Packers’ second year UDFA Kadeem Telfort takes starting snaps at RT in third training camp practice

By Paul Bretl: 7/24/2024

There’s was noticeable change on the Green Bay Packers’ offensive line during Wednesday’s training camp practice with second-year player Kadeem Telfort working with the starting offense at right tackle, as Zach Tom is still eased back in.

It was good, you know,” said Telfort. “It was a bit challenging, but it was also a learning experience because you know previously I was on P-squad, so it was really just like another day at practice at the end of the day.

The defensive line had been dominating the offensive line for the first two days of practice. Andre Dillard, who had been at right tackle with the ones during those first two days, was having a difficult time handling Rashan Gary.

Not that it was perfect, but Telfort had his moments, including one rep against Gary, where Andy Herman notes that Telfort absorbed Gary’s power move, anchored, and stalled out his pass rush attempt.

“It actually went good because those guys are top tier in the league,” said Telfort of his performance. “So you know, it was challenging but also my coached prepared me for stuff like that. So you know, at the end of the day it was just practice. I’ve been going against them for a while. Last year went against them for about 20 weeks, you know.”

The Packers signed Telfort as an undrafted rookie following the 2023 draft. Standing 6-7 – 322 pounds, Telfort is a towering tackle. During his final three collegiate seasons at UAB, Telfort played 1,883 snaps, all of which came at left tackle, allowing just three total sacks and 22 pressures, with never more than 10 in one season.

As an undrafted rookie, Telfort spent his first season in Green Bay on the practice squad.

“Practice squad last year,” added Telfort, “it was a humbling experience. Even though I felt I was ready, I really wasn’t. It didn’t really start clicking for me until I’d say third quarter, fourth quarter of the season. This offseason, I really hit the ground and attacked to it.”

The emphasis for Telfort this offseason was focusing on his footwork. This included spending the offseason with Packers’ receivers Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, and Grant DuBose in South Florida, learning from them. Telfort also mentioned that he slimmed down a bit as well.

“It helped a lot,” said Telfort on working with the receivers. “It taught me to be more urgent and I could get to my spot a little more quicker. Even the guys tell me that I slimmed down a lot more. Everything else is really faster and quicker now.”

Versatility is one of the cornerstones when it comes to playing offensive line for the Packers. And while Telfort is getting recognition for his play at the tackle position, during OTAs and minicamp, he took the majority of his snaps at guard. If he can prove to be capable of playing both inside and out, that will only make him a more desirable option on the 53-man roster.

However, lining up at guard during OTAs was the first time Telfort had played their since his Junior College days. So like with any change, there was a learning curve involved.

“The fight starts earlier,” said Telfort on playing guard versus tackle. “Like it starts as soon as the quarterback say hike, and you’ve got to be ready to fight, and gotta dig a little more because I’m somewhat blocking myself at a guard, 6-5 – 330 pound guys, so you know I’ve got to really strain more. Really, like, it’s a lot more.”

At the end of the day, this was one practice on the third day of minicamp when the pads weren’t even fully on yet. The next step for Telfort will be showing consistency and continuing to build upon these performances. However, the opportunity that he had to play with the starters also shows how far he’s come over the last year.

“It means a lot, you know,” said Telfort about playing with the starters. “I’m somewhat getting noticed now. Just taking advantage and taking it day by day. Taking the good with the bad.”

Packers RB AJ Dillon in a good position to ‘show his best’

By Paul Bretl: 7/24/2024

Playing on a one-year deal with almost no guaranteed dollars leaves a lot of uncertainty for Green Bay Packers running back AJ Dillon as he heads into his fifth NFL season. Unlike past seasons, he’s no longer a roster lock. However, whatever lies ahead for Dillon, he is at peace knowing the work he put in during the offseason.

“Shoot, just be the best I can,” said Dillon when asked what he wants out of this season. “I’m in the best shape of my life. I’m leaving no regrets, man, and doing every single thing I can and try to get better every day. Best offseason I’ve had. Year 5 in the offense like I was saying, I know what I’m doing.

“So leaving no stone unturned, whether it’s two yards, 2,000 yards, 2 million yards, I’m giving everything I got and I can sleep–put my head down on the pillow everyday and know I worked my ass off. That’s it. Being a great leader for the young guys we have on the team and trying to be an example of how you do it the right way.”

During the Packers first OTA practice back in May that was open to the media, there were three players that stood out because they physically looked different: Carrington Valentine and Colby Wooden, both of whom bulked up, and Dillon, who looked more trim, while still maintaining his muscle mass.

At his locker on Monday, Dillon said that he’s typically been around 250 pounds and at 8-9 percent body fat. But this training camp, he is around 245 pounds and five percent body fat. To get there, Dillon worked his tail off, as he put it, altering his diet and doing the extra workouts–really whatever it took.

“Just trying to trim off what you can but it’s more just a mindset ‘I work my tail off,’ said Dillon. “We’re getting all the non-toxic stuff and we’re eating all the grass fed beef, and just like doing everything–drinking water instead of soda. Doing the extra running. Doing the extra stairs. I heard a quote and I don’t know who it’s by, but it’s like you wake up and you have a good day, and you’re like, alright, tomorrow I’ll go out there and do the same thing. Then you realize this is my new normal. I just have good days and that’s just kind of what it became in the offseason.”

The result of this hard work is already showing up on the practice field with what looks like added burst and acceleration that Dillon now has. There was one run in particular during Tuesday’s practice where a hole opened up in the middle and Dillon burst through it for a long touchdown, out running the Packers’ defenders.

“This is the best I’ve seen him, so hands down, and I think he’d tell you the same,” said Matt LaFleur. “I think it’s just a testament to the work that he’s put in. He came back. He’s in great shape.

“Shoot, I was joking with him the other day, you can see the abs on him. That’s hard for a big man to do. He looks like he’s in great shape. I think he’s in a great place mentally. Obviously we know what he’s capable of doing, and I think he’s in a really good position to show his best.”

That big play ability is what has been missing from Dillon’s game last season. Although Dillon improved as the year went on, he would still average only 3.4 yards per rush attempt. Dillon’s eight carries of 10-plus yards ranked 47th out of 58 eligible running backs. He also ranked 42nd in average yards after contact, which is supposed to be his calling card as a physical back.

In an effort to generate more big plays, if part one of that equation is being in excellent shape, Dillon has checked that box. But part two is making sure that when the ball is in his hands, his natural abilities are taking over.

By Dillon’s own admission, and running backs coach Ben Sirmans has agreed, there are times when Dillon is overthinking on the field, and rather than reacting to what’s happening and letting his combination of speed and power take over, he’s pressing, which can slow him down.

“That’s part of the things that we’ve talked about with him,” said Sirmans last season. “That’s why I keep saying, I just want to make sure he’s not out there pressing because you’re right, that year (2020), it looked like he was going to be a different type of dude. That’s something I talk to him about.

“I think that as he tries to elevate his game, sometimes you can overthink your abilities and just get out there and play. If you’re out there thinking too much about how I need to do this or I need to be this type of guy, that’s going to take away from you playing natural football. So that’s the biggest thing, just get out there and be natural. Let your abilities speak for themselves.”

What we know at the running back position right now is that Josh Jacobs will be the lead back and rookie Marshawn Lloyd will be on the roster, although how heavy his workload is as a rookie remains to be seen. If the Packers release Dillon, they incur a dead cap hit of only $167,500–so as already mentioned, he is far from a roster lock, especially with Emanuel Wilson also competing for a spot on the 53-man.

However, there is certainly value that Dillon can add to this roster, regardless of what his role is. Although the big play ability was missing, Dillon knows the offense inside and out, and has been a very reliable option for the Packers, whether that be as a ball carrier, a pass-catcher, or in pass protection.

Any player with a well-rounded skill set will have the opportunity to carve out a role in some capacity, and if Dillon can pair that ability with added playmaking, his game could reach new heights in 2024.

“I envision going out there and balling out every time I’m on the field,” added Dillon. “Whatever that is, that’s for the coaches to decide. Like I said, I’m putting myself in the best position possible, in great shape, working, trying to lead, trying to cross my T’s and dot my I’s.

“Whether that’s special teams, running back, receiver, tight end, fullback, kicker, quarterback, I’m down to do whatever. I’m happy to be here. Like I said, I’m just going to put my helmet on and go to work.”

Led by Rashan Gary, Packers’ defensive ends off to a fast and disruptive start to training camp

By Paul Bretl: 7/23/2024

During Monday’s first training camp practice, it was the Green Bay Packers defensive front that got the best of the offensive line.

“I thought for the most part the D-line got the better of the offensive line through one day of practice,” said Matt LaFleur Tuesday morning.

Well, the second day was much of the same. Actually it was more so.

“I think this 4-3 style fits the guys we have in our room a lot better up front and you’ve been able to see it the past couple of days,” said Lukas Van Ness at his locker. “We’ve been aggressive getting after the quarterback. And again, pads add a whole different part of the game and it’ll be interesting to see in the coming days. But again, I think it’s a testament to the guys in our room and how hard we’ve been working. I think we have a goal in mind and we’re getting after it.”

Leading the charge for the defensive front was Rashan Gary, who was about as close to unblockable as you’ll see. He was lining up on both sides of the defensive front, using his power and violent hands to make his way into the backfield consistently, logging numerous “pressures” and what looked like several “sacks,” including three in a four play span.

“Just being able to pin our ears back, not think and fly around,” said Gary of the new defense. “It’s been fun so far the first two days.”

