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.

Packers place four players on PUP and one on NFI list

Green Bay Packers rookies, quarterbacks, and injured players reported on Wednesday for training camp, which begins on Monday with the first practice.

Of this group of players, five would have an injury designation. According to Aaron Wilson, Zach Tom, Tucker Kraft, Alex McGough, and Donovan Jennings were placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list and Kitan Oladapo was placed on the non-football injury (NFI) list.

Players who are on PUP have football related injuries. They still count towards the 90-man roster and can participate in team activities, but are unable to practice. Players on the NFI list sustained an injury away from football, or in Oladapo’s case, his injury happened during the pre-draft process. Once a player on either PUP or NFI is healthy, they can be activated and begin participating.

Both Tom and Kraft would miss OTAs and minicamp practices dealing with torn pectorals, both of which were sustained earlier in the offseason while lifting waits.

“Just a regular lift,” said Kraft. “It was my last rep of the day on bench. Nothing crazy, not heavy weight. The weight was all tracking linearly. We were speed-benching and it just popped right off the bone. It sucks.”

Although both players are beginning training camp on PUP, Matt LaFleur said there is “no long-term concern” with either Tom or Kraft.

When Luke Musgrave got injured last season, Kraft stepped into a larger role on the fly and his development really took off. Kraft finished the season catching 36 his 48 targets for 379 yards with three scores, and he was particularly effective after the catch with the ball in his hands, ranking fifth among all tight ends in average YAC.

As the season progressed, Kraft began to find his groove as a blocker as well, ranking 24th out of 77 eligible tight ends in PFF’s run-blocking grade from Week 13 and on.

Having a tight end who can impact both the run and passing games adds a layer of unpredictability to the offense. Pre-snap, defenses can’t decipher as easily whether a run or pass is coming simply based on where the tight ends are lined up. Opponents are then forced to respect both the run and the pass on any given play, thus having to defend the entire field, which creates better spacing. 

“I’m just ready to take off in this league and establish myself as a football player, really. That’s where my frustration lies,” Kraft said.

“I was really excited about this offseason – to have the whole offseason – to get running off the football again, get my second step down, my landmark. What I want to establish this year is I want to be the best Y in the outside zone – running the ball at the tight end. That’s my individual goal for the season. That just opens up so many avenues.”

Once healthy, Tom has big goals for this upcoming year after putting together an impressive 2023 season at right tackle. Tom would surrender just two sacks along with 37 pressures. Out of 50 eligible tackles, Tom ranked 13th in pass-blocking efficiency. 

Making Tom’s performance even more impressive was the competition he went up against. Of the NFL’s top 10 edge rushers in terms of total pressures, Tom faced six of them, including Nick Bosa, Aidan Hutchinson, Micah Parsons, and Maxx Crosby, all of whom finished in the top-four of that pressure category.

“However many sacks I gave up is too many,” Tom said. “This was really my first year starting and I was able to go up against some of those premier guys. Learned a lot. Now, this year, come back even better. I’ve got big goals in mind for this year.”

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 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.”

Former quarterback and now wide receiver Alex McGough was dealing with a hamstring injury at one point during OTAs. As of now, we don’t know if that is why he is currently on the PUP list, but regardless, the already daunting task of making a position change at what is a very talented position group only becomes more difficult the more time that is missed.

“Obviously, it’s just completely different from what I’m used to,” said McGough on playing receiver. “But it’s good. Everybody’s helping me out, teaching me little things here and there. Watching the vets – not that we really have any vets – but watching the guys who have done it their whole life. And it’s been good.

“Obviously, there’s so much that I need to learn and so much that goes into it that I didn’t even know about. Kind of just doing what I thought was the right thing. There are all these intricate details that you don’t know about until you get in a room and you get taught them. It’s been helping a lot.”

Jennings went undrafted this past April out of South Florida and signed with the Packers. he is exactly what they typically look for in a lineman, a good athlete who spent his college career at tackle and will play guard at the NFL level. It is unknown what injury Jennings is working through or when it took place.

Packers 2024 Training Camp Preview: Defensive End

By: Paul Bretl 7/17/2024

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

Roster: Deslin Alexandre, Keshawn Banks, Brenton Cox, Kingsley Enagbare, Rashan Gary, Arron Mosby, Kenneth Odumegwu, Lukas Van Ness, Preston Smith

On a young team, Preston Smith’s veteran leadership provides important element: Entering his 10th NFL season, Preston Smith has quickly become the veteran on this Green Bay Packers football team, which for the second year in a row, could be the youngest in the NFL. In fact, at soon-to-be 32 years old, Smith is the only player on the 91-man roster who is over 30.

“It’s always the goal of mine to make Year 10 and now that I’m here,” said Smith during minicamp, “it’s always a goal to just keep on chopping. Keep on chopping at the wood and making sure that I keep on doing what it takes to stay here and I keep on doing what it takes to reach my own personal goals and to make sure that — because I’m so close to a lot of ’em — and I got so many opportunities and I still feel like I got so much ball left in me.

“I feel like I got a lot of gas left in the tank and I still have an opportunity to make big plays and play for a long time in this league.”

During his tenure with the Packers, which is now going on Year 6, Smith’s experience, along with the example he sets day-in and day-out, has put him in a leadership role, one that he very much embraces. Following the Packers’ playoff loss to San Francisco, it was Smith, while the team was still in the 49ers’ locker room, that set the tone for the upcoming months, describing what a “championship offseason” looked like.

As he does, Smith led by example. He was a regular member of the Packers’ voluntary offseason programs, which began back in mid-April, and is something that certainly isn’t required for a player going on his 10th NFL season.

“Man, any guy in this locker room will tell you Preston is Preston,” said Rashan Gary. “Preston is the heartbeat, man. He’s going on 10 years. I’ve been with him my whole six years. Everybody feeds off him. When Preston talks, everybody be quiet and listen because when 10 years talk, he’s coming from experience and understanding. That’s what P brings, man, just a leader through in and through outs.”

“Big things” ahead for Rashan Gary: The big difference for Green Bay Packers defensive end Rashan Gary this offseason compared to last isn’t that he’s adjusting to a new defensive scheme under Jeff Hafley. It’s that he’s fully healthy and able to work on his game rather than having to rehab.

“Man, it’s a blessing,” said Rashan Gary at his locker following the Packers’ second minicamp practice. “I remember when I first got back here, and I was talking to the training staff. I’m like, ‘I miss this. I actually miss this.’ Just having the offseason to do what I need to do, I worked on parts of my game I really didn’t have time to work on last year. It’s very important and very crucial for me, so now I’m just enjoying it and thankful to God.”

Gary suffered that ACL injury during Week 9 of the 2022 season. To the surprise of many, he was available for the Packers’ Week 1 matchup against Chicago to open up the 2023 season, roughly just 10 months removed from when the injury occurred.

