Isaiah Neyor popped off a few times in the Green Bay Packers’ first preseason game in Pittsburgh, making him a seriously interesting wide receiver prospect. While J. Michael Sturdivant, who also flashed, has some tools and special teams value, I’m telling you, Neyor has way more long-term upside if he can just figure a few things out. The dude’s got a college profile that screams “future talent,” even with some serious caveats, and his lack of production later on was likely due to some brutal, ill-timed transfers and a torn ACL.
The Wyoming Numbers Don’t Lie… Mostly
Picture this: Neyor’s 2021 season at Wyoming was an absolute explosion. As a young 20-year-old, he legitimately broke out, leading the Cowboys with 44 receptions, which was 17 more than the second-place guy. He piled up 878 yards, blowing past the next closest receiver by 580 yards! And get this: 12 touchdown catches. No other Cowboy had more than two. He wasn’t just good; he dominated that passing game as the clear, undeniable best playmaker, and Wyoming leaned on him hard. That kind of breakout age and leading your team in every major receiving category as a redshirt freshman? That’s usually a fantastic sign for future success.
Why His Dominance Comes With a Giant Asterisk
Now, let’s get real. Two big issues cloud that incredible 2021 performance. First, the Covid years were just plain weird. We saw a lot of dominant college performances that didn’t translate to the next level. Wyoming’s schedule was soft, never facing a single quality opponent. Boise State was probably their best, and they got straight up blanked by Fresno State and essentially blanked by New Mexico. It would’ve been huge to see Neyor against a Big Ten or SEC squad, but it just didn’t happen, so level of competition is a huge question mark. Second, Wyoming simply didn’t pass the ball much in the first place, a problem common with a lot of Big Ten schools. Volume often predicts future success, but in a low-passing offense, those differences can just be noise. You look at Nico Collins, now a star for the Texans, who never topped 38 catches at Michigan, even though he was amazing per play. Neyor’s dream scenario would’ve been transferring to a higher-volume school or another dominant season, but then an ACL tear robbed him of his entire 2022 season, followed by two transfers.
Neyor’s still got a lot of good in his profile, warts and all. He’s got that raw potential, and after flashing in the first preseason game, you’ve gotta wonder what he can unlock.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
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