Green Bay Packers sign Iowa State wide receiver, legacy player Dimitri Stanley

The Packers have added another undrafted free agent to the roster. And Dimitri Stanley has a rich Green Bay background.

The Packers, who started rookie minicamp on Friday, added the former Iowa State receiver after a two-day tryout. The news was first reported by Tom Silverstein, who covers Green Bay for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.

Stanley is the son of Walter Stanley, who was a receiver and ace return man for Green Bay from 1985-88.

Can report that the #Packers have also signed #IowaSt WR Dimitri Stanley to a free agent contract following his tryout at rookie minicamp. He follows in footsteps of his father, Walter Stanley, an electric wr/pr/kor who played w/GB from 1985-‘88 and amassed 3,402 all-purpose yds.

— Tom Silverstein (@TomSilverstein) May 5, 2024

Packers coach Matt LaFleur singled out Stanley after the first day of rookie camp.

“We had one guy who had a one-handed grab out there that was pretty impressive,” LaFleur said.

Stanley spent the past two seasons at Iowa State. He transferred to Ames after initially playing for the Colorado Buffaloes.

Back in 1985, the Packers selected Walter Stanley in the fourth round of the draft. He averaged 12.8 yards per punt return his first year. By the next season, he also scored on a dazzling 83-yard return. Like his dad, Dimitri also can return punts.

Stanley will have a tall task in trying to make the Packers. But he already survived a large try out. Green Bay invited 18 players to its two-day tryout. Quarterback Jacob Eason also was vying for a contract. The Colts picked Eason in the fourth round of the 2020 NFL Draft.

It’s not clear who else the Packers offered from the tryouts.

Meanwhile, LaFleur announced that he moved quarterback Alex McGough to receiver. McGough signed with the Packers last summer before training camp. He was coming off an MVP season in the USFL after he led the Birmingham Stallions to the league title.

Besides quarterback, McGough also had worked at receiver and tight end on last season’s scout team.

“He’s a really athletic guy,” LaFleur said of McGough. “One thing I know you didn’t see last year is he spent a lot of time on the practice squad or on the scout team running receiver routes. And he did such a great job. We feel like he’s just such a talented athlete, why not give him a chance there? He’s a smart guy, works his tail off, I think he can definitely contribute on (special teams), as well. So we felt like that might be his chance here.”

The Packers did not draft a receiver last week.