Samori

Toure

The former Packer joined the Bears this offseason but ultimately missed the cut amidst a massive overhaul of key offensive pieces this offseason. The team invested heavily in this year’s draft to improve their pass-catching options, rendering Toure expendable in the process.

Toure was the odd man out in a deep Green Bay receiver room. He had 13 receptions for 160 yards and a touchdown over two seasons with the Packers. This preseason, Toure had 53 scoreless yards on five grabs. Toure, an explosive runner with the ball in his hands, should catch on with another wideout-needy team before Week 1.

Reed was helped off the field in the second quarter and had not returned by halftime. He had one catch for five yards on two targets before exiting. Samori Toure saw an increase in snaps and routes with Reed sidelined.

Matt LaFleur told reporters the Packers would let “the young guys duke it out for now,” per the article. Toure had only 10 targets last season with the Packers, most of them in deep garbage time. While Toure isn’t a non-prospect, this sure looks like a spot Reed should be favored to win early.

Toure was inches from a much-bigger day, as both his missed connections were down-field misfires from Aaron Rodgers. The first was fingertips away from being a 44-yard touchdown, but the defender was able to get a literal finger on it. Seventh-round rookie Toure has shown some promise down the field, but Rodgers’ struggles are making it difficult to get anything going in the box score department. Dallas is a bad Week 10 matchup for the entire Packers offense.

Toure, in relief of Sammy Watkins, finished fourth on the team in targets in Week 8. His lone touchdown catch could not have possibly been more wide open as Buffalo backup safety Damar Hamlin got turned around during his route. Toure also dropped a couple of his other targets, including an open sideline attempt that the refs initially called a catch before it was overturned for review. We don’t recommend stashing Toure unless the news on Sammy Watkins and Allen Lazard looks dire this week, but if that does happen he might be in DFS-punt land against the Lions.

Bakhtiari got in a limited session on Friday, but has had a hard time clearing the final hurdle of getting beyond the practiced field for the first two weeks of the season. The Packers will get one of their two star linemen back as RT Elgton Jenkins is active. Also inactive for the Packers are S Tariq Carpenter, OL Caleb Jones, OL Sean Rhyan, WR Samori Toure, and DL Jonathan Ford

Toure (6'1/191) dominated at FCS Montana in 2019, earning first-team All-American honors with 87 catches for 1,495 yards and 13 touchdowns. After the fall football schedule was canceled in 2020, Toure transferred to Nebraska, where he amassed a 46-898-5 line in 12 games as the Huskers’ leading receiver. Nothing stands out positively or negatively about Toure as an athlete (4.48 40, 34.5-inch vertical, 10-foot-4 broad) and he will be 24 as a rookie, but he proved he could produce in a Power 5 conference, shined at the Shrine Bowl, and flashed quality separation skills. He also got some buzz in the month leading up to the draft as a player teams had “heavy interest” in. Though that didn’t amount to much, Toure could find a spot on Green Bay’s roster as a reserve receiver and special teams player.

A rising wideout prospect as the NFL Draft draws near, Toure -- who set a Cornhuskers record with five 100-yard receiving games in 2021 -- could be a sought-after player for receiver-needy teams like the Chiefs and Packers, who last month lost Tyreek Hill and Davante Adams, respectively. Toure in 2021 had the second highest yards per reception (19.5) in Nebraska history thanks to a host of big downfield plays in the Cornhuskers offense. His four catch, 150 yard, one touchdown performance against Ohio State in November drew national attention. He transferred to Nebraska from Montana, where he caught 155 passes for 2,488 yards and 20 touchdowns over three years. Toure would have immediate fantasy intrigue if he were to land in Kansas City of Green Bay.

Sterns (5'9"/195) put together an all-time season in his one year at the FBS level. He combined with Bailey Zappe to break a multitude of records, eventually ending up with a ridiculous stat line of 150 catches, 1902 yards and 17 touchdowns. He might not be the biggest or fastest guy out there, but his production was absolutely undeniable, and there is a place for guys that just get open and produce no matter how they do it, just ask Cooper Kupp. For the guy that won the receiving triple crown at the FBS level (led the FBS in receptions, yards and touchdowns) to be snubbed is a bit ridiculous. Draft Bible’s Robert Gregson also listed Nebraska’s Samori Toure, Oklahoma State’s Tay Martin, Middle Tennessee State’s Reed Blankenship, Alabama A&M’s Aqeel Glass, Sacred Heart’s Julius Chestnut and Lenoir-Rhyne’s Dareke Young.