Under former defensive coordinator Joe Barry, the defensive front had more of a read-and-react approach as they were responsible for defending two gaps. However, under Hafley, this is an attack front, as defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich put it, that plays with its hand in the dirt and has one primary job: get into the backfield.

Yeah I feel more explosive coming out of a three-point stance,” said Gary about playing with his hand in the dirt. “Sometimes when you’re in a two-point stance you can create more false steps and with the hand in the dirt, the false steps are taken away.”

While Gary may be leading the charge, the entire defensive end position group seems to be getting in on the action. Van Ness has put together two disruptive days on the practice field, as has Kingsley Enagbare and Preston Smith.

During Tuesday’s practice in particular, moving the ball for the offense felt like an impossible task at times, with Clifford not only under pressure regularly, but under pressure very quickly as well. Following those pressures, the defensive front, particularly Gary, let the offense know that the defense was winning the majority of the reps.

“Just me being me bringing energy,” said Gary. “Just trying to bring everybody along and just trying to hold everybody to a high standard as I ask them to hold me to a high standard.”

If the Packers defense as a whole is going to improve in 2024, it starts with more consistent play upfront. In 2023, the Packers’ pass rush ran very hot and cold, recording seven games where they pressured the quarterback on 45 percent of more of his dropbacks, which is an excellent rate. However, on the flip side, there were also seven games where Green Bay pressured the opposing quarterback on fewer than 30 percent of his dropbacks, which is the opposite of excellent.

Then as we all know, the run game continued to provide this unit with issues, with the Packers ranking 23rd in yards per carry allowed, along with giving up a league-high four games of 200-plus rushing yards. 

Success for any defense starts in the trenches The best way to slow any offensive play is with a quick push from the defensive front. Slowing the run then puts the offense in obvious passing situations, giving the defense the advantage in coverage, while pressure leads to mistakes that can hopefully result in turnovers. 

Ultimately, it’s up to the players on the field to execute and make plays, but Hafley’s defense should create more opportunities for the Packers’ defensive line to be in positions to make that happen–and although it’s only been two days without the pads on, the affect that an attacking, high-energy front can have.

“We’ve just harped on depth and having guys to rotate in and out and everybody having the ability to affect the game and be an impact player,” said Van Ness. “As you said, whether it’s Preston or RG or myself or JJ, you know there’s a whole list of guys that can rotate and play any position and I think it’s a testament to the depth and the ability we have to go out and succeed.”

Back-to-back good days doesn’t make a training camp, just like back-to-back sub-par days doesn’t break a training camp. Instead it’s about consistency and building upon the previous day’s performance to continue getting incrementally better. That will be the next step for a defensive end group that is off to a fast and very disruptive start.

“Be consistent,” said Gary about his message. “Be consistent and be critical of ourselves. This is only Day 2. It doesn’t matter what you’ve done in practice; we’ve got to bring it to the season. Being consistent, you come out and have a great day, come out and have a great day for the next day. Just being consistent and being critical of yourself.”

Sean Clifford has opportunity to lead Packers’ starting offense with Jordan Love not practicing

By Paul Bretl: 7/23/2024

With Jordan Love not practicing until a new deal gets done, Sean Clifford now has the opportunity to work with the first-team offense.

“Excited. Excited,” said Sean Clifford at his locker on Monday. “I don’t think you know as a backup, you’ve got to be. You probably wouldn’t be in this position if you weren’t. so excited to just have the opportunity to get a few extra reps, especially with the 1s and all in all I thought it was a good day.”

Minicamp didn’t go how Clifford would have hoped. On the first day he threw three interceptions–all to Zayne Anderson–and then he threw another to Robert Rochell on Day 2.

However, while obviously not the showing Clifford wanted to have, he wasn’t going to dwell on it either. He spoke with Matt LaFleur, Jordan Love, and offensive assistant Sean Mannion about what went wrong, diagnosed the problem, and moved on ready to correct it.

“I didn’t play my best football the last two days, which is frustrating because I felt like I was making a lot of progress the first two weeks,” Clifford said back in early June. “There’s a little bit of overthinking. It comes down to reading with my feet. I’m trying to make that next step. I feel like when I get up to the line, I can really see the call, feel the defense, but then there’s also that other part of overthinking.

“The last week, I just got into that overthinking, slower in my reads, not giving guys as much of a chance.”

One of the intangible traits that we’ve often heard LaFleur use to describe Clifford is his resiliency. We saw this during his preseason debut in 2023 against Cincinnati, where, despite throwing a pair of interceptions, Clifford bounced back each time, and overall, he completed 77 percent of his passes at 8.0 yards per attempt with a touchdown.

During Monday’s first training camp practice, we again saw that bounce-back ability Clifford possesses. It was a shorter practice, with the team only working in the red zone during 11-on-11 drills. The defensive front did a very good job of making things difficult for Clifford and the offense, with Rashan Gary, Colby Wooden, Lukas Van Ness, and Kingsley Enagbare all generating pressures.

However, Clifford’s experience in the system, and knowing where to go with the ball, along wit his ability to adjust on the fly, helped him navigate those situations. Not to say that every throw was perfect, there were of course incomplete passes. But there weren’t any turnovers and Clifford threw three touchdowns, two of which were incredibly well placed balls into tight windows.

“I missed one to Wicks,” said Clifford, “kind of side-armed it, thought I could’ve gotten that one back, and then I thought Romeo won on a spot route in the red zone, I thought I potentially could have plugged it.

“But other than that, it was just honestly trying to stay within my footwork, get  back to the basics. I felt in OTAs I was really trying to be a little bit more aggressive and see what I can and can’t do. I think y’all saw that in minicamp, I threw too many interceptions. Now it’s all about getting back to the basics and checking the ball down when I need to and being a smart quarterback.”

Clifford playing with the ones not only gives him the opportunity to go up against the Packers top defenders, but on the offensive side of the football, it’s a very different atmosphere than playing with the more inexperienced players on the second unit, allowing Clifford hone in on other aspects of his game.

“To be honest with you, it’s pretty electric just,” Clifford said, “because you can really get after your cadence because those guys are veterans and you can really start to be a little bit more aggressive on certain things. Because when you’ve got rookies—and I was there last year—you kind of have to go on 1, maybe 2 every once in awhile, you’ve really, really got to tell everybody, ‘Hey, this is going to be on 2.’ But when you’re with the 1s, those guys are vets.

“So you’re able to spice it up, really try some things out there. so I was going on triple counts and doing some fun stuff that I haven’t been able to do in the past. But no, no nerves. Football’s football. I’m just excited to be out there.”

LaFleur said that as long as the Packers are without Love, the reps between Clifford and Pratt will be a 50/50 split. Clifford will be taking all the first-team reps, but LaFleur did add that “everything’s a competition,” so that is subject to change based on how he and Pratt are performing.

It was a good first day for Clifford as he led the No. 1 offense for the first time, but one day doesn’t make or break a player during training camp. It’s about putting together a consistent body of work, so the next step for Clifford is to build upon Monday’s performance for however long he’s taking those starting snaps.

“Sean, last year I thought did an excellent job coming in here and winning the backup job,” said GM Brian Gutekunst. “You guys saw him in the preseason, kind of his ability to compete and handle the moment. I think we expected that a little bit with the amount of football he played at Penn State in a major college situation like that and I think he continues to grow on that. So excited for him to see what he can do in Year 2.”

Packers QB Jordan Love won’t practice until new deal is reached

By Paul Bretl: 7/22/2024

Training camp is underway for the Green Bay Packers, but without a new deal done for Jordan Love, the quarterback won’t be participating until an extension is reached, which GM Brian Gutekunst understands.

“I think it was Saturday night,” said Gutekunst on Monday morning, “they kind of informed us that until we get something done, that he would not practice. So unless something gets done here before practice starts here pretty soon, he will not be practicing. But again, I think this is something we’re all working on. We certainly understand where he’s coming from.

“We’d like him to be out there. It’s important for him to be out there. Obviously you guys know how important practice is, and working with his teammates. But as of now, until we get that resolved, he will not be practicing. He will be taking part in, he reported last week, he’s taking part in everything else.”

Although Love is not participating in practice, he did report for training camp, and he was present on the practice field as well as in the team meetings, said head coach Matt LaFleur. Negotiations may still be on-going, but Gutekunst is confident a deal will get done because both sides want the same thing.

“Again, you never know,” said Gutekunst when asked if a deal could get done this week. “We’re working really hard to get that done. I think it’s really important for us. At the same time, the thing that I have confidence in is we both want the same thing. We want Jordan here for a long time, give him that stability for him, and it gives us some stability for our group as well.

“Russ is doing a great job with David Mulugheta and their team. You’ve got two people who are very experienced with this, so I’m optimistic. These are big deals. It takes time. They’re not as easy as some people may think.”

This offseason we’ve seen Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence sign a new deal that pays him $55 million per year–tied for the highest average annual value in football–and Detroit’s Jared Goff sign a contract that pays him $53 million per year on average.

However, while the quarterback market is a part of the equation, Gutekunst would point out that there are far more pieces to the puzzle when it comes to getting a deal of this magnitude wrapped up. While Gutekunst didn’t dive into those specifics, one obvious element is the long-term factor with Love’s contract and how this pending deal effects the salary cap down the road, impacting how much cap space the team has to re-sign its own players or make outside additions.

“Certainly that’s part of the process,” said Gutekunst about the future salary cap. “Again, we’re aware of that. They’re aware of that. It’s really just finding common ground. Again, we’re really fortunate to have Russ in the role he’s in. He has so much experience, just again confident we’ll find that common ground, hopefully soon.”

