When the Green Bay Packers finally selected Matthew Golden, or really any wide receiver, in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, that clearly pushed free-agent addition Mecole Hardman to the wrong side of the roster bubble. However, the bigger shock was GM Brian Gutekunst doubling down on the position in the third round with Saivion Williams, who now might put Malik Heath's roster spot in jeopardy.
Heath signed as an undrafted free agent with Green Bay in 2023 and almost immediately became a fan favorite. He's been one of the most fun preseason players on the roster as the Packers have tried to develop the 6-foot-2 pass-catcher into more of a viable piece to work with Jordan Love in the receiving corps.
That, however, hasn't fully taken effect. Even with the litany of injuries the Packers have endured at wide receiver over the past couple of years, he's tallied just 25 receptions on 37 targets across 26 games for Green Bay. That's resulted in just 222 yards, though he has found the end zone three times. Still, the development has been slow-moving, at least based on the regular-season results.
As such, the arrival of Williams in particular puts Heath in some serious trouble coming into minicamps and then training camp when it comes to his roster spot security.
Packers rookie Saivion Williams could spell the end for Malik Heath
Though he was a third-round pick, Williams is undeniably a project coming out of TCU. However, that project seems like it could yield even more substantial results than it would with Heath. After all, guys who come in at 6-foot-4, 220 pounds with a 4.48-second time in the 40-yard dash and elite agility and athleticism on display throughout his tape don't exactly grow on trees.
Williams is simply raw when it comes to the nuances of the receiver position. His route-running is quite sloppy as of now and he's had issues with drops. Having said that, the Packers can still use him immediately in a gadget role and allow him to just use his physical gifts in space to make defenses want to pull their hair out while he develops in a more traditional receiver role as well.
Put simply, that's a rookie who brings a lot more to the table than Heath does and with more runway to do so. The counterargument would be that Heath has shown progress and Williams is more of a lottery ticket. That's true, but the truth in that also serves as another reason for the Packers to favor the rookie. We're talking about a down-the-depth-chart receiver, not someone who's going to be relied on heavily. You'd rather win the Mega Millions than a scratch-off ticket with that type of player, which is Williams and Heath, respectively.
Heath should catch on somewhere else given his development and still-enticing tools. But when it comes time to make roster cuts, it feels likely Green Bay will ultimately make it so Heath's time with the Packers is up in favor of Williams.