On Wednesday, the Green Bay Packers announced they’ve signed wide receiver (pronounced YON-kee, according to Packers.com).He played college football at South Dakota State, where he was teammates with current Packers tight end Tucker Kraft.
Standing 6’2” and weighing 212 pounds, the new signing began his pro journey as an undrafted free agent with the Houston Texans before the 2024 season. He was released during training camp and then had a brief stint with the Miami Dolphins, who also cut him after camp.
He played for the South Dakota State Jackrabbits from 2018 to 2023, seeing regular playing time on offense starting in 2020. His standout year came in 2023 when he caught 60 passes on 80 targets for 1,005 yards and 11 touchdowns. In a playoff matchup against Albany, he had a strong performance with six catches for 151 yards.
Throughout his college career, he lined up almost equally on the outside and in the slot. Between 2021 and 2023, 50.5% of his snaps were outside, while 47.6% came from the slot.
Athletically, Janke isn’t a burner—he ran a 4.53-second 40-yard dash—but he’s quick off the line and has decent acceleration. His Relative Athletic Score (RAS) reflects a player with solid but not elite traits.
He has a strong build but shorter arms, which impact his effectiveness as a blocker. While he’s aggressive and willing in that area, defenders can sometimes get into his body and push him back. He does show potential when he initiates contact first, but consistency remains an issue.
Janke is savvy against zone defenses, knowing how to find and settle into open areas. His route-running, however, is a bit inconsistent—he can sell vertical routes well but struggles with sharp breaks, sometimes rounding off his cuts due to a lack of suddenness. His stop-start ability is average, and he occasionally resorts to physical tactics like two-handed pushes to create separation.
He’s shown improvement with his hands. After dropping nine passes across the 2020-2021 seasons (7.1% drop rate), he only had three drops over the next two years (2.0%).
Despite being a bit undersized and having short arms, he’s surprisingly effective in contested catch situations. Still, it’s uncertain how well that skill will carry over to the NFL.
Overall, Janke was an exciting college player, though he’s likely to spend time on practice squads at the next level. His best chance to stick in the league would be by adding some weight and turning into a physical, run-blocking specialist—essentially a leaner version of Allen Lazard. If he can do that, there may be a role for him, especially in play-action scenarios where he sneaks behind defenses for the occasional big play. It’s a tough path, but he’s a fun player to root for.
A fun sidenote: Jadon has an identical twin, Jaxon Janke, who also played receiver at SDSU and is currently with the Houston Texans. Nothing major going on there yet, but it adds a nice storyline.