Easing Gary back in, he was used in a rotational capacity for the first five games of the season, averaging just 21 snaps per contest during that span. However, Gary made the most of those opportunities, totaling eight pressures and leading the NFL with a pass rush win rate of a whopping 33.3 percent, meaning that every three snaps, he was beating the offensive lineman he was lined up against.

Realistically, there was no way that pace would be maintained over the course of a season, especially as Gary’s workload returned to normal capacity. Gary finished the season with 66 pressures, which ranked 20th among edge rushers, and he was 21st in pass-rush win rate.

Oftentimes, when players are working their way back from injuries, they’re almost playing catch up to a degree throughout the offseason and even into the season–trying to work their way back to where they were rather than having the opportunity to focus on specific aspects of their game in an effort to get ahead.

A year ago, Gary was working through the former, just trying to get healthy. Now, he is living in the latter, with a full offseason to continue perfecting his craft.

“I think that’ll be great for him because he’s coming in with the right mindset,” said Preston Smith about Gary. “He’s been doing a lot of great things and of course you see what he did last season. I think this season is to realize what he needed to work on last year and to fix coming off injury.

“This year, having a chance to be healthy through a whole offseason and to get ready for the season, I think it’s gonna be big for him. I’m expecting a lot of big things out of him.”

Fully healthy, Enagbare’s continued ascension is important to DE rotation: After what was thought to be an ACL injury that Kingsley Enagbare sustained in the Green Bay Packers’ playoff win against Dallas, to the surprise of many, Enagbare was on the practice field during OTAs and minicamp.

“It was great news,” said Enagbare. “I’m on my 10 feet walking.”

During the draft, Matt LaFleur confirmed that Enagbare never had surgery on his knee and that, internally, they were optimistic about where he was at in the rehab process. Still, I’m not sure anyone outside of the building expected to see Enagbare on the practice field at this stage of the offseason, and we still don’t know exactly what the knee injury was.

For roughly half of the offseason, Enagbare was limited in what he could and couldn’t do as he went through his rehab. But for the second half, he was able to return to form.

“I was pretty limited for probably like half of it,” said Enagbare, “but the other half, I was back running, pressing, basically where I am now.”

And now? As we saw during practice with Enagbare participating in both individual and team drills, he’s a full-go.

“100% 100%,” said Enagbare when asked how he was feeling.

During the second half of the 2023 season, Enagbare’s production really began to take off. Of the 27 pressures he recorded last season, 18 of them came in Week 12 and beyond. During that span, Enagbare ranked 28th in PFF’s pass-rush win-rate metric out of 128 eligible edge rushers. He would rank 36th in run-stop rate as well.

In addition to his contributions on defense, Enagbare would also play the eighth-most special teams snaps on the Packers, routinely playing across three different units.

“He’s been outstanding,” said LaFleur about Enagbare. “You talk about a guy who comes to work with the right mentality each and every day, he’s the epitome of that. And I think we’ve seen the growth.

“We saw it last year, the growth from Year 1 to Year 2, and I think we’re still seeing that growth as he develops his body and continues to learn the game. And certainly we’re asking these guys to do a little bit different things from a front standpoint but he’s somebody that’s certainly capable of it. He just brings an edge to your defense.”

A Year 2 leap incoming for Lukas Van Ness? The potential recipe for a Year 2 jump from Van Ness is twofold for the Packers’ defensive end. For starters, the second season is where most players see the biggest developmental jump as there is the added comfortability that comes with the experience gained in the first year, along with having a full offseason to devote to their craft, rather than prepping for the draft.

“Biggest jump in my opinion in my years and time of being in the NFL is from your rookie to sophomore year,” said defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich.

“Every guy that you see that luckily I’ve been around, I say I, we, us, organization, coaches, from Year 1 to Year 2 that is when that light, that is when it clicks. Because at this level as you guys have heard me say, it’s knowing about you’re matchup. It’s knowing about protections. It’s knowing about the scheme. You’ve got to know where the fit is.”

In addition to that element, Jeff Hafley’s new defensive scheme should fit Van Ness’ skill set quite well. The defensive ends will have their hands in the dirt more often now, which is how Van Ness spent his time at Iowa. This defensive scheme also has an emphasis on attacking, or in short, get off the ball and get into the backfield.

Over the second half of last season, we started to see growth for Van Ness taking place. From Week 12 on, he had 15 pressures and five sacks during those nine games, compared to seven pressures–with five coming in one game–through Week 11. Out of 113 eligible edge rushers, Van Ness ranked 34th in PFF’s pass rush productivity metric after Week 12.

“I’m excited about Lukas,” said Matt LaFleur, “and I think a lot of times you see a lot of those guys that are pass-rushers take a huge jump from Year 1 to Year 2. So he’s a guy that’s put in a ton of work. I think his body looks great. I think it’s unfortunate that he broke his thumb, but he’s getting more time out there, and we’re, he’s somebody that we’re certainly excited about.”

Brenton Cox impressed during minicamp: When it comes to evaluating the play of offensive and defensive lines, we won’t truly get a pulse on where these units stand until training camp arrives and the pads come on. But with that said, Packers’ second-year defensive end Brenton Cox impressed during minicamp.

During the second minicamp practice in particular, there were two pass-rush reps from Cox in 11-on-11 drills that stood. One came against Andre Dillard and the other against Jordan Morgan. On both reps, Cox won with power, popping both tackles in the chest, knocking them off-balanced, and then beating them around the edge to get to the quarterback.

“One thing that he could always do is he can rush the passer,” said Matt LaFleur after practice, “and I think, again, we don’t have pads on, so it will really show itself as we get into training camp. But I think, that’s why he made such a great impression on us a year ago. Certainly the scheme’s a little bit different, and we’re just letting him pin his ears back and go and he’s embraced that.”

As an undrafted rookie in 2023 out of Florida, Cox’s ability to get after the quarterback earned him a roster spot last season. As the fifth-man in the edge rusher rotation, his playing time was limited, appearing in only three games defensively, totaling five snaps.

Similarly to Van Ness, Cox should benefit from being in his second NFL season along with playing in Hafley’s attacking defensive front.

“With B, it’s his confidence, having more reps,” said Rashan Gary. “He’s the type of guy you need to put him in there so he can feel more comfortable. The more comfortable he feels, the more splashy plays he has. Just his hungry and being more comfortable. Understanding he has a group of guys that just want to see him win. It don’t matter.”

An under-the-radar name to watch–Deslin Alexandre: Everyone loves the under-the-radar player to watch for during this time of the year. So, one name I’ll put out there is defensive end Deslin Alexandre, who over the course of the OTA and minicamp practices open to the media, was able to put together some nice pass rush reps, winning with speed. During one OTA practice in particular, from my vantage point, it looked like he had a pair of “sacks,” one with the second defense and one with the third unit.

Now, I’ll add the caveat that I don’t expect him to push for a roster spot, but if he’s able to carry over his play from offseason programs, you may hear his name a bit more this summer and Alexandre could push for the practice squad.