After a rocky start to the 2023 season, Love and the offense finished the year as one of the hottest units in football. From Week 11 through the divisional playoff game, which spans 10 games, Love completed 70 percent of his throws at 7.8 yards per attempt with 23 touchdowns to only three interceptions.

Among all quarterbacks during that span, Love ranked fourth in completion percentage, second in yards, ninth in yards per attempt, and first in touchdowns. Love also was the most productive quarterback on downfield passes of 20-plus yards, leading the league in completions, yards, and touchdowns on those throws.

Perhaps the cherry on top of all those stats and figures is that Love performed at that high level while being the most blitzed quarterback in the NFL as well.

In the grand scheme of the NFL, Love has limited experience as a starting quarterback, but there isn’t any doubt that he is the team’s franchise quarterback moving forward. But again, there are many factors in play when it comes to how the deal is built out, not only how much money per year Love will earn, and new contracts are, in large part, paying a player for what they will do in the future, not only what they’ve done in the past.

“Certainly we’re very down the road as far as we know he’s our franchise quarterback and we’re ready to move forward,” Gutekunst said,. “It’s not like we’re trying to make that decision. But at the same time, we want to put the best team around him we can, and we want to make sure that there’s certainly the structure of it so that we can do what we need to do for our football team moving forward, not only this year but in years to come is very, very important. Again, like I said, this is just part of it, not unexpected.”

Without Love, the Packers have only two quarterbacks participating in practice, Sean Clifford and Matthew Pratt, which should be a sign that a deal may done sooner than later. One would assume that if these negotiations were going to go on for a while, the Packers would bring in a third quarterback to handle some of the workload.

“That’s a great question,” said LaFleur when asked how long they can operate with only two quarterbacks. “Obviously we’re hopeful we’ll get something done here in the next–sooner than later. But that’s something that we’re gonna have to just adjust on the fly.”

Naturally there could be concerns about how the locker room would respond to this, but the players understand this is a business and know the work ethic Love has both on the field as well as off, when it comes to being a leader.

“The thing about Jordan is during OTAs,” said Sean Clifford, “he was here 100 percent of the time. He’s been working the whole summer. Guys know that. Nobody’s questioning his work ethic. Now, it’s just, he’s got to do what he’s got to do. He’s our leader, he’s somebody that everybody can lean on.

“It’s not a question of his morals or ethics or anything like that. It’s a business at the end of the day, and I don’t think it’s going to take super long. It’s just what he’s got to do now. But again, it speaks volumes – he’s not in California, he’s here. I got in here at 7. His bag was already in here. He’s in early, he’s staying late. He’s doing all the little things so it’s no worry from the players that’s for sure.”

Of course, the Packers want Love on the practice field for training camp during this valuable time before the regular season begins, but from coach Matt LaFleur to GM Brian Gutekunst, they understand why he isn’t. However, the Packers know that whenever Love is back on the field, he will be ready to roll.

“Whether you’re a young player or a veteran player, I think when you get to camp you want everybody out there,” said LaFleur. “There’s some guys that can’t be out there today for other reasons, but you know, you’ve just got to adjust and adapt. That’s the nature of the beast. That’s part of our game and part of our business, but we’re confident that he’ll be out there sooner than later.

“I know how he prepares, so I’m not overly concerned about that. He’s going to do everything he can to get the mental reps. Obviously the physical reps are really what’s important.”

Key takeaways from Packers first training camp practice

By Paul Bretl: 7/22/2024

The Green Bay Packers wrapped up their first training practice on Monday in front of what is a full crowd of Packers fans at Ray Nitschke Field. It was a shorter practice, just shy of 90 minutes, but here are my key takeaways from it.

– Of course, the big news is that Jordan Love won’t be practicing until a new deal gets reached. From Love’s perspective, it’s easy to see why he’s not participating because an injury could drastically alter these negotiations. And while Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur both want Love on the practice field, they understand why he isn’t. Love was at practice and has been in the team meetings, he just won’t be participating.

“Yeah, I think so,” said Gutekunst when asked if a deal could get done soon. “Again, you never know. We’re working really hard to get that done. I think it’s really important for us. At the same time, the thing that I have confidence in is we both want the same thing. We want Jordan here for a long time, give him that stability for him, and it gives us some stability for our group as well. Russ is doing a great job with David Mulugheta and their team. You’ve got two people who are very experienced with this, so I’m optimistic. These are big deals. It takes time. They’re not as easy as some people may think.”

– Without Love, the Packers have only two active quarterbacks, Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt. The fact that the Packers haven’t brought in a third quarterback to handle some of the workload is perhaps a sign that a deal with Love is close to being done. Clifford handled the reps with the first team offense and Pratt with the second and third team offenses during the red zone drills.

“That’s a great question,” said LaFleur when asked how long they can go with two quarterbacks. “Obviously we’re hopeful we’ll get something done here in the next–sooner than later. But that’s something that we’re gonna have to just adjust on the fly.”

– Players not participating due to an injury included Jayden Reed (toe), Caleb Jones (hamstring), Corey Ballentine (hamstring), Donovan Jennings (knee), Tucker Kraft (pectoral) and Marshawn Lloyd (hip), although it’s important to note with Lloyd that he was not placed on the NFI or PUP lists, so presumably he won’t miss much time. Reed mentioned that he “jammed” his foot up a little bit while at his youth football camp but that the injury is “nothing to worry about.”

– Along the offensive line, Zach Tom was activated off the PUP list, but will be eased back in. He went through individual drills but did not participate in team drills.

“Zach is going to come off PUP this morning. He’ll be out there today,” said Gutekunst. “He’ll be a little limited as we get going here but he is doing great. So Zach will be out there. Tucker is going to be a little bit longer but they’re both doing very well, probably ahead of the curve. I don’t think it’s anything we’re concerned about right now.”

– One starting offensive line configuration we saw was Rasheed Walker at left tackle, followed by Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Sean Rhyan, and Andre Dillard. During one of the red zone periods, we saw Rhyan at left guard, Jenkins at center, and Jordan Morgan at right guard. We briefly saw Jenkins at center during offseason programs, but today he played there a decent amount.

– The starting linebacker configuration remained the same with Eric Wilson, Quay Walker, and Isaiah McDuffie on the field when in base–with Edgerrin Cooper being rotated in for Wilson–along with Walker and McDuffie the initial starters when in nickel. Javon Bullard was starting next to Xavier McKinney at safety, while Eric Stokes was opposite of Jaire Alexander.

– I didn’t get the chance to watch Pratt during the red zone drill. I did watch Clifford, however, and three quick takeaways were: the pass rush looked really good, with Lukas Van Ness, Colby Wooden, Kingsley Enagbare, and Rashan Gary all making some noise. Clifford delivered two beautiful tight window throws in the end zone. And Dontayvion Wicks had a pair of really nice catches.

– The only kicker who kicked today was James Tuner. On six attempts, Turner would make four of them, missing right from 43 yards and 46 yards. Brian Gutekunst said they would carry three kickers as long as they have to, but one of the challenges will be getting all three consistent reps.

“As long as it takes,” said Gutekunst on carrying three kickers. “That’s an exceptionally important part of what we’re doing here. We have right now, at least we have the roster flexibility to carry three kickers. So until somebody wins that job we’ll keep churning it and moving down that road until somebody wins it.”

Packers 2024 Training Camp Roster Preview: Special Teams Unit

By: Paul Bretl 7/21/2024

With Green Bay Packers training camp on the horizon, I’ll be doing a position-by-position preview. Next up is the special teams unit.

If you missed any of the previous position previews, you can find them below:

Quarterbacks
Running backs
Tight ends
Wide receivers
Offensive line
Defensive tackle
Defensive end
Linebacker
Cornerback
Safety

Roster: Anders Carlson, Greg Joseph, James Turner, Daniel Whelan, Matt Orzech, Peter Bowden

Anders Carlson embracing the competition at kicker: The competition at kicker for the Green Bay Packers is already well underway even though training camp hasn’t started, and second-year player Anders Carlson is making sure to embrace it.

“I think it’s something you embrace,” said Carlson after Tuesday’s practice. “I think when you’re in the NFL, you’re going to compete. Whether you see people in your building or not, it’s a competitive business. So, no, it’s all about staying in your own lane and being a good teammate and just trying to be the best.”

Last season, it was the Packers who embraced the unpredictability that can come with relying solely on a rookie kicker, in what ended up being a roller coaster ride of a year for Carlson.

Carlson would miss either a field goal attempt or an extra point in 10 of the Packers’ final 12 games, including a crucial kick in the final minutes of Green Bay’s eventual playoff loss to San Francisco. Carlson’s six missed extra points were the most in football, and from Week 5 on, there were only three games where he didn’t miss an attempt.

The silver lining, I suppose, from Carlson’s rookie season was his resiliency and ability to bounce back–something Rich Bisaccia has spoken highly of since the Packers drafted him. Despite the inconsistencies, Carlson would never miss back-to-back kicks.

“When I dissected my season,” said Carlson, “most of my field-goal misses were just left when the wind was blowing right to left. I don’t know the specific number, but four out of five or five out of the six were just left, and that’s including that long one from Detroit. But still, like I said, if it’s one miss, it’s something you can correct and focus on.”

As Carlson looks to be the Packers’ kicker in 2024 and bounce-back this season, he isn’t in uncharted waters, and neither is Bisaccia.

