the Packers hoped they were getting last season?

The Green Bay Packers, and their 90 players on the roster, are in the midst of their first training camp under coach Matt LaFleur. In an annual tradition from my 11 years at Packer Report, I rank the players in order of importance from No. 90 to No. 1. This isn’t just a listing of the team’s best players. Our rankings take into account talent, importance of the position, depth at the position, salary and draft history. More than the ranking, we hope you learn something about each player. (Note: The start of this series can be found with my former employer.)

No. 11: TE Jimmy Graham ($12,666,666 cap)

If the Packers’ starting tight end this season were to finish 10th at the position in receptions and ninth in yards, that would be considered a solid season, right?

Well, that was Graham’s production last season with his 55 receptions for 636 yards. The problem was Graham’s output included only two touchdowns. His catch rate was 66.3 percent. His drop rate was 5.2 percent. He averaged 4.7 yards after the catch.

Those figures ranked tied for 25th, 33rd, 14th and tied for 21st, respectively, among the 39 tight ends who were targeted at least 32 times last season, according to Pro Football Focus. On passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield, he caught just 4-of-12. His blocking ranged from OK to listless. And all of that came as the NFL’s highest-paid tight end in terms of average salary (three years, $30 million).

“I expect a big bounce-back year from Jimmy. He’s healthy, he’s feeling good. This offense, I think fits him and his body type,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers said.

Graham expects big things from himself, too, with the belief that coach Matt LaFleur's offense will be a better fit than Mike McCarthy's.

"This is an offense where they match up a lot of formations, and the run to the pass," he said on Monday. "And for me, that’s all good. And they like to use the tight end quite a bit. I think we’ve got a dynamic group of tight ends and we’ve got a good mix of veterans and young kids, and I’m excited to see what we’re going to do this year. I really am."

Graham’s cap number has more than doubled compared to last season’s modest $5.917 million. The $5 million roster bonus he was handed on March 15 clinched his return. So, the Packers will hope for better from the tight end with the highest cap charge in the NFL, even though he’ll celebrate his 33rd birthday in San Francisco against the 49ers on Nov. 24.

The Packers, at this point, have nowhere else to turn. While he’s made some plays, Robert Tonyan hasn’t turned potential into consistent production. Third-round pick Jace Sternberger had a quiet offseason and a quiet start to training camp. Between the lack of a challenger to his throne and his massive contract, Graham is one of the team’s most important players. While last year was a disappointment, Rodgers believes LaFleur’s offensive system will lead to bigger and better things and provide a larger return on investment.

“I don’t know how much it impacted us,” Rodgers said when asked if his Week 1 knee injury, which limited his practice time early in the season, hurt his chemistry with Graham. “The league’s about matchups, and what I’m liking about this offense is we’re constantly trying to find ways to get those guys in positive matchups. Every play has a scheme or a motion or an adjustment that can those guys in opportunities to be No. 1 or 2 in the progression. Because we know that if you’re throwing the ball on time, that’s where the ball’s going to go. So much stuff that we’re doing gives him opportunities to get the ball in rhythm instead of relying on off-schedule or a third or fourth read on a play.”

While the scheme is new - Graham said he needed these padded practices to really understand it and get comforable with it - Year 2 with Rodgers is especially important.

"I think it’s everything," he said. "Obviously, getting his trust but I have to go up and make those plays. When I get those opportunities, I have to show him that I’m the biggest, fastest thing out there. I have to go up and get those grabs for him. I’ve been focused and I’m ready to get this thing started. 

"We have four more weeks here, but I’m about as fired up as I’ve ever been to go and shut a lot of people up."