The Packers signed Alexandre to a futures contract back in January. He went undrafted in 2023 out of Pittsburgh and initially signed with the New York Jets. He was released by the Jets following training camp and spent some time on the Chicago Bears practice squad.

Alexandre is a good athlete, posting a RAS of 8.41 during the pre-draft process. He played 1,767 snaps over five seasons at Pitt, almost all of which came lined up as a traditional edge rusher. His 2022 season was his most productive, recording 27 pressures and seven sacks. By PFF’s metrics, Alexandre was a reliable tackler throughout his career and solid against the run.

“I don’t think there are enough superlatives to describe Deslin and his achievements while at the University of Pittsburgh,” Pitt head football coach Pat Narduzzi said. “His impact as a student, athlete and community leader is so inspiring. He represents the absolute best of what it means to be a Pitt Panther. Deslin has given Pitt so many reasons to be proud and I know he will make the Witten family proud as the recipient of this outstanding award.”

An attacking defensive front: Under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafely, one of the more noticeable differences in his system compared to Joe Barry’s will take place along the defensive front, where the defenders will be responsible for attacking one-gap rather than trying to defend two of them.

In Barry’s two-gap defense, as the name suggests, each member of the defensive line was responsible for two gaps, tasked with reading the movements of the offensive line and the backfield, then determining which gap was the most vulnerable and trying to fill it. Interior defenders are more so space eaters in this style of defense, helping to create opportunities for the edge rushers and linebackers to make the plays.

In Hafley’s defense, however, with the defensive line responsible for only one gap, there should be a much more proactive play style instead of reactive, with the front asked to get north and south quickly, penetrating their way into the backfield, rather than reacting to what the offense is doing.

“Finally, I’m out here rushing more,” said Smith, “and I get to get after the quarterback a whole lot more. I just love the system.

“It’s definitely fine detailing in his system,” added Smith. “Everybody has a role and everybody has a responsibility. Nobody gets a pass in no way or shape or form. Everybody has a responsibility in each call and anything. You kind of know the responsibility in the run game and the pass for everybody.”

Mixing and matching: Between the defensive tackle and defensive end positions, nine different players were relied upon regularly each week last season. While the depth of the receiver room on this Packers’ team is what garners a lot of the attention – and understandably so – Matt LaFleur is quite fond of the depth in the defensive trenches as well.

“I think much similar to the receiving group, we feel really good about our front,” said LaFleur. “When you’ve got RG and Preston and J.J. and then inside you’ve got Kenny Clark, Heavy D, Karl Brooks, Colby Wooden, I mean, there’s a lot of players there. T.J. Slaton. Like, we feel really good about the collective unit and I think each one of those guys is going to get more 1-on-1 opportunities along the way because it’s hard to zero in on just one guy.”

With depth comes a wide variety of skill sets. From a game-planning perspective, there is a layer of unpredictability that the Packers’ front can have, allowing for Hafley to mix-and-match his rotations from week-to-week depending upon the opponent. This can even be taken a step further if there is going to be movement between the defensive end and defensive tackle position groups. 

There is also the ability to maximize those individual skill sets by putting each player in specific situations where they can thrive rather than having blanket rotations that are utilized regardless of the situation.

Quick Hits:

Mosby and Banks are two other names to know: Again, if Cox continues to impress there probably isn’t a roster spot open at defensive end. But two names to know are Arron Mosby and Keshawn Banks, both of whom were on the practice squad last season. Mosby went undrafted in 2022, and played 33 special teams snaps with the Panthers that year. Banks, meanwhile, I thought really impressed during last year’s training camp, and if not for a crowded edge rusher room at that time, I believe he could have been in consideration for a roster spot. Banks was elevated from the practice squad for the playoff game against San Francisco and played nine special teams snaps.

Kenneth Odumegwu continues to develop and is doing so quickly: A native of Nigeria, Odumegwu was a part of the Packers’ practice squad last season on a roster exemption as part of the NFL’s International Pathway Program. He came to the NFL with almost no football experience, but his development over the last year has the attention his position group.

“Outside of football, me and Kenneth hang out a lot,” said Smith. “I beat him at FIFA a lot. Just to see a guy progress from not knowing nothing about football from last year to this year progressing so far and picking up on the game so easily, guys work a long time just to get to where he’s at. Just to have that experience and be playing at the level he’s playing at, it’s really exciting to see Kenneth out there doing a lot of good things and making a lot of good plays.”

Just like the other second year players at the defensive end position for the Packers, Odumegwu’s growth and potential will be worth watching as training camp takes place. Odumegwu will be vying for a roster spot, but if he doesn’t make it, the Packers can again keep him on the practice squad with an exemption.

“It’s incredible,” said Enagbare of Odumegwu. “Going from a guy who came from Nigeria, pretty much his only two years of playing football, to see him where he is now entering Year Two for him, this past year of OTAs, you could just see the growth in his mentality and understanding of the game.”

Packers 2024 Training Camp Preview: Defensive Tackle

By: Paul Bretl 7/16/2024

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

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

Quarterbacks
Running backs
Tight ends
Wide receivers
Offensive line

Roster: Karl Brooks, Kenny Clark, James Ester, Jonathan Ford, TJ Slaton, Colby Wooden, Devonte Wyatt, Spencer Waege

An attacking defensive front: Under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafely, one of the more noticeable differences in his system compared to Joe Barry’s will take place along the defensive front, where the defenders will be responsible for attacking one-gap rather than trying to defend two of them.

In Barry’s two-gap defense, as the name suggests, each member of the defensive line was responsible for two gaps, tasked with reading the movements of the offensive line and the backfield, then determining which gap was the most vulnerable and trying to fill it. Interior defenders are more so space eaters in this style of defense, helping to create opportunities for the edge rushers and linebackers to make the plays.

In Hafley’s defense, however, with the defensive line responsible for only one gap, there should be a much more proactive play style instead of reactive, with the front asked to get north and south quickly, penetrating their way into the backfield, rather than reacting to what the offense is doing.

Former Packers defensive lineman Mike Daniels said that the role of the defensive line in this system is “simplified” as it allows them to “cut it loose.” Kenny Clark said that it should allow the front to be “way more disruptive.”

“It’s an attack front, guys,” said defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich. “If you put the tape on with San Fran, Houston, the Jets, things like that, been very fortunate in my background being in Buffalo and in Jacksonville and that’s really what we did back then, so been fortunate to be around it. 

“But it is, it’s about TFLs and sacks. We’re going to look to create havoc in the backfield. Every down, we’re looking to penetrate and make something big happen. Offensive linemen, not moving so fast laterally, they’re going to have to stay on the line of scrimmage a little bit longer with the movements and the ability for us to get in the backfield.”