Carlson’s brother, Daniel Carlson, had a rocky start to his NFL career as well. In D. Carlson’s first two seasons, he would make only 36 of his 47 field goal attempts and was released as a rookie by the Minnesota Vikings in 2018.

D. Carlson would latch on with the Raiders when Bisaccia was the special teams coordinator, and since 2020, has been one of the more reliable kickers in football.

“Obviously his first year was a little rocky, too,” said Anders of his brother. “When we were off the field, we talked about it a good bit. But, really, we love getting on the field and competing. I think that makes us better. It’s kind of the same thing here, competing every day.”

From Day 1 of last offseason, Bisaccia, Matt LaFleur, and Brian Gutekunst all knew that there would be growing pains for Carlson–it was something that was brought up routinely throughout the season. Hindsight being 20/20, the Packers probably would take a different approach at kicker if they knew how good the team was going to be by the end of last season.

Instead, the Packers chose patience as Carlson navigated the steep learning curve of being a rookie kicker in the NFL. However, for a team that has Super Bowl aspirations in 2024, there is no more patience. Carlson either has to perform, or someone else will be doing the job.

Greg Joseph is only focusing on what Greg Joseph does: Joseph has been in the NFL since 2018 after going undrafted out of Florida Atlantic. He has been in training camp competitions before and has attempted far more game-winners than Carlson and Podlesny. In 2022 alone, Joseph made five game-winning field goals, including a 61-yarder against the New York Giants.

“That was a fun one, for sure,” said Joseph of the 2022 season. “Just taking in, cherishing every team win, every moment, every opportunity you get like that, they’re all fun and all fond memories I’ll hold forever.”

Joseph has spent the last three seasons with the Vikings. Over his career, he has made 83 percent of his field goal attempts and has been extremely reliable on kicks under 40 yards, missing only one of his 65 attempts.

From 40-plus yards, however, Joseph is only 38-of-50, including 16-for-28 from over 50 yards. Playing in Cleveland in 2018, Joseph does have experience kicking in the elements, but he is just 3-for-7 in his career at Lambeau Field.

“We’re just trying to get him to be a little bit better, right?,” said Rich Bisaccia. “He’s been an indoor kicker now for a while, so being here is a little bit interesting. In our conversation with him, he hasn’t played well here, the two years I’ve been here. We blocked one, he missed one.

“So him playing in these conditions is a little bit different for him, as well. He’s got a tremendous leg. He’s got a great mindset. So, it’s been a good competition to this point. We expect it to stay that way for as long as Brian keeps three.”

If Joseph is going to be the Packers’ kicker this season, he’ll have to outperform Carlson and James Turner over the summer. However, Joseph isn’t all that concerned with how each of them is performing. Instead, his sole focus is on himself and controlling what Greg Joseph does.

“That’s where I really learned to focus on me,” said Joseph on his past experiences with kicking competitions. “Some guys might thrive off watching other people kick. I thrive in being in my own world because that’s where I really learn it’s me vs. me and focus on what I do and to get better on what I do each and every day, because that’s the only thing I can control.

“I don’t control what they do or anything outside of what Greg Joseph does kicking-wise.”

Who is James Turner? The Packers claimed Turner off waivers in late June after he had been released by Detroit. Turner went undrafted this past April out of Michigan, where he was 65-for-80 (81.3%) on field goals during his career. From 20-39 yards, Turner was excellent, making 44 of his 45 kicks. From 40-49 yards he was 17-for-25 and 4-of-10 from 50-plus yards.

The Packers decision to bring in Turner, who is the third kicker on the roster, goes to show the team’s willingness to create as much competition as possible. In the past, Rich Bisaccia has noted that getting three kickers regular attempts in training camp can be challenging, but the Packers know this is a position they have to get right given their Super Bowl aspirations.

As a workaround for having three kickers during offseason programs, LaFleur would have two kickers participate in each practice with the third sitting out, and the trio would rotate, with someone new sitting out each practice. The Packers did this to ensure that each kicker got enough reps on a given day. But by the end of offseason programs, LaFleur had all three of them kicking on the same day to get more of an apples-to-apples comparison, with all of them kicking in the same conditions.

“We’re appreciative of certainly Brian getting it to the point where it’s at right now, having a three-man competition,” said Rich Bisaccia during OTAs. “We’ll see how long we can keep that going.”

Matt LaFleur has said that this kicker competition won’t truly begin to take shape until there are more “high-pressure, game-like” situations. Of course, there are only so many of those opportunities that naturally occur during training camp with there being only so many two-minute drill situations and only three preseason games.

However, to help create more high-pressure situations, at the end of two practices, each kicker had to make their attempt with the music blaring and their teammates huddled closely around them, throwing water and yelling.

“Just make it as difficult as possible on the kickers,” said LaFleur during OTAs. “We wanna put ’em in situations that are pretty uncomfortable. I would say that’s a pretty uncomfortable. Nowhere in ball are you gonna have an entire team lined up around you, but just to try to amp up that level of pressure and it was good to see that last one go through the uprights.”

Daniel Whelan has looked excellent: Punter is the only position on the roster where there won’t be some form of competition, with Whelan the only one on the 91-man team. Considering how he looked during OTAs and minicamp, it’s easy to see why that’s the case–he’s looked great. Whelan was routinely booming punts that soared high with tremendous hangtime and went far.

Punter was another position last season where the Packers relied on a rookie, but unlike with the other positions on the field, we don’t often think about the growing pains that can come for a punter as they acclimate to the NFL level.

“Obviously, he’s improved,” said Bisaccia last December. “He’s played well to this point. I think the big factor for us early was his basic football awareness. What to do in different situations. Where am I on the field? What’s the wind doing? Am I doubled to one side, singled to the other? Is it double-double or whatever those things are? I think he’s concentrated on his drop, trying to get a little more hang.”

Whelan finished his rookie season ranked 25th in yards per attempt, 25th in number of punts inside the 20-yard line, 15th in touchbacks, sixth in fair catches, and third in hangtime.

“I still think he’s figuring out what he can hit and where” added Bisaccia. “Figuring out where his strength is and trying not to get touchbacks. Trying to get it down inside the 10 and learning how is fliers are playing on the outside and who can make plays at that position. There’s a lot of growth at that position and he’s certainly on the up hill of the trajectory.”

Packers like Matt Orzech but keep your eyes on rookie Peter Bowden: The Packers brought in undrafted rookie Peter Bowden to perhaps create some competition at long-snapper, but the team still seems to be bullish on Orzech, specifically his experience in big games.

Orzech has started 67 games during his NFL career, which includes winning a Super Bowl with the Rams in 2021. Before landing with the Packers in 2023, Orzech spent two years with the Rams, with kicker Matt Gay making 90 of his 92 extra point attempts during that span and 68 out of his 74 field goals. In 2022, Rams’ punter Riley Dixon was PFF’s third-highest graded punter with Orzech snapping to him.

“I think Matt’s really good,” said Bisaccia. “I thought he had a good year and he’s also improved. He’s gotten stronger. He’s played in a lot of big games. He’s won a Super Bowl. So hopefully he’ll be a guy that can set the example of what that’s supposed to look like, as well.”

However, while PFF grades aren’t the be-all-end-all by any means, for what it’s worth, only three long-snappers had a worst special teams grade last season than Orzech.

Bowden was Dane Brugler’s No. 1 long-snapper in this year’s draft class and comes to the NFL with 358 career snaps on special teams. In 2022, Bowden was a semifinalist for the Patrick Mannelly Award and a finalist in 2023. He has good size at 6-3 – 239 pounds and is a solid athlete with a RAS of 6.72.

During OTAs and minicamp, Bowden and Orzech were rotating snaps at long-snapper.

“We’ve done a lot of work on him,” said Bisaccia. “We like Peter and I thought he did pretty good. He’s got good size, he’s athletic, he can move his feet. He’s working on the velocity of his snap. But I do think he’s going to have a chance and have an opportunity in the future to compete and play in the league.

“And again, we’ve had a bunch that have come through our training camps two years in a row and now they’re playing on another team, or one year and playing on another team. so that’s another position, there’s not a lot of them out there, especially now with the size that they can compete and protect those ‘A’ gaps. So, we’re excited about him being around Matt.”

Packers 2024 Training Camp Roster Preview: Safety

By: Paul Bretl 7/20/2024

With Green Bay Packers training camp on the horizon, I’ll be doing a position-by-position preview. Next up is the safety position.

If you missed any of the previous position previews, you can find them below:

Quarterbacks
Running backs
Tight ends
Wide receivers
Offensive line
Defensive tackle
Defensive end
Linebacker
Cornerback

Roster: Zayne Anderson, Javon Bullard, Tyler Coyle, Anthony Johnson, Xavier McKinney, Kitan Oladapo, Benny Sapp, Evan Williams

Movement and versatility at the safety position: Whenever GM Brian Gutekunst was asked to describe what he wanted at the safety position this offseason, the one word that continued to pop up was “interchangeable.” 

Free agent signee Xavier McKinney filled a variety or roles during his time with the New York Giants—playing deep, in the box, and in the slot. Third-round pick Javon Bullard spent ample time in the slot and as the deep safety at Georgia, while the Packers believe that fourth-round pick Evan Williams can fill a similar role as Bullard with his movement skills.

During the third OTA practice, in particular, we saw the interchangeability that this trio possesses on display. From play-to-play, McKinney, Bullard, and Williams all filled different roles on the back end of the defense. This included slot and free safety snaps for Bullard, with McKinney and Williams both lining up deep and in the box.

There were also several instances where all three were on the field together, and there was a good amount of post-snap movement as well, with the safeties changing their positioning once the ball was snapped. 

