During every Green Bay Packers training camp there seems to be a “camp-darling”, a dark horse who emerges out of nowhere to tantalize and excite the fan base.  Last year that player was wide out Jeff Janis.

And why not? 

It is not often that you encounter a man as physically impressive as Janis.  Standing 6’ 3” and a solid 218 lbs. he notched an impressive 4.42 second forty-yard dash and a 37 ½" vertical jump. 

Janis was selected in the seventh round selection (236^th overall pick) and not much was expected of him.  However during the 2014 pre-season Janis looked like he belonged. 

After playing at tiny Saginaw Valley State (Michigan) a member of the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, he was an All-Conference selection and a Division II All American.  He finished his collegiate career as the conference’s second all-time leading receiver and earned an invitation to participate in the Senior Bowl.

With superior athletic ability he was able to stand out on occasion but just could not overcome his raw technique and lack of big game experience to earn meaningful playing time.  Still the Packers thought enough of him to remain on the active roster the entire 2014 season fearing that should they try to sneak him on to the practice squad he might well be claimed by a rival club.

Janis flashed in training camp and in the pre-season.  He was side-lined for two weeks early in training camp with a painful case of the shingles only to make a rapid two-week recovery to claim the No. 5 berth on the depth chart.  He demonstrated his blazing speed during exhibition season on 2 receptions of 33 and 34 yards, the later for a TD vs. the St. Louis Rams.  Of his 67 total receiving yards he impressed with 37 of those yards after the catch.    

Yet his 2014 season’s production was statistically modest. Appearing in only three games (30 total snaps) he caught two passes for 16 yards, an 8 yard per catch average.

With an embarrassment of riches at wide receiver Janis looks to be either the fourth, fifth or possibly sixth receiver (should they keep six) on the depth chart entering training camp.  Making the roster will be his first goal yet there is room for Janis to make his mark on a team looking for substantial improvement in their Special Teams game and an offense that relishes the use of four and five receiver sets.

At an end of season interview on ESPNWisconsin.com Head Coach Mike McCarthy went out of his way to heap praise on Janis.  “I think Jeff is going to take a big step (in 2015)”, McCarthy said.  “He’s got a big catching radius, and he needs to utilize it. Obviously, I think we all saw his vertical speed. He’s an extremely physical young man. He’s an Olympian in the weight room. He’s got a lot of raw skill, and I look for him to make that jump.”

High praise indeed from the Packers head-man.

McCarthy went on to add that a lack of a special teams role and an aversion to throwing a rookie into the fire late in the season without much prior experience were reasons Janis didn’t play more.  He added that he thought he deserved playing time with the improvements that he made late in the year.

As late as early June 2015 McCarthy was still singing his praises after earning first team reps with Jordy Nelson being held out after off-season surgery.   “Jeff Janis has definitely been moving forward. I thought he definitely came on last year. Still some things fundamentally he needs to work on but any time you get reps with the 1's and Aaron Rodgers, it definitely boosts your confidence”.

The 2014 Packers averaged a disappointing 19.1 yards per kick return, 31st in the league.   After jettisoning under-performing incumbent DeJuan Harris, the Packers have some exciting options this year in rookies Ty Montgomery, free agent running back John Crockett (should he make the team) and second year players Jared Abbrederis and Jeff Janis.  Montgomery averaged 27.4 yards per kick return at Stanford and logic would indicate that the kick return job is his to lose. 

Yet the Packers coaches surely remember that impressive 64 yard kickoff return (his lone return) vs. the Kansas City Chiefs from last pre-season.  It has to whet their appetite to see what he can do with a full training camp under his belt.

One thing is certain.  The Packers moribund return game will have a new return man this year.  Whoever claims the job must have a much greater impact than 2014. 

After all the Green Bay Packers will settle for nothing less than a Super Bowl 50 victory.