Mixing and matching: Between the defensive tackle and defensive end positions, nine different players were relied upon regularly each week last season. While the depth of the receiver room on this Packers’ team is what garners a lot of the attention – and understandably so – Matt LaFleur is quite fond of the depth in the defensive trenches as well.

“I think much similar to the receiving group, we feel really good about our front,” said LaFleur. “When you’ve got RG and Preston and J.J. and then inside you’ve got Kenny Clark, Heavy D, Karl Brooks, Colby Wooden, I mean, there’s a lot of players there. T.J. Slaton. Like, we feel really good about the collective unit and I think each one of those guys is going to get more 1-on-1 opportunities along the way because it’s hard to zero in on just one guy.”

With depth comes a wide variety of skill sets. From a game-planning perspective, there is a layer of unpredictability that the Packers’ front can have, allowing for Hafley to mix-and-match his rotations from week-to-week depending upon the opponent. This can even be taken a step further if there is going to be movement between the defensive end and defensive tackle position groups. 

There is also the ability to maximize those individual skill sets by putting each player in specific situations where they can thrive rather than having blanket rotations that are utilized regardless of the situation.

A big year for Devonte Wyatt? This system should benefit the entire defensive front, but one player whose name keeps getting brought up as someone who will thrive playing this way is Devonte Wyatt, as this one-gap defense fits his skill set and play style to a tee. 

Last season, Wyatt’s 48 pressures were the fourth-most on the team and the 20th-most in the NFL among his position group. He also ranked 12th in pass rush win rate, but a new level of play for Wyatt under Hafley could be unlocked. 

“Devonte Wyatt, I think he’s going to thrive in this defense,” said Vice President of Player Personnel Jon-Eric Sullivan. “Where you can kind of just pin your ears back, get off the ball. That’s what he was at Georgia — quick, work edges, penetrate, disrupt. I think there’s a bunch of guys who are going to benefit from what we’re doing.”

New defense brings change for Kenny Clark and more opportunities: Kenny Clark has spent his entire career, including his time at UCLA, playing in a 3-4 defense. So, as Clark enters his ninth NFL season, change is in store for him, but it’s something he’s looking forward to.

“I think it’s going to be really good,” said Clark on transitioning to a 4-3 scheme. “It’s one of things where all my career I’ve been kind of been playing this way, but in more of a controlled way. 

“And I think now this is giving us a chance to shut all that other stuff off, no technique really and just use your ability and just go up the field and be disruptive. I just think with my get-off and how I am, I think it’s going to suit me well.”

In addition to the more aggressive and proactive play style that Hafley’s defense asks of the front, it also means that Clark won’t be lining up at defensive end anymore, “just 3-tech and nose…but primarily 3-tech,” said Clark. 

Even in what is, relatively speaking, a more passive front under Barry, Clark remained highly productive. He set a career-high in sacks last season with 7.5, while his 66 pressures were the sixth-most among all interior defensive linemen. However, under Hafley, where the defensive tackle’s job is to get into the backfield as quickly as possible, the opportunity is there for Clark to be even more disruptive.

“Every offseason I would go out and train with guys,” Clark said. “I’m a big fan of the game, so I trained with DeForest Buckner and (Arik) Armstead and all those guys, and they played a 4-3 their whole career. 

“So I would check up with them and see what it’s like playing in that. I always wondered what it was like, but now that I’m in it, I see how they made so many TFLs and all those plays they were always making. It all makes sense. They were really just cutting it loose that whole time.”

Colby Wooden bulks up to better suit his role in 2024: When the Packers drafted Wooden in April of 2023, he was undersized for a defensive tackle. During the pre-draft process, he was listed at 273 pounds. Wooden said during the Packers’ virtual draft party that he played his rookie season at 278 pounds and got up to around 290 pounds this offseason.

In order to put on that additional 12 pounds, Wooden’s focus this offseason was on strength training and yoga.

“Really it was just getting in the weight room,” said Wooden after Tuesday’s practice. “Mixing that with yoga. You still want to be flexible, versatile. All I did was weight room and yoga. Conditioning.”

For the first two games of last season, Wooden was the fourth member of the Packers’ defensive tackle rotation, playing 36 snaps each week. However, the quick emergence of Karl Brooks bumped Wooden back to the fifth spot in the rotation. 

From Weeks 3 through the NFC Divisional playoff round, Wooden averaged just over 13 snaps per game. He totaled 12 pressures and one sack. With Wooden packing on some extra pounds, he won’t be making the move to defensive end in Jeff Hafley’s 4-3 defense. Instead, he will stay at defensive tackle.

“Coming into Auburn,” added Wooden, “I was actually doing this. So I’m familiar with the system. I have two years in it.”

TJ Slaton’s fit in this defense: Listed at 6-5 – 330 pounds, Slaton had an obvious fit in Joe Barry’s 3-4 defense as the nose tackle–someone who took on double-teams and ate up space, helping others to make plays. But as is the case for the other members of the defensive front, that reactive approach will no longer be what’s required. Slaton is going to be asked to get into the backfield.

“It’s not as much as we perceive it to be,” said Rebrovich on shifting from a 3-4 to a 4-3 defense. “There’s a lot of 11 personnel in today’s NFL, so it’s a lot of four-man front. There is going to be some subtle changes in how we align on some certain things but it’s not going to be a huge blow up one system, put another system in. It’s more of a mindset, a mentality. That’s been the biggest change.”

Assisting Slaton with this transition is an impressive athletic skill set given his size. Coming out of Florida, he posted a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 7.96, which included a 5.09-second 40 and a broad jump of 9-01.

“I will tell you this,” added Reborvich, “TJ Slaton might be the biggest man-athlete that I’ve ever seen in my life. If you put a basket right here, my man can two step jump and dunk that basketball. So the athletic part, the athleticism, the 3-4, the nose, is he athletic enough? There’s no question TJ Slaton is athletic enough to play in this scheme and system.”

Last season, Slaton saw his pass rush opportunities more than double from his first two seasons with the Packers. He went from having just 134 pass rush snaps in 2022, according to PFF, to 303 in 2023. Slaton also played 466 snaps from the B-gap, compared to only 171 the year prior. And with that, he took advantage of those opportunities, recording a career-high in pressures with 16. His previous high was just six.

In addition to his pass rush production, Slaton recorded the fourth-most run-stops of any defensive tackle last season and the fifth-most tackles in the run game. Run defense may still be his calling card, but Slaton showcased last year that he can move around and be disruptive getting after the quarterback as well.

“I think he can play nose,” said Hafley. “You put him in a ‘0’ in a 3-4, you put him in a shade or you put him inside leverage on a guard and he’s still right around that A gap. There’s things we can do with him, we can tighten him up and get him in a 3-4 spacing.

“They’re going to go and they’re going to get off the ball,” Hafley added. “Before we break every meeting and I dismiss them and I talk to the back end, I tell them to go get after the quarterback, and that’s what they’re going to do. And then you get a big guy like that, against the run, I mean, that nose has to be, he has to be a guy that makes it really hard to run the football. He’s got the size and he’s got the body to do that. now we’ve got to coach him up and make sure we get the most out of him. But he’s done a nice job so far.”