“I like to say this is the best group that I’ve been apart of since I’ve been in the league and that’s from me to whoever the last person is,” said McKinney about the safety room. It don’t matter. I think everybody’s done a great job. 

“I think the talent level in our room is out of this roof. And it’s just going to be fun to play with these guys because everybody is smart. So we all working off of each other and we’re able to build off of each other and compete with each other and make each other better.” 

Adding this level of versatility among multiple players to the safety position generates a layer of unpredictability to the Packers’ defense. Pre-snap, opposing offenses won’t be able to necessarily get a beat on what responsibility each player has or where they might end up as the play unfolds based solely upon who is on the field or where each safety is initially lined up. 

From a game-planning perspective, this feature also opens up the playbook for Jeff Hafely, who has the flexibility to change things up from week-to-week depending on the opponent and what the Packers want to take away. 

McKinney is a perfect fit for what Jeff Hafley wants in a safety: When Hafley was meeting with reporters for the first time during his introductory press conference, he described what he wanted in his perfect safety. As McKinney would quickly point out, there is no perfect football player, but he does seemingly check every box that Hafley detailed.

“I don’t think any player’s perfect,” said McKinney, “but I will tell you that I’m striving for that. Every day I go out at practice, it’s going to be everything that I’ve got, 100 percent, and same way for the games.”

The traits that Hafley mentioned when discussing the safety position included the need to eliminate explosive plays–an area this Packers’ defense struggled last season. However, in 2023, McKinney would surrender just 8.7 yards per catch, the seventh-lowest rate among all safeties.

Hafley noted that he is looking for a safety who plays with his “hair on fire” in the run game, as he described it. Once again, McKinney was among the best at his position group last season, ranking sixth in tackles against the run.

Having a reliable tackler is a must at the safety position, and is an area where McKinney has excelled. Last season, McKinney missed just 5.7 percent of his 122 total tackle attempts–the lowest among all safeties.

“I think it’s just how I prepare,” said McKinney about his ability as a tackle. “I practice hard. When you practice hard you usually play pretty hard. I critique myself a whole bunch. I get better at the small things. I try to perfect my craft. That’s always how I’ve been.

“Obviously, like I don’t go into it like I’m not trying to miss a certain amount of tackles. I just go out there and play and see where the ball lands. That’s kinda just how it is. I’m going to try to improve that number from what it was last year because I think even that six or seven (missed tackles) is too much for a safety. We’re going to get that number down for sure.”

Another area that Hafley emphasized was the need for ball production at this position. Over McKinney’s four year career, he has recorded nine interceptions and, in the last two seasons, he’s totaled seven pass breakups.

Lastly, Hafley discussed the importance of communication at safety. Pre-snap, it is the job of the safety to make sure everyone on the back-end is aligned and on the same page when it comes to their responsibilities so that coverage breakdowns and big plays don’t ensue.

“I think ever since high school days and even before,” said McKinney about being a leader, “I’ve always kinda been in that position to lead vocally and with my play, so I think just being here is going to elevate it a lot more.

“Having the guys and the talent around me to be able to help me and improve, but the leadership is still going to be the same. It’s going to be better than what it has already been in the past. I’m just trying to continue to keep growing and keep being a better player, a better teammate and that’s really what the goal is for me.”

Javon Bullard and Evan Williams bring aggressive play-style to secondary: If the word “interchangeable” was a key theme at the safety position this offseason for the Packers, then “run and hit” was the other. It’s not only a scheme change defensively that the Packers are undertaking, but Jeff Hafley is helping to bring a different mentality to that side of the ball as well, and the additions of Bullard and Williams will be key in helping that play-style flourish.

Having already detailed the importance of versatility at this position, the other important element needed at safety is an aggressive, flying around the field type of mentality. Bullard’s college coach Kirby Smart would call him a “little stick of dynamite. Measuring in at 5-10 – 198 pounds, Bullard plays like a bigger safety, while still having the versatility to be moved around and the superb coverage skills.

“He’s 200 pounds and he shows up with the intention of making the physical tackle,” assistant director of college scouting Pat Moore said. “So, he plays with high energy. Volatile’s not the word, but he’s aggressive and physical and plays football in a physical and aggressive, energetic manner.”

Although Williams didn’t have the same number of opportunities in the slot as Bullard did, the Packers believe that’s a role he can handle with his movement skills. But in addition to his coverage abilities, which since 2021 generated three turnovers and seven pass breakups, Williams proved to be a sound tackler, willing run defender, and an effective blitzer over his college career.

“The thing that we liked about all of them is they have a very very aggressive play style,” said Packers VP of Player Personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan about the rookie safeties. “They’ll get off the spot and come get it. That’s something that was attractive to us. So yeah, we’re glad to add them to the room. They’re the right kind of guys to put in the locker room. This game’s very important to them, it means something. Just glad to add them to the equation.”

Oladapo will have to play catchup after missing offseason programs with an injury: Oladapo was also not on the practice field for OTAs or minicamp after sustaining a toe injury while participating in the on-field drills during the NFL Combine.

“I was like, really?” said Oladapo during rookie minicamp. “It was the third drill. I did the vertical, the 40 and but I just wanted to put on a good show for all the teams there. It was devastating but you’ve got to get through it. I did power through it and did my Pro Day and figured out it was more than just turf toe.”

Oladapo was place on the non-football injury list on Wednesday, and although he didn’t specify a target date for when he’d be available but he did mention that sometime in August is when we could see him on the practice field.

With Xavier McKinney, Javon Bullard, and Evan Williams also at safety, Oladapo may end up being a core special teams player as a rookie for the Packers, while defensively, he fills more of the traditional safety role, as GM Brian Gutekunst put it, able to play both the “free and strong safety role,” along with being someone who can line up as a “big nickel Sam linebacker.”

The added challenge for Oladapo this offseason, along with being injured, is having to take in a new defensive scheme and the language that goes with it, without being able to apply what he’s learning in the meeting rooms on the practice field.

“As we can move him around more,” said defensive backs coach Ryan Downard, “the walk throughs are going to become vital because these guys, you teach them what you can but until you go out and do it and walk through it, that’s to me where the real learning takes place.

“You can sit in a classroom and learn something but until you either have to teach it back or you take them out there physically let them walk through it, that’s I think where the growth takes place.”

Is Anthony Johnson the fourth safety? As OTAs and minicamp went on, we saw Bullard and Williams taking more snaps with the starting defense. However, as the two rookies got acclimated to the new playbook and going through an NFL practice, it was Johnson who saw his share of starting snaps next to McKinney.

Now, this doesn’t mean that Johnson will be the Week 1 starter, but it does go to show a level of comfortability that the coaches have with Johnson defensively, allowing them to bring Bullard and Williams along as they see fit, rather than throwing both immediately into the starting lineup.

“He’s done a nice job,” said Matt LaFleur. “He’s trying to take his game to the next level. Certainly, it’s definitely a different scheme so there’s a lot of new learning. It’s far from perfect but you attack it the right way with the right mentality, you’re going to get the most growth. That’s what we’re seeing from him.

“He’s done a great job and he’s embraced the competition, because that is going to be a great competition there with the number of young guys that we got coming in. There’s a couple vets there, too that are going to push him.”

Due to injuries at the safety position last season, Johnson saw some starting opportunities at the safety position as a rookie, playing 334 defensive snaps. On seven targets, Johnson allowed five completions for 60 yards, but had an interception and a pass breakup, along with a passer rating when targeted of just 57.7. Johnson also emerged as a core special teams contributor.

As of now, I would put him as the fourth safety on this depth chart and someone who will be on the initial 53-man roster.

Zayne Anderson or Benny Sapp better be really good on special teams: Of the five safeties mentioned, it’s possible that these are the players who make up the safety room on the Packers’ 53-man roster. If Anderson or Sapp are going to make a roster push, they’ll have to stand out on special teams.

After missing the first part of the season with injury, Anderson would play 152 special teams snaps from Week 9 on, and did so across a few different units. Sapp would spend most of the year on the practice squad, but was elevated from the practice squad on a few occasions before being signed to the active roster. Over the final five games, Sapp played 40 special teams snaps.

“I think I’ve taken a lot of steps this year in terms of the playbook and being where I’m supposed to be,” said Anderson. “And with special teams, that’s my gig. I love special teams, I love it and I’m really going to embrace that and hopefully be one of the better guys in the league.”

With the players that the Packers have at the top of the depth chart, special teams play will be the main factor in determining if either of these players makes the team. And when it comes to special teams play, Anderson and Sapp aren’t only competing against each other, but with other position groups, such as cornerback , linebacker, and tight end–other special teams heavy positions.

During the LaFleur era, we haven’t seen the Packers roster six safeties on the initial 53-man but over the course of the season, they do tend to go heavy at this position. An example of this came during the 2022 season when the Packers had 5.47 safeties on average active on their game-day rosters and an average of 5.71 safeties on their 53-man plus elevated players lists each week.

When it comes to roster construction, going with an additional player at one position means going light elsewhere, which is why I say that either Anderson or Sapp will have to be really good on teams.

Packers 2024 Training Camp Roster Preview: Cornerbacks

By: Paul Bretl 7/19/2024

With Green Bay Packers training camp on the horizon, I’ll be doing a position-by-position preview. Next up is the cornerback position.

