GREEN BAY, Wis. — Two days after the Green Bay Packers surprisingly released tight end and special-teams ace Ryan Taylor, coach Mike McCarthy didn’t hesitate to name someone who has filled Taylor’s shoes so far this season.

“If I was to pick an MVP of our special teams today, I’d pick Sean Richardson,” McCarthy said Wednesday. “I think Sean has clearly been our best player from a production, attitude and … you just talk about a young guy taking a big step from year one to two or two to three, Sean is definitely one of those guys.”

Richardson leads the Packers on special teams with seven tackles through the first five games. The next closest is Jarrett Bush with four as the ninth-year backup cornerback continues to thrive as a coverage demon on kick returns.

As for Richardson, the third-year safety has found his niche while playing sparingly on defense this season. Richardson is fourth on the depth chart at a crowded position, which includes starters Morgan Burnett and Micah Hyde and frequently used reserve Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, the team’s first-round draft pick this year.

Richardson started the season with three tackles on special teams in the Sept. 4 loss at Seattle and matched that career high last time out in the lopsided win over the Minnesota Vikings last Thursday.

“I think Sean clearly realizes, just like all young players, the talk that’s given in (the team’s) rookie orientation (and) it’s given again at the beginning of OTAs (organized team activities), the vehicle onto our 53-man roster is through special teams,” McCarthy said. “If you’re a young guy coming into this program, if you don’t recognize that, then it’s probably not going to work out for you.”

The departure of Taylor on Monday came as a mild surprise. Taylor, never regarded for his pass-catching skills, was practically a nonfactor on offense this season — he had zero catches after posting a career-best six receptions last season.

Taylor also had only one tackle on special teams. The 2011 seventh-round draft pick was among the team leaders as a rookie with 10 special-teams tackles and totaled 13 the past two seasons.

The Packers filled Taylor’s spot on the 53-man roster by promoting second-year wide receiver Kevin Dorsey from the practice squad.

The 6-foot-1, 207-pound Dorsey had been on the practice squad since the start of the season. Green Bay’s seventh-round draft pick missed his entire 2013 rookie season because of a toe injury he sustained in the preseason.

Quarterback Aaron Rodgers welcomed the addition of Dorsey to a receiver group that likely won’t have Jarrett Boykin for a third straight game Sunday, when the Packers play at the Miami Dolphins. Boykin is recovering from a groin injury.

“He’s a talented route runner. He just hasn’t had a lot of opportunities,” Rodgers said of Dorsey. “He was not healthy last year, but they kept him around because they saw some potential. He had a good training camp (this summer). That was a deep group. Now he’s got an opportunity and he’s got to make the most of it.”

The Packers also made several additions to their practice squad this week with cornerback Tay Glover-Wright and guard Jordan McCray, both undrafted rookies.

The 6-foot, 175-pound Glover-Wright originally was signed by the Atlanta Falcons out of Utah State. The Falcons released the converted quarterback/receiver late in the preseason.

The Packers previously signed the 6-3, 322-pound McCray out of Central Florida. He was among their final roster cuts in the preseason.