GREEN BAY – The roads to real NFL game action don't get much longer than the one traveled by Packers receiver Jake Kumerow, but he never really doubted he'd reach the destination.

From spending most of his first three pro seasons on the practice squads of the Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots, Kumerow sensed he belonged. Sure, he had a lot of progress to make coming from Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater as an undrafted prospect in 2015, but his confidence was on display in his first training camp in Green Bay last summer.

That confidence was rooted in all the scout-team work he did in the AFC for three years, lining up across from starting NFL defensive backs and feeling like he held his own. His roster spot and subsequent pro debut with the Packers were delayed by a preseason shoulder injury, but ultimately catching eight passes for 103 yards and a touchdown over the final month of 2018 wasn't some out-of-nowhere contribution to Kumerow.

It was simply the opportunity he'd been waiting for, even if he had to wait much longer than the average NFL hopeful.

"I always thought I could be out there playing on Sunday," Kumerow said before embarking on his offseason. "The way the practice goes each day, I thought I always had a shot at doing it. Maybe I surprised myself a little bit, but I was excited to be out there making plays."

That's not to say the transition came easily, though. Three years running routes on scout teams (he spent the final week of the 2016 season on Cincinnati's 53-man roster, but was a Week 17 game-day inactive) isn't the same as being in the right place at the right time for Aaron Rodgers.

Impressively, Kumerow didn't take long to get on the same page with Rodgers in training camp, but there was still an adjustment for his regular-season debut in early December after spending three months on injured reserve.