Many jobs remain in the air, and the Packers' decision-makers have not finalized any choices. However, that doesn't mean every player competing for an open role has an equal shot at it.
That was the last receiver to make the cut to me (the order listed is alphabetical, not priority). The primary value for Hardman and Heath appears to be on special teams, with the former serving as a returner and the latter working on the coverage units and a non-returner on the return units. The Packers don't lack for retuner options (Nixon, Reed, Golden, Savion, perhaps more), but have fewer bodies in Heath's mold that they can regularly deploy in his special-teams roles. They also don't have the ideal number of bigger receivers with Watson sidelined. I think that makes Hardman more redundant than Heath at this stage, but this is just a pre-camp projection. On-field performance and injuries will provide clarity between now and final cuts.
Heath over Hardman?
That was the last receiver to make the cut to me (the order listed is alphabetical, not priority). The primary value for Hardman and Heath appears to be on special teams, with the former serving as a returner and the latter working on the coverage units and a non-returner on the return units. The Packers don't lack for retuner options (Nixon, Reed, Golden, Savion, perhaps more), but have fewer bodies in Heath's mold that they can regularly deploy in his special-teams roles. They also don't have the ideal number of bigger receivers with Watson sidelined. I think that makes Hardman more redundant than Heath at this stage, but this is just a pre-camp projection. On-field performance and injuries will provide clarity between now and final cuts.