Yes, Romeo Doubs' fast start matters even if Packers need to see much more

Romeo Doubs stole the show through the first two days of Packers training camp. His performance requires context and caveats, but it shouldn't be discounted.

Without a question or qualification, no player has generated more positive reviews through the first two days of Green Bay Packers training camp than Romeo Doubs. The rookie wide receiver has stacked back-to-back impressive performances against arguably the NFL's premier defensive backfield. Given the Packers' well-documented lack of proven pass catchers, Doubs has understandably turned heads.

The Packers hoped a young wideout might hit the ground running in camp, but they just probably didn't anticipate that performance coming from Doubs. General manager Brian Gutekunst traded a pair of second-round picks in order to draft Christian Watson, a physically gifted receiver considered among the top pass-catching prospects in the rookie class. Given the investment, Watson spent the past three months as the crux of the receiver discourse in Green Bay.

Whether Watson creates a splash remains unclear as a minor knee procedure landed him on the PUP list to open camp. But his absence has opened the door for others, and so far Doubs has walked through.

"It's just preparation," Doubs credited for his fast start. "Even the greatest ones, their preparation is so high as well. They get at that maximum level and it becomes a practice for them. I just make sure that I continue to prepare the way I'm supposed to. I'm working on the mistakes that I've had today up to tomorrow and moving on forward. I just believe that preparation will take you most places."

Of course, training camps have played host to no shortage of narratives that didn't hold into the regular season. At about this time in 2021, Cincinnati Bengals wideout Ja'Marr Chase couldn't seem to hold onto a football. The previous year, running back Clyde Edwards-Helaire seemed poise to raise the Kansas City Chiefs -- and countless fantasy teams -- to the next level. Ultimately, the early indications on both proved misleading, underscoring the need for patience in the place of early criticism and hype.

Those dynamics apply to Doubs as well. The Packers haven't even practiced in pads yet and won't begin to do so until next week. Everything, good or bad, comes with caveats until further notice.

Though that context matters when discussing Doubs, it doesn't completely undercut the rookie's strong early showing.