If you missed any of the previous position previews, you can find them below:

Quarterbacks
Running backs
Tight ends
Wide receivers
Offensive line
Defensive tackle
Defensive end
Linebacker

Roster: Jaire Alexander, Corey Ballentine, Zyon Gilbert, Germon Green, Kalen King, Keisean Nixon, Robert Rochell, Eric Stokes, Carrington Valentine

Matt LaFleur “really confident” in cornerback depth: From the outside looking in, the cornerback position for the Green Bay Packers could be one with some question marks coming into the upcoming season. However, internally, that isn’t how the Packers view things. In fact, Matt LaFleur really likes the depth of this unit.

“We’re going to play our best players,” said LaFleur during minicamp, “but like I said I think yesterday, I feel really, really confident with the group that we have and there’s going to be some unforeseen things that happen but luckily we’ve got a lot of depth, in particular at that position.”

This confidence in the cornerback position isn’t new, either. GM Brian Gutekunst’s approach to the draft, not taking a cornerback until the seventh round even when there was the opportunity to do so early on, told us that the Packers were bullish about this group.

The way that the offseason has unfolded has only added to that confidence. Jaire Alexander has parlayed his strong finish to the 2023 season into a highly productive offseason, where he’s been present throughout the offseason programs, providing leadership off the field and competitive fire on it.

In addition to that, Eric Stokes is healthy, Carrington Valentine appears poised for a jump in his second NFL season and bulked up during the offseason. The Packers really like Keisean Nixon’s fit in Jeff Hafley’s defense at the nickel, and Corey Ballentine is a backup option who showcased last season that he can be relied upon when needed.

Packers’ cornerbacks have to make more plays on the ball in 2024: Last season, the Packers’ defense ranked in the bottom half of the league in yards per pass attempt allowed and recorded the second-fewest interceptions with just seven.

While at the end of the day, it’s up to the players to make plays, it’s also the responsibility of the coaching staff to put the players in positions to do so.  An important contributing factor to what hopefully becomes improved play this season will be Hafley’s defense.

The heavier use of press-man coverage suits the skill sets of this Packers’ cornerback room quite well, while Hafley’s vision-based approach for the back end should result in more opportunities to make plays on the football.

A number of Hafley’s former players and now many of his current ones on the Packers have praised him for his ability as a teacher to simplify the game plan, allowing the defenders to react rather than overthinking, and putting them in positions to be successful, where their individual strengths can shine, which should results in more opportunities for the Packers’ cornerbacks to make plays on the football.

“I love Jeff,” said Carrington Valentine. “He pushes us. He tells us the whys, the ins and outs. We’re just not going out there lining up. We’re understanding of why we’re doing stuff and I’m learning a lot.”

Jaire Alexander “super motivated” coming into new year: After a 2023 season where Jaire Alexander dealt with injuries along with a team-imposed suspension, he is attacking 2024 a bit differently. This doesn’t mean the offseason was a complete reboot for Alexander in terms of how he goes about things, but changes were made.

“It’s a little bit of both,” said Alexander. “I feel like I have so much more to put out there and display consistently, and I’m just ready to attack that.”

Injuries limited Alexander to only nine games last season, including the playoffs. He was also suspended for the Packers Week 17 game against Minnesota for going on the field the week prior during the coin toss when he wasn’t one of the elected captains.

Matt LaFleur discussed how difficult the decision to suspend Alexander was, but added that it provided a good learning opportunity for both sides. And upon Alexander’s return in Week 18, his play improved as well.

In the six games prior to the suspension, Alexander allowed 24 completions on 31 targets at almost 13.0 yards per catch with five pass breakups. However, in the three games following the suspension, two of which were playoff games, Alexander held pass-catchers to four receptions on eight targets at 6.8 yards per catch with an interception and a pass breakup.

“Man, I’m super motivated,” said Alexander about coming off last season. “I feel like every offseason is always a fresh start to do better and get better. That’s why I’m here.”

One of those changes that were made this offseason was Alexander choosing to participate in voluntary OTAs. Both Matt LaFleur and passing game coordinator Derrick Ansley have commented on how present Alexander has been, the leadership he has displayed, and the energy he’s brought to the building.

“I think that, like I said, just going into Year 7,” said Alexander, “at this point, I’m trying not to make it as much about myself and just do what’s best for the team.”

As new defenisve coordinator attempts to turn this Packers defense around, a big part of that will be helping Alexander return to his All-Pro caliber level of play. As just described, Hafley’s vision-based, more man-heavy defensive approach should help put Alexander and the other Packers’ cornerbacks in better positions to make plays on the football. Hafley has also been praised by former players – including Richard Sherman – for his ability as a teacher and to build game-plans that allow the defenders to play fast and physical, another aspect that can contribute to improved play from this unit as a whole.

“I like Jeff,” said Alexander. “He’s been great since Day 1. Preaches aggression, getting after everything. He’s a cool guy.

“You see it across the board,” Alexander added, “we’ve got a bunch of athletes on the field who like to make plays and can make plays. I think this is going to work really well.”

Fully healthy, Eric Stokes with something to prove: If the offseason is an indication of what’s in store, then a bounce-back season could be on the horizon.

“I think he’s as good as I’ve ever seen him,” said Matt LaFleur after Wednesday’s practice. “Both mentally and on the field. I want to temper the expectations with that, but I really mean that. He’s out there competing each and every day. He looks fully healthy. He’s doing a great job of challenging our wide receivers. He’s always in great faith.

“I think you see that personality is back. That’s tough on players when they’re going through an offseason not having opportunity to really build upon their bodies when you’re just focusing on rehabbing and getting healthy. He’s had a chance to really develop his body. He looks in great shape. I think the play says the same.”

Over the last two years, Stokes has played only 587 defensive snaps. His 2022 season was limited to just nine games after he suffered a season-ending foot injury. Then, in 2023, he played just 110 defensive snaps as he recovered from the foot injury early on while also dealing with various hamstring injuries throughout the year.

Along with wide receiver Christian Watson, the Packers sent Stokes to UW-Madison as well, to get to the root of his soft tissue issues. To summarize, with Stokes’ foot not at full strength, that put a heavier workload on his calf and hamstring, which contributed to the soft tissue injuries. So this offseason, the focus for Stokes has been on strengthening his foot and the areas around it.

“Yeah, so when we went down to Madison,” said Stokes at his locker, “just showed me everything to where like everything was equaling up for my foot to where like my foot wasn’t as strong as it needed to be, so that’s why it put more pressure on my hamstring, my calf and all that stuff, so it just showed me a lot of different little things and then I went back home, back where I train at in Atlanta.

“Basically we just trained hard and so like every day we doing calf raises, we doing hamstrings and stuff, we just attacking my legs and all that stuff day in and day out and now I come back, I feel even better. I feel like I’m faster than I was before, so it’s a lot of great new things.”

Stokes has an infectious aura about him. He’s easy to gravitate towards with his happy-go-lucky mindset and a laugh that can be heard throughout the locker room.

However, in dealing with the initial foot injury and then the setbacks that followed over the last season and a half, Stokes’ positivity was put to the test.

“Oh, it definitely took me time,” said Stokes on maintaining his positivity. “Definitely took me time. I would 110% agree with that. It took me time because of course from the start, I was mad. I was frustrated, everything just going wrong … but at the end of the day, it’s a bigger picture with everything. Like I know it was a lesson I had to go through for every little thing that I went through. Now it’s time to show.”

Of course, step No. 1 for Stokes is staying healthy and available. But after a stellar rookie season, prior to his Week 9 injury in 2022, he did find himself in a sophomore slump, which contributes to some of the unknowns around what to expect when he returns.

Through eight-plus games that season, Stokes allowed 21 completions on 25 targets at 13.1 yards per catch with no pass breakups or interceptions.

Part of the equation in getting Stokes back to his 2021 form will include Jeff Hafley as the defensive coordinator. Stokes mentioned that there are a lot of similarities between what Hafley is asking him to do and what he was asked to do while at Georgia, which includes more press man coverage.

“I’ll always feel like I got something to prove,” added Stokes, “especially coming off two injuries, the two seasons I’ve had previous. I feel like I got something to prove. I just can’t wait to come out Week 1 and show everybody.”

Valentine bulks up, ready for cornerback competition: As a seventh-round rookie in 2023, injuries forced the Packers to rely heavily on Valentine, who rose to the occasion. Valentine played 846 snaps, allowing a completion rate of 56 percent on 72 targets, with five pass breakups and a passer rating of 80.2 when targeted.

That momentum that Valentine was able to build over the course of his first season has been carried over into the offseason, where all signs point to him make that Year 2 leap that many successful NFL players make.

“I think it’s been outstanding,” said LaFleur. “That’s a guy that stands out, quite frankly, in my mind, in terms of just we challenged him to put on some weight after the regular season. He came back and he definitely looks bigger and he is bigger and he’s stronger and the guy loves football. He loves to compete and I’m excited for him. I think he’s got a really bright future.”

The Packers challenged Valentine to bulk up during the offseason, and it was a challenge that Valentine fully embraced. Valentine focused heavily over these past several months on his diet and hitting the weight room hard. During the first OTA practice that was open to the media, Valentine’s physical growth was noticeable, going from playing in the 180s last season to now hovering around the 200 pound mark.

“When I take on blocks, people feel lighter,” Valentine said. “I can be more aggressive. I naturally play aggressive anyway so it just went hand-in-hand with my game. It kind of worked out.”

Valentine will be competing this summer with Stokes for the starting cornerback role opposite of Alexander. In the early going of offseason programs it has been Stokes getting those starting reps ahead of Valentine, but as we all know, a lot can change once training camp arrives and the pads come on. As LaFleur said, they’re going to let those two compete and the best player is going to play.

“I mean, I’m ready for it,” said Valentine. “I’ve never been handed anything in my life. I didn’t want it handed to me now. I’m just going to keep going, keep grinding and wherever the chips may lie.”

Packers like Nixon’s fit in Hafley’s defense: With Nixon’s size, his willingness to help out in the run game, and his comfortability in man coverage, LaFleur likes his fit in Jeff Hafley’s defense as the nickel cornerback. 

“He’s a big guy for the position; he’s 200 pounds or whatever,” LaFleur said. “His willingness to fit in the run fits, whether it’s an A-gap or B-gap, stick his nose in there and then also his ability to play man coverage.

“Certainly, there’s going to be some elements to our scheme that are going to be different. He’s going to have to learn the new scheme. He’s played in this style of system before with the Raiders when Gus Bradley was there. So, he’s familiar with some of the things that are going to be asked (of) him. But that was a big get for us to get him back, in my opinion.”

After never playing more than 290 snaps in a single season, Nixon was the Packers’ staring slot cornerback in 2023, playing nearly 1,000 defensive snaps. Among all cornerbacks, he ranked 11th in PFF’s run stop rate metric, illustrating that willingness to help in the run game LaFleur described.

In coverage, however, Nixon will have to improve, allowing a completion rate of 78 percent, although he did hold pass-catchers to under 10.0 yards per catch. Nixon would force one interception and five pass breakups as well. Out of the 27 eligible defensive backs, Nixon ranked 19th in yards surrendered per coverage snap, 20th in snaps per target, along with surrendering the second-most total yards from the slot, according to PFF.

With the additions of Javon Bullard and Evan Williams at safety, Nixon could have some added competition when it comes to playing time. An emphasis for GM Brian Gutekunst this offseason when addressing safety was finding players who were “interchangeable,” and able to play both safety roles and line up in the nickel. Bullard was a primary slot defender for Georgia in 2022, while the Packers believe Williams has the movement skills to fill that role as well.

Don’t forget about Ballentine on your roster predictions: I wouldn’t classify Ballentine as a roster lock, but I do believe he is somewhat close to that category. When not starting on defense last season, Ballentine has been a key special teams contributor for the Packers. This spring, he was often working out in the slot, providing the Packers with a backup nickel option at cornerback, something they otherwise wouldn’t have with a room full of boundary options. In coverage last season, Ballentine allowed a completion rate of 59 percent on 54 targets and just over 12 yards per catch. He also had one interception and four pass breakups with a passer rating of 80.2.

“I like to play a little mind game, in a sense,” said Ballentine of his play-style. “I don’t like to put all my eggs in on basket. So sometimes I play aggressive. Sometimes I play a little more passive depending on the situation. I try to be very aware of the situation, the sticks, the call, I still want to play within the call.

“So I don’t want to freelance it and do my own thing all the time. But I try to be conscious of everything when I see something pre-snap and I alert it and can break on it and play fast and play free and not think about it, then that’s when I feel like I play best.”

Special teams contributions will be key to determining any final roster spots: Between Alexander, Nixon, Stokes, and Valentine, we know that four roster spots are accounted for. That number goes to five if we include Ballentine. Typically, it’ll be just five or six cornerbacks that the Packers roster on their initial 53-man, which means just one or two spots are available.

Along with linebacker, tight end, and safety, cornerback can be one of those core special teams positions. Of course, there is a prerequisite defensively that has to be met, but special teams play will be a key factor for Robert Rochell and Kalen King when it comes to making the team. Rochell was a key special teams player during the second half of last season, seeing regular snaps across four different phases.

King was the Packers’ seventh-round pick this past April, and as a draft pick with upside, that does give him an advantage when it comes to making the team. But being taken at that stage of the draft doesn’t guarantee him a roster spot either.

King was an All-American in 2022 after putting together a very impressive season at Penn State. In fact, this time a year ago, many thought that he could be a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Instead, King took a step back this season, allowing a completion rate of 61 percent and forcing only one pass breakup. He would also run a 4.6-second 40-yard dash.

When asked, Gutekunst didn’t have any specific reason as to why his play fell off. King is an experienced player and is still just 21 years old. Given those factors, along with his play at Penn State in 2022, this pick is a swing at hitting on King’s potential. 

“I mean, I feel like the way I approach the game is always the same,” said King about his play in 2023. “I put in the work and I know what I’m capable of. Just because I got picked towards the end of the seventh round this year doesn’t mean that’s the player I am. That’s just where I was slotted to be. Going to go into the NFL, my career really starts now.

“Anything before this point, I feel like doesn’t matter anymore. With me having this opportunity with the Green Bay Packers, I feel like nothing happened last year. Everything is happening exactly how it’s supposed to. To answer your question, I feel like everything happens for a reason and I feel like I’m in the right place now.”

Zyon Gilbert and Germon Green: The Packers signed Gilbert to the practice squad in late October last season. Gilbert went undrafted in 2022 out of Florida Atlantic. He spent that first season with the New York Giants, playing 73 defensive snaps, most of which came as a nickel defender. Gilbert would also play 27 special teams snaps as well.

Green was signed back in April after going undrafted in 2023 out of Michigan. He would spend time on the Giants practice squad last season. In 2022 with Michigan, Green allowed a completion rate of 53 percent at 13.3 yards per catch with three pass breakups. He also played 247 special teams snaps in his college career.

Packers 2024 Training Camp Roster Preview: Linebackers

By: Paul Bretl 7/18/2024

With Green Bay Packers training camp on the horizon, I’ll be doing a position-by-position preview. Next up is the linebacker position.

If you missed any of the previous position previews, you can find them below:

Quarterbacks
Running backs
Tight ends
Wide receivers
Offensive line
Defensive tackle
Defensive end

Roster: Edgerrin Cooper, Ralen Goforth, Ty’Ron Hopper, Isaiah McDuffie, Quay Walker, Kristian Welch, Eric Wilson, Christian Young

Building relationships with the players is important to new LB coach Anthony Campanile: Campanile is highly regarded in NFL circles. He interviewed for both the Miami and New York Giants defensive coordinator openings in January, and is potential future head coaching candidate.

Campanile has been the Dolphins’ linebackers coach since 2020, coaching under two different head coaches and defensive coordinators. Prior to that, he was the linebackers coach at Michigan in 2019 and the Boston College co-defensive coordinator/defensive backs coach in 2018.

This past season, the Miami defense ranked seventh in yards per rush attempt allowed at just 3.8. As a group, the Dolphins defense gave up only 5.1 yards per play, the ninth-lowest average in football.

Linebacker David Long Jr. ranked sixth among his position group in 2023 in total pressures and first in PFF’s run defense grade. Jerome Baker recorded two interceptions, tied for seventh among linebackers, and held pass catchers to 7.9 yards per catch, the eighth-lowest mark among linebackers.

Many fans around the NFL got a glimpse of Campanile and his intensity when he made a passionate speech to the defense on HBO’s Hard Knocks this past season.

“I think the one thing that maybe, certainly, is in that clip that I am talking about is you are at your best when you’re doing things for people you love,” said Campanile. “That is what I do believe. I mean, you hear me saying that on that clip, I’m sure. And I think the guys who are around me every day, the players there were around me quite awhile, they’d probably be able to attest to the type of person I am and what I really do believe.

“As a coach, I think that’s our job, to be invested emotionally in the guys to try to get them better. That’s our job. These guys have all got hopes and dreams and everybody on the team trying to work in the same direction to achieve those, it’s our job to make sure we’re keeping that in perspective to get the best out of everybody and put the best product on the field.”

Packers have a group of LBs that can blitz the QB: One of the differences we will see under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is more blitzing from the linebacker position. Now, this doesn’t mean that the Packers are going to be like the Chiefs or Giants from last season–two of the most blitz-heavy defenses in football–but given what we’ve seen during OTAs and minicamp, it does look like there will be more of it.

When Hafley was at Boston College, his defense in 2023 ranked ninth out of the 14 ACC teams in blitz rate on passing plays. Instead, on early downs, he relied more heavily on the defensive front to create the disruption. But on third downs, Boston College would rank second in the conference on third-down blitz rate, which included six man pressures as well.

The Packers have a very athletic linebacker room, and a group very capable of getting after the quarterback. Out of 73 eligible linebackers last season, Walker ranked 21st in pressures and McDuffie was 15th in pass-rush win rate. Cooper was extremely disruptive in getting after the quarterback, totaling eight sacks, 27 pressures, along with 17 tackles for loss. Hopper, meanwhile, had 212 pass rush snaps over his final two years at Missouri.

“If a guy’s got a good explosive first step,” said Campanile about pressuring the quarterback, “to me, just in general, the get-off is probably the biggest part of pass rush for anybody, and I’ve been fortunate enough to be around some guys who’ve done a great job with that and some other guys who’ve done a great job coaching that.

“To me, it’s really those first four steps of the rush, not that first step—the relentlessness to get to the point of attack and get to the junction point with the tackle and doing a good job reading the snap of the ball and then obviously reading the set of the offensive lineman. So there’s a lot that goes into it, but he’s got really a good foundation to start there.”

Putting Walker in a position to make plays: Based on what we saw during practices this offseason, Walker is going to be the Packers’ Mike linebacker when they are in their base 4-3 defense and the signal caller in this Hafley defense. In his first two seasons, we’ve seen Walker’s playmaking ability but the next step for him is the consistency in which those splash plays happen.

As Hafley said during his introductory press conference, he wants to make sure that Walker is routinely in a position to make plays. The new system should certainly help with that, with the emphasis being on running and hitting, which is what Walker was asked to do while at Georgia.

Hafley creates digestible gameplans for his defenders to go out and execute on, however, don’t mistake digestible for simple. This is a defense that will use post-snap movement to help disguise coverages and blitz from different parts of the field to cause some chaos. The gameplans are digestible because there is a deep understanding by all 11 players about what they’re being asked to do–and why. 

Good coaches – and teachers – are always mindful of what their players can learn in the allotted timeframe that they have to implement what they’re working on. Hafley can dial up the perfect defensive play call based on the situation, but if it’s not executed properly, it doesn’t matter how good the play looked on paper.

When players are confident in their fundamentals and technique and have a clear understanding of not only their role but the roles of their teammates, the gameplan can look ‘simplified’ because the end result is fast and physical play. Rather than overthinking, players are reacting and letting their natural abilities take over. As Packers’ running back coach Ben Sirmans has said, “when you think, you stink.”

Of course, any successful gameplan is going to fully utilize the strengths of each player. However, that’s just part of the equation. Putting defenders in a position to make plays on Sundays doesn’t solely revolve around where the players are asked to line up or what they’re asked to do. It begins with acute attention to the finer details and how the gameplan is taught and communicated so everyone understands the why behind it all.

“Pretty much everything, to be honest with you,” said Quay Walker when asked what stands out about Hafley’s defense. “It’s a lot of stuff that I did in college that I think translates very well for a lot of us. I think it fits what we do.

“I think not only that — I think Haf doing a great job so far of putting us in the right position. Whatever the case may be, I just think his attention to details and everything like that and how we are so far, but everything stands out about the defense because it’s similar to what I’ve done before. Not only that, but a lot of guys, as well, so I love it so far.”

Isaiah McDuffie will have a role this year, the question is how big? Due to injuries to both Walker and De’Vondre Campbell last season, McDuffie would play nearly 50 percent of the Packers’ defensive snaps. He proved to be a very sound tackler, missing only six of his 92 attempts, and was at his best against the run, flowing sideline-to-sideline and filling gaps.

“I would say so, for sure,” said McDuffie when asked if he liked what he put on tape last year. “I would say there were some things I was proud of. Going into this season, I’m holding my head high and I’m ready to continue on that path.”

In the early going of offseason programs, McDuffie has been a regular lining up next to Quay Walker. When the Packers have been in their base 4-3 defense, it has been Walker as the middle linebacker, with McDuffie and Eric Wilson alongside of him. When Cooper has been worked in, he has taken Wilson’s place.

Then, when the Packers are in nickel with only two linebackers on the field, which is the alignment that the majority of their defensive snaps are going to be played in, McDuffie has been the primary linebacker next to Walker. While depth charts in May and June may not mean a ton, as of now, McDuffie appears to be LB2.

The fact that McDuffie is seeing the starting snaps over Cooper at this stage of the offseason shouldn’t be all that surprising, given his experience not only in the NFL but also, McDuffie’s final season at Boston College was with Jeff Hafley as his head coach.

“I think any time you kind of have a headstart with knowing the guy it helps,” McDuffie said about his relationship with Hafley. “Football’s a small world, so the more people you know and relationships you build, it’s always a positive.”

A critical stretch for Edgerrin Cooper: The weeks leading up to training camp are the last time for everyone involved to recharge their batteries before the grueling NFL season begins, but for the Packers’ rookies, particularly linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, this is a “critical” five-week stretch, as Matt LaFleur put it.

“I think he’s another guy that he’s going to have to build on what he’s already put out there,” said LaFleur during minicamp. “I think these five weeks are going to be absolutely critical for him in terms of not only the mental, but the physical and making sure he’s taking care of his body.”

From the time the college football season ends to the time that the incoming rookies arrive at the team facility, there is little break for them. Many participate in Collegiate All-Star games, then they make their way to Indianapolis for the NFL Combine, and there are Pro Days as well, not to mention the constant travel that comes with meeting with various teams as part of the pre-draft process.

Prospects are, of course, still training during those months, but the focus is on completing drills like the 40-yard dash, vertical jump, 3-cone, and other athletic testing events. However, there’s being in shape, and then there’s being in football shape.

“I think a lot of these guys after the draft process they’re not in the best physical condition because like Coop took a visit here,” LaFleur said. “I don’t know how many visits he had, but it’s a different style of training.

“You’re getting ready for the Combine, you’re trying to go run your fastest 40, the Underwear Olympics, if you will, and it’s different when you start playing ball. So I think this is a critical time for, in particular his case he’s got to keep building on the foundation that he’s laid and we expect him to come back even better and have a better knowledge base on what is required of him.”

Along with the physical side of things, the other part of the equation for Cooper is the mental side–specifically the playbook. As is the case for any incoming rookie, there is an adjustment to a new scheme and the speed of the NFL game.

This jump from college to the NFL is different for every player, but the linebacker position can come with a steep learning curve, given that these players are responsible for defending both the run and the pass and need to know where their teammates are going so they’re aware of any potential spacing that will need to be filled.

As LaFleur said, Cooper has laid the foundation during OTAs and minicamp. Cooper would add that the final week of OTAs and the two minicamp practices are when things started to slow down for him. But in order to build off of what he’s done and to pick up where he’s left off when training camp arrives, as the defense goes through installs a second, third, and fourth time, he’ll need to keep his nose in the playbook during the off time to maximize those reps.

“You know, just going over your rules and even drawing stuff up and writing down what each guy got, and putting the puzzles together,” said Cooper when asked what staying in the playbook looks like. “Just quizzing yourself. The thing is going from there and then going back to your notes. It’s just all putting it all in your head so it’s all second nature.”

Eric Wilson provides quality depth at the position: The Packers re-signing Wilson earlier this offseason likely flew under the radar to a degree, especially with the team bringing in Xavier McKinney and Josh Jacobs. However, this was a quality depth addition.

Wilson is an experienced player, having played nearly 2,300 snaps in his career, including 144 last season, utilized primarily in obvious passing situations. As Cooper gets acclimated to the new defense and NFL level, Wilson has been sharing reps with him as the Will linebacker during offseason programs when the Packers are in their base defense. In addition to what Wilson can add defensively, he’s been a core special teams contributor as well, leading the team in snaps in 2023.

“He’s a really solid defender, and he’s really good on (special) teams,” Matt LaFleur said when the team added Wilson in 2022. “We’re lucky to pick up a guy like that. He’s got a lot of versatility. He can run really well and he’s physical.”

Where does Hopper fit? If we were to build out the linebacker depth chart now, Walker, McDuffie, Cooper, and Wilson appear to be the clear top four options at linebacker for the Packers. That isn’t to say things can’t change for Hopper when the pads come on and the real evaluating takes place, but his biggest impact as a rookie could end up coming special teams.

Two reasons that the Packers drafted Hopper are the physicality and range he brings to the defensive side of the football. These are also two elements that should make him a valuable member on special teams. Of the Packers top five players in special teams snaps last season, three of them played linebacker. This is a key position when it comes to contributions in that phase of the game.

“I would say range,” said Hopper when asked what type of player he is. “I feel like I can do many different things. Mizzou put me in those positions to basically highlight different aspects of my game. So yeah, I’d basically just say range. Like I was saying earlier, I can play the run very well. I can also play the pass and being an off-the-ball blitzer and things like that, so I’d say range.”

Skill set-wise defensively, Hopper is likely a Will linebacker, who will operate in space. However, at both the safety and linebacker positions this offseason, Gutekunst was focused on versatility, getting players at both position groups who are “interchangeable,” and able to fill different roles. We will find out in training camp how much the Packers are going to put on Hopper’s plate.

“Well first of all, like we’ve talked about a lot, this is a 4-2-5 league,” said Gutekunst. “So I just think if those guys are interchangeable and they can do everything we’re asking those guys to do, it just gives you flexibility. I think if a player is limited in some form or fashion, then that can be a problem and to me, really, speed is the game.

“They gotta be able to run and I think the two guys we selected today — obviously you guys know Quay can run. We’ve gotten faster. Isaiah can run, so I really like that group and where we’re headed with that right now.”

Don’t forget about Kristian Welch when putting your roster predictions together: With the defense spending most of it’s time lined up in nickel, GM Brian Gutekunst doesn’t believe that switching to a 4-3 scheme will be a massive shift for the linebacker position. However, earlier this offseason, what he did mention is that being a 4-3 defense could require the Packers to be “a little more heavy there” on the 53-man and practice squad this upcoming season. So don’t be surprised if this is a position where the Packers go heavy and keep six.

Welch finished last season fourth on the team in special teams snaps, playing regularly across four different phases. He was also third on the team in tackles, and out of 187 eligible players league-wide, Welch ranked 39th in special teams grade from PFF.

Christian Young and Ralen Goforth: Young briefly spent time on the Packers practice squad last season but was eventually released. The team re-signed him back in April. Young went undrafted in 2023 out of Arizona, where he played safety, with most of his snaps coming in the box. He’s another player where you can see the speed he adds to the position. Between the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Young allowed 39 completions on 59 targets at 11.6 yards per catch with five pass breakups. He was a sound tackler and played 413 career special teams snaps.

Goforth signed with the Packers as a UDFA after this past April’s draft. He played five college seasons, with his final year coming at Washington. Goforth fits the mold of what the Packers were looking for at the linebacker position this year with some of the buzzwords from NFL Draft Bible’s profile of him being “hard-hitting” and “blitzing ability.” Goforth played nearly 500 special teams snaps in college.

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