The first preseason game is a mixture of excitement and disappointment as a fan. It’s exciting because it’s been over six months since the Packers last played, but it’s just as much disappointing watching the starters play a handful of snaps.

Second-year wide receiver Trevor Davis did his part to make the preseason’s first game exciting, returning a punt for a touchdown against Eagles.

The return was more than just exciting as it likely cemented his status as the team’s replacement as punt returner for the departed Micah Hyde. A few weeks into the season, Davis took over the kick return duties, too.

2017 Stats

• Appeared in 16 games
• 31 kick returns, 707 return yards, 22.8 yards per return
• 24 punt returns, 289 return yards, 12.0 yards per return
• 5 receptions, 70 yards, 14.0 yards per catch
• 2 rushes, 13 yards, 6.5 yards per rush

Expectations going into the season: Moderate
Expectations were: Not Met

What we said after last season

Packers 2016 Recap: WR Trevor Davis – Though he had moments, Davis couldn’t climb the depth chart enough to make a significant impact on Sundays, eventually finding himself a healthy scratch throughout much of the latter half of the season, even as injuries decimated the Packers’ receiving corps.

Analysis: Preseason hype fades for Trevor Davis

The pivotal moment during Trevor Davis’ rookie season came on a punt return during Green Bay’s blowout loss to Tennessee. Davis muffed a punt and did not return another kick or punt the rest of the season.

Davis put the turnover behind him and earned both kick return and punt return duties by season’s end. While he didn’t reach the end zone this season, his 65-yard punt return against the Browns certainly shifted the momentum.

With Cleveland up a touchdown and less than three minutes left in the fourth quarter, Davis broke two tackles and sped past the Browns coverage to give the Packers the ball with just 25 yards to go for a game-tying score.

He also had a massive 70-yard return to start the game against the Buccaneers, but a holding penalty on the Packers negated Davis’ return. All told, Davis earned and kept the responsibilities of returning kicks and punts throughout 2018.

Davis, along with fellow wide receiver Jeff Janis, was a near non-factor as a wide receiver in 2017. Only three times this season did Davis play more than 10 snaps on offense – Week 2 at Atlanta, Week 16 against Minnesota and Week 17 at Detroit.

An impressive 29-yard grab in Week 17 against All-Pro cornerback Darius Slay marked the high point of Davis’ season as a pass catcher. Given how optimistic the Packers were about Davis as a receiver, it was disappointing to see him stay on the sidelines for most of the season on offense.

The Packers were criticized by the media after the season for having one of the slowest groups of wide receivers in the NFL. Davis, a gifted athlete with perhaps the best speed on the team, can help Green Bay improve in this area next season.