Year 2 jump incoming for Brooks: As far as sixth-round picks go, the Packers really couldn’t have asked for more from Karl Brooks last season.

Snap count-wise, Brooks finished as the fourth-member of the defensive line rotation, ahead of Colby Wooden. Production-wise, he totaled 30 pressures and four sacks, and like many players on this Packers’ team, Brooks began to put things together during the second half of the season.

From Week 11 through the divisional round of the playoffs, Brooks ranked 15th among all interior defenders in total pressures, as well as 15th in PFF’s pass-rush win rate metric. Of Brooks’ 440 total snaps, 309 came as a pass rusher, with him spending time in the B-gap and lined up over the tackle. In Hafley’s defense, Brooks–who played his share of snaps at edge rusher while at Bowling Green–could be someone who is moved around relatively often.

A player’s second NFL season is oftentimes when we see the biggest developmental leap for them. There is the comfortability of playing at the NFL level along with having a full offseason to work on their craft rather than preparing for the draft. Also contributing to a potential leap for Brooks will be this attacking play-style the defensive front will be asked to play with.

“Biggest jump in my opinion in my years and time of being in the NFL is from your rookie to sophomore year,” said Rebrovich. “Every guy that you see that luckily I’ve been around, I say I, we, us, organization, coaches, from Year 1 to Year 2 that is when that light, that is when it clicks. 

“At this level as you guys have heard me say, it’s knowing about you’re matchup. It’s knowing about protections. It’s knowing about the scheme. You’ve got to know where the fit is. You’re not looking over at the sideline and looking at a card to tell you where you’re alignment is like college football is right now. And it’s different and these guys have got to take the time to learn it.”

Jonathan Ford, Spencer Waege, and James Ester: This is a position group that is already well established, which means Ford and Ester will be fighting for a spot on the practice squad. Ford was on the practice squad last season, and at 6-5 – 338 pounds, he brings a run-stuffing presence in the middle, but in this new defense he’ll have to showcase that he can get off the ball and after the quarterback as well.

Ester would sign with the Packers as a UDFA following this year’s draft. He was a team captain at Northern Illinois and is listed at 289 pounds. He’s an experienced player with over 2,000 snaps in five college seasons, and is someone whose production continued to improve each year. Ester produced a career-high 24 pressures and four sacks in 2023, and for what it’s worth, graded out well against the run by PFF’s metrics.

Waege was claimed off waivers by the Packers in May after he was released by San Francisco. Waege went undrafted in 2023 out of North Dakota State and measures in at 6-5 – 295 pounds, posting an impressive RAS of 9.58 during the pre-draft process. Waege would spend the bulk of his snaps in college lined up as an edge rusher and recorded 42 pressures and 12 sacks in 2022, ranking 18th in pressures at the FCS level and 78th in PFF’s run defense grade.

Packers 2024 Training Camp Roster Preview: Offensive Line

By: Paul Bretl 7/15/2024

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

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

Quarterbacks
Running backs
Tight ends
Wide receivers

Roster: Jacob Monk, Josh Myers, Sean Rhyan, Lecitus Smith, Elgton Jenkins, Donovan Jennings, Royce Newman, Zach Tom, Andre Dillard, Travis Glover, Caleb Jones, Kadeem Telfort, Luke Tenuta, Rasheed Walker, Jordan Morgan

‘Best five’ on OL won’t take shape until the pads come on: If the hope was to come out of these OTA and minicamp practices with an idea of what the Packers’ starting offensive line is going to look like this summer, well, you’re going to be disappointed. The constant movement and lack of pads made that a very tall task. 

“No, I don’t think so,” said Matt LaFleur when asked if there is clarity around what the starting line will look like. “I mean there’s been some good work that’s been put in. I think it’s really important to work on the fundamentals, but the fact of the matter is we’re not in pads.

“And I don’t think you’ll really, truly know until we get out there, we get pads on. I thought for the most part our guys up front did a pretty decent job taking care of one another.” 

During Wednesday’s practice alone, there were two different starting offensive line configurations utilized. The first consisted of Rasheed Walker at left tackle, followed by Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Sean Rhyan, and Andre Dillard. Jordan Morgan would then end up taking Rhyan’s place at right guard for some reps.  

Throughout the five OTA and minicamp practices that have been open to the media, in addition to the configurations described above, we’ve seen Morgan at both tackle spots and left guard, along with Dillard at left tackle as well, all of which has resulted in a number of different starting combinations utilized in a very short amount of practice time.

“I think it (the starting offensive line) will kind of unfold when we get into camp and especially when we get into the preseason games,” added LaFleur. “We’ve got two opportunities to practice against somebody else, so I think it will unfold for us in training camp.” 

What we know so far is that Walker has been taking the bulk of the left tackle reps. Myers has been the center, Rhyan has played mostly right guard and Jenkins left guard with Zach Tom sidelined with a pec injury.

The wildcard in all of this seems to be where Morgan will end up. Once that is decided, it seems like the starting offensive line unit will begin to take shape. 

Josh Myers sole focus is on the center position: Versatility is a hallmark element of the Green Bay Packers offensive line, providing them with seemingly endless combinations when it comes to constructing the starting five. However, for Josh Myers, his sole focus is on playing center.

“We need depth, so we’re going to cross-train them all,” said offensive line coach Luke Butkus. “Obviously, Josh Myers is our center but as far as everybody else, we’re going to cross-train them and put the best five out there. It’s competition so it’s making everybody better.”

Myers has battled up and down play throughout his career with the Packers, which is why, particularly over the last year, his role as the starting center has been brought into question, at least from those outside of the organization.

As last season progressed, much like the rest of the offense, Myers’ play improved. In five of the Packers final six games of the season, Myers allowed just three combined pressures and one sack. In the previous 13 games, he allowed four sacks and 19 pressures.

In total, Myers ranked 19th out of 38 centers in pass-blocking efficiency and 33rd in PFF’s run-blocking grade.

“Just to continue to grow, just like our expectations for everybody,” said Butkus. “Every day, get better. That’s where Josh excelled last year. He did get better as the year went on and he had command of this offense and took charge, was a little bit more vocal toward the end in commanding this offense. So, what do we need from him? Just to get better every single day. Keep improving.”

Although Myers’ play on the field is going to garner most of the attention – and understandably so – as offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich has pointed out, and what can go unnoticed, is the leadership role that Myers took on last season within the offensive line room. 

Also, not to be forgotten about, is Myers’ rapport with Jordan Love, along with his ability pre-snap to identify blitzes and communicate protection responsibilities so that everyone is on the same page. Of course, at the end of the day, a player has to perform on the field, but at the center position, all of these other elements matter as well.

Musical chairs for Jordan Morgan: As already mentioned, with Morgan playing every position except for center this spring, once the Packers determine where he will be playing, the starting offensive line configuration will begin to take shape, and for Morgan, who has had a lot thrown at him already, he’ll finally be able to focus on one–or maybe two–positions.

it’s not only Morgan who is learning as an incoming rookie, but the Packers’ coaching staff is also trying to learn where he fits best in conjunction with the other four members of the offensive line unit. Remember, as the Packers search for the “best five,” it’s not necessarily about where Morgan is best but what combination makes the unit as a whole the most cohesive. When it comes to offensive line play, the sum of the parts are greater than any one individual. 

In part, the Packers are moving Morgan around because they believe in the value of cross-training linemen in case injuries strike. But also, in order to properly evaluate where Morgan fits best amongst the group, the Packers need a large enough sample size of him playing each position. 

This is why, throughout the practices, he has been playing musical chairs along the offensive line, which has put a heavy workload on Morgan’s shoulders. Not only is he adjusting to the speed of the NFL game and learning a new playbook, but he’s being asked to play both sides of the line and both guard positions after spending all his time in college at just left tackle. 

“Yeah I think certainly he’s got a long way to go in terms of just mentally,” said LaFleur on Tuesday. “Physically, he has all the tools that you look for and we’re gonna keep pushing him and he’s gotta understand that and I think for rookies, it’s just everybody has a different learning curve in terms of how fast they can acclimate themselves to just how we play at this level, but I think he’s approaching it the right way and we’re gonna continue to push him.” 

Once the Packers get into training camp, the pads come on, and they get a better idea of what that starting offensive line lineup will look like, LaFleur said Morgan will start to get regular reps at one position rather than continuing to juggle a bevy of different roles. 

Admittedly, the Packers have put a lot on Morgan’s plate. But as we’ve seen throughout the years with other draft picks, this isn’t something the Packers do to every incoming rookie. There are a few examples of other early round picks who didn’t start right away while trying to fill just one or maybe two roles. Only the players that they believe can shoulder the workload are asked to do so. 

“There’s nothing he can’t do,” said LaFleur. “For him, it’s just about putting it all together mentally. I think there’s been a lot put on his plate, and I think at times his head is spinning. But you’ve just got to keep chopping and grinding and working through it. There’s gonna be mistakes. I think a big part of this is just being resilient throughout that process and making sure that you don’t lose confidence because certainly he has all the skills to be as good as he wants to be.”

Rasheed Walker is confident: The Green Bay Packers drafted left tackle Jordan Morgan in the first round, providing competition for Rasheed Walker. However, after playing 974 snaps last season, Walker is confident in his ability to prepare and perform on the field.

“I feel elite,” said Walker after Tuesday’s OTA practice. “Names and labels don’t really dictate how I move. I see man just as man is. I’m in a good spot. I’m never really worried about who I’m going against. It’s am I prepared? What do I have to do to prepare? That’s where I keep my focus on.”

With David Bakhtiari’s season ending after the first game, Walker was thrust into the starting left tackle role. As should have been expected, there were ups and downs as Walker navigated starting for the first time. He finished the 2023 season, allowing six sacks and 36 pressures. Out of 50 eligible tackles, Walker ranked 35th in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency metric and 41st in run-blocking grade.

When either Matt LaFleur or Adam Stenavich have been asked about Walker’s play, they both noted the athleticism and flashes he showcased, along with the need for more consistency over the course of a game, “playing 70 plays at a high level,” as LaFleur put it. 

While Walker’s overall numbers show up and down play, like many of the Packers’ young players on offense last season, he began to find his footing during the second half of the season. During Week 9, the Packers introduced an in-game rotation at left tackle with Walker and Yosh Nijman that lasted six games before Walker asserted himself as the full-time starter.

Over Green Bay’s final six games, including the two playoff games, Walker gave up just one sack and nine pressures. He ranked 10th in pass-blocking efficiency and 29th in run-blocking grade.

“That you just have to be locked in every play,” said Walker on what he learned from last season. “It’s all really about preparation and confidence. As long as you prepare the right way, go into a game confident, and have a short-term memory while playing, you’ll put yourself in a good position. 

“That’s how I go about it: staying focused, being consistent with my preparation and ignore the good plays and ignore the bad plays. Just be good every play.”

While still early, through offseason programs, Walker took the majority of the starting snaps at left tackle, and LaFleur has been impressed with how he’s approached the offseason.

“He’s come in with the right mindset,” said LaFleur. “Sheed didn’t say anything after the draft. He just came in and got to work and that’s what we’re looking for and I think he’s been a guy that’s been totally locked in and dialed in and it’s amazing to see just the growth, the maturation from when he was a rookie to now. I think it’s night and day.”

Big goals for Zach Tom: Due to a pec injury, Tom didn’t participate in offseason programs, but the injury is not long-term and we could potentially see him on the field at the start of training camp or not long after.

Last season was Tom’s first full year as a starter. According to PFF, he would surrender just two sacks along with 37 pressures. Out of 50 eligible tackles, Tom ranked 13th in pass-blocking efficiency. 

Making Tom’s performance even more impressive was the competition he went up against. Of the NFL’s top 10 edge rushers in terms of total pressures, Tom faced six of them, including Nick Bosa, Aidan Hutchinson, Micah Parsons, and Maxx Crosby, all of whom finished in the top-four of that pressure category.

Despite Tom’s high level of play last season, he’s only focused on improving in 2024:

“However many sacks I gave up is too many,” Tom said. “This was really my first year starting and I was able to go up against some of those premier guys. Learned a lot. Now, this year, come back even better. I’ve got big goals in mind for this year.”

Whether the Packers plan to move Tom around the offensive line remains to be seen, but my guess is that he will begin at right tackle, given his high level of play there last season and the importance of that position.

Sean Rhyan’s experience from 2023 will be valuable: Sean Rhyan made the most of his opportunities during the second half of last season and is now the front-runner to be the Packers’ starting right guard in 2024.

What started out as Rhyan playing a series or two blossomed into him and Runyan splitting snaps nearly 50-50 in Week 15 against Tampa Bay, and that carried over into the playoffs.

“He really grew a lot from Year 1 to Year 2,” said GM Brian Gutekunst, “and really proud of not only his work ethic and the shape he got himself in, but then when his opportunities were presented, his ability to capitalize on that. I think there’s a lot of really good football in front of him. His best football should be in front of him.”

Where Rhyan was at his best was as a run-blocker. With his size and strength, he brought a different element to the Packers’ offensive line as a bit of a mauler. Rather than opening up a running lane by being in an advantageous position, Rhyan generates push and moves the defender across from him.

However, where Rhyan has to become more consistent if he’s going to be an everyday starter in the NFL is in pass protection. Rhyan had just 128 pass-blocking attempts last season but still allowed eight pressures. According to PFF, out of 84 eligible guards, he ranked 52nd in pass-blocking efficiency.

As the Packers search for their ‘best five’ along the offensive line, don’t overlook Rhyan at the right guard spot. This is a starting job that will have to be earned, but the experience he gained in 2023 will play a key role in helping him retain that role.

“It was great to see Sean grow,” said Luke Butkus. “Sean works at it. He loves football. He wants to go out and play, he wants to get a chance. When he had his chance last year, he improved. He is a big, strong kid, man. When you hold those bags for our players when you’re holding the bag for Sean Rhyan, you feel it.”

Quick Hits:

– If the Packers are going to experiment with the center position and try to find someone to compete with Myers for that starting role, I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s Elgton Jenkins over Tom. The reason being, that position is likely easier to fill than the right tackle position would be. For Morgan, after spending his college career at left tackle, the transition to left guard compared to right guard or right tackle would likely be the smoothest for him.

– It’s now or never for Luke Tenuta and Caleb Jones. The Packers have invested two years of development into both of these players, but with three draft picks used on the offensive line this past April, roster spots are tight. Neither player will be competing for playing time, but having developmental upside is likely no longer good enough to make the 53-man. Tenuta and Jones will have to show that they can be relied upon off the bench if needed.

“I think both of those guys have had moments,” said LaFleur during minicamp. “But I think like we just talked about, time will tell.”

– Packers are taking a long look at Andre Dillard. Again, my guess right now is that Dillard isn’t going to be in the mix for a starting spot, but the Packers were taking a long look at him during offseason programs, having him regularly start at both tackle spots. The former first round pick has struggled in the NFL, which last season included allowing 12 sacks and 41 pressures in only 331 pass-blocking snaps, according to PFF. Dillard is an experienced player and an excellent athlete, the Packers are likely trying to gauge whether it’s worth taking a swing on that potential with a roster spot or if they should just move on. Dillard’s deal is non-guaranteed.

“He was a first-round draft pick for a reason,” said LaFleur. “You can see the size, the athleticism. I think he is perfect in terms of a scheme fit, something we’re always looking for. Athletically, he can do it all. I think it’s just about learning our system, how we do things, the fundamentals and the techniques that are associated with that position that we look for. We’re rotating a lot of guys around, so it’s not just, ‘Hey, you’re at left tackle.’ He’s been playing right tackle, we’re just trying to find the best fit for everybody and, you know, let the best man win.”

– What about Royce Newman? If I were to make a roster prediction now, I would leave Newman off of it. While the Packers value his versatility and experience, he is entering the final year of his deal and has a large enough body of work that the Packers should know what they have in him. Rostering a younger, higher upside player would seem to be the prudent move.

– There is a lot to like about Jacob Monk, both in terms of his play on the field and the leadership qualities he brings off of it. During OTAs and minicamp, he was the center with the second-team offense, but based on what we’ve seen so far–and as always, things can change–I don’t know that he will be in the mix for playing time this year. Instead, I see him being the first option off the bench at center and the Packers’ long-term option there.

– UDFA to watch: Donovan Jennings. The Packers signed Jennings following this year’s draft, which included a $10,000 signing bonus and $110,000 guaranteed, according to Spotrac. That in itself shows that landing Jennings was a priority for the Packers. On the field, he is exactly what they typically look for in a lineman, a good athlete who spent his college career at tackle and will play guard at the NFL level.

Packers 2024 Training Camp Preview: Wide Receivers

By: Paul Bretl 7/12/2024

With Green Bay Packers training camp less than two weeks away, I’ll be doing a position-by-position preview. Next up are the wide receivers.

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

Quarterbacks
Running backs
Tight ends

Roster: Romeo Doubs, Grant DuBose, Malik Heath, Julian Hicks, Alex McGough, Bo Melton, Jayden Reed, Dimitri Stanley, Samori Toure, Christian Watson, Dontayvion Wicks

Does having a No. 1 target matter? Are there situations where having a go-to option in the passing game is massive asset? Of course there are. But for the Packers, one of the strengths of this offense from late last season was that nearly regardless of the situation they faced, they ball could go to any one of the six receivers.

From the defensive perspective, this forces them to defend the entire field. They can’t just hone in on one or even two players. This leads to better spacing, and more room to operate, and more one-on-one matchups as well. Amplifying this element is Jordan Love’s willingness to spread the ball around. For the most part, he hasn’t focused in on one or two of his receivers, but instead goes where the read dictates based on how the defense is defending the play.

“I personally don’t think it matters,” said LaFleur when asked about having a No. 1 receiver. “I think if you just look at throughout the course of a season ago – and every season’s going to be a little bit different – but all those guys had their moments where they were the leading receiver in a game. I feel really good about the collective unit. The hardest part is we feel so good about them, it’s hard to get everybody the amount of touches that you’d like to get, but that’s a good problem to have.”

Now, with all that said, that doesn’t mean that this season someone won’t emerge as that go-to target for Love–the Packers certainly have several candidates. But even if someone doesn’t, that isn’t going to be a devastating blow to the offense by any means.

Christian Watson is fully healthy: Perhaps the biggest development this offseason at the receiver position is that the Packers feel they have a much better grasp on Watson’s hamstring issues. Watson–along with Eric Stokes–went to UW-Madison this offseason to go through additional testing to hopefully figure out why those hamstring injuries kept reoccurring.

The Packers and Watson have a plan in place now to make sure he stays on the field as much as possible. While, ultimately, time will tell, Watson entered the offseason in excellent shape.

“Time will tell,” said LaFleur about Watson. “Certainly you’ve got to get through the entire offseason, into training camp. There’s a lot of volume in training camp, so we get through that, then we’ll feel pretty good about it. Both he and Stokes look like they’re probably in the best shape I’ve seen either one of them.”

For this Packers’ offense to reach its full potential, having Watson on the field is a must. There is the obvious big play element that he adds, but his presence and gravity helps open up opportunities for others with the attention he draws. When Watson is on the field, defenses defend the Packers differently.

“He gives different looks for defenses with his speed, big play ability,” said Jayden Reed last season about Watson. “We get different looks. When he’s out there, you have to know he’s out there as a defense. 9 being out there, you have to be aware of that. No doubt that’ll help out the whole offense, executing and everything.”

Romeo Doubs has been “outstanding”: While Watson dealt with injuries last season and Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks got acclimated to the NFL level, it was Doubs who provided a steady presence at the receiver position. For one, he was consistently available, but he was also a reliable target for Love in some key situations.

Against the Los Angeles Chargers, Doubs caught the go-ahead touchdown in the final minutes. On a fourth-and-one in the second half against Kansas City, Doubs caught a 33 yard pass from Love that put the Packers at the 11 yard line. Then in Carolina, Doubs caught a 36 yard pass on third down, which then led to the go-ahead field goal. And then, of course, there was Doubs’ 151 yard performance in the playoffs against Dallas, followed by him putting up 83 yards against San Francisco.

In a receiver room loaded with talent, Doubs was first in targets, second in receptions, first in yards, and first in touchdowns. Doubs has now carried that late season momentum into the offseason, showcasing his work ethic as he always has and honing his craft.

“I think Rome’s had an outstanding spring,” said LaFleur. “I really do, and it’s evident by the work he puts in on a daily basis. He’s in there in the morning catching off the JUGS. He’s one of the last guys to leave the building. He’s very deliberate about the work he puts in and I think it’s shown.

“And you know, we challenged him on a couple things we thought he could really do a better job of with, and just continuing to stress the importance of opening up his stride and he’s embraced that. And I think you’ve seen that and I think he’s had a lot of great moments. Matter of fact, I can’t think of a bad day that he’s had out there. He just, he is definitely improving.”

Year 2 leaps for Reed and Wicks: Oftentimes the biggest developmental leap for a player comes between their first and second NFL seasons. There is the familiarity and continuity of knowing the system. They’re more comfortable with the NFL game, and instead of focusing on the draft, these players have a full offseason to devote to their games.

“Yeah, it makes it way better, just knowing the offense already coming in,” said Wicks. “Last year, I spent a lot of time writing down plays and studying plays, which makes you play slower. This year, now that I know the plays a little better, it’s easier to get out on the field and play faster and not think a lot.”

While it’s only OTAs and minicamp, where the pads aren’t even on, you can see that comfortability that Wicks and Reed have within the offense with how smoothly the passing game was operating at times. There weren’t necessarily many flashy plays, but they knew where and how to attack the defense, which created separation, and led to numerous 9-10 yard completions as the offense moved the ball down the field.

Wicks and Reed bring different elements to the Packers offense–Wicks with his route running ability and Reed with his explosiveness–but both were highly productive as rookies. Wicks would catch 41 passes for 605 yards with five scores. Reed caught 68 passes for 828 yards with eight touchdowns, and both were among the most efficient receivers in football during the second half of the season by PFF’s yards per route run metric.

This offseason, the two would not only workout together but they shared a home, helping one another and trying to bring out the best in each other.

“Just learning from each other,” said Wicks, “going through the things that we did this last year that we can change and get better at it. It was me helping him out with routes and giving him some stuff, and him helping me, too. It all worked out.”

Bo Melton brings more than speed: As LaFleur mentioned, Melton has an elite trait: his speed. Coming out of Rutgers in 2022, Melton ran a 4.34-second 40. However, while that’s important, it’s Melton’s well-rounded skill set and his mentality that helped him earn the opportunities that he got last season, and the ones he’ll continue to earn in 2024.

Melton isn’t only a downfield threat with his speed, but he has the versatility to line up both inside and out, along with LaFleur being able to draw up designed plays to get him the ball in space where his speed and YAC abilities can take over. From Week 15 on last year, Melton ranked 7th among all receivers in yards per route run.

However, in addition to what he can do with the ball in his hands, Melton was also able to impact the game by contributing on special teams and as a very good run-blocker.

“One thing that’s unique – and I think this is important for every position – is you always try to find what the guys can do, and what they do really well,” said LaFleur. “Bo’s got an elite trait. He can run. Certainly any time you can add value in other areas, whether it’s on we-fense or like for Bo, Bo’s one of our best run blockers as well.

“He’s not the biggest guy, but it’s the mentality that he has. He’s got that dog mentality, whether it’s run game, pass game, whatever it may be. He’s willing to do whatever it takes to get out there on the field, and I think he’s embraced that. He’s embraced his role and he’s excelled in it.”

Another competitive training camp for Malik Heath: If I were putting together an early roster prediction, I would have Malik Heath on it. However, I wouldn’t quite put him in the roster lock category either. And in a competitive receiver room, he’ll have to earn that roster spot again this summer.

“Oh, it’s going to be competitive,” Heath said of the upcoming battle in his position group. “We’ve got a lot of receivers, a lot of great DBs over there on the other side of the ball. It’s going to be fun.”

Along with Watson, Doubs, Reed, Wicks, and Melton making plays during offseason programs, Heath got in on the action too, with his share of receptions, including a touchdown catch from Love in an 11-on-11 team period. Heath would catch 15 of 24 passes during his rookie season, totaling 125 yards, and scoring one touchdown, which came at a crucial point in the final minutes of the Giants game.

“That was the best option we had for that play, but at the same time, I was very confident Malik was going to win that 1-on-1 matchup,” Love said. “Because he’s shown so many times he has that ability, that if you throw it up, he’s going to go up and make a play. He’s got aggressive hands and attacks the ball.”

Heath would also contribute on special teams and perhaps early on in his time with the Packers, was best known for the physicality he brings to the receiver position specifically as a blocker.

“Coming in as undrafted, I’m going to do anything I gotta do, you feel me, to make this team, to make plays for my team,” he said. “That’s just what it comes (down to), being a goon, being a dog. Gotta be that in this league, you know.”

Similarly to Reed and Wicks, with Heath in his second season, there is an added comfort within the offense. He also is down a few pounds this offseason from where he was playing at in 2023.

“Malik’s another guy that, certainly he had some really big moments for us last year,” said LaFleur, “making some tough catches, doing some dirty work, some key blocks. And I think physically he’s in a much better place. He’s a little bit lighter. Obviously he knows the offense a heck of a lot better, so it allows you to play faster and you can move him around a little bit more. So, we’re really excited to see him and what he can do once we get to the preseason and those game-like situations.”

Grant DuBose and Samori Toure: As I’ve already mentioned, in expecting Heath to make the initial roster, that likely leaves DuBose and Toure off of it. With such a crowded receiver room, I’m not sure that the team can justify rostering seven, which then takes away from another position.

With that said, I do think you’ll hear DuBose’s name a fair amount this summer. In his second offseason–and fully healthy this time–he looked more refined and was a favorite target of Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt with the second and third team offenses.

Toure would finish last season on IR. He caught eight passes on 18 targets for 78 yards. He would play only three special teams snaps, and when it comes to competing for any back-end roster spot, the ability to contribute to that phase of the game is crucial.

Alex McGough is now a receiver: McGough was the Packers’ practice squad quarterback last season, but is making the jump to playing wide receiver for this training camp. Even though he was a quarterback in 2023, the Packers had already begun utilizing him as a pass-catcher on the scout team during practices.

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

In an already crowded receiver room, cracking the initial 53-man roster for any non-established player will be difficult and that difficulty becomes magnified when a position change is taking place as well. While McGough is a good athlete, there is a lot of “intricate details,” as he put it, that he is having to learn on the fly.

“Obviously, it’s just completely different from what I’m used to,” said McGough. “But it’s good. Everybody’s helping me out, teaching me little things here and there. Watching the vets – not that we really have any vets – but watching the guys who have done it their whole life. And it’s been good.

“Obviously, there’s so much that I need to learn and so much that goes into it that I didn’t even know about. Kind of just doing what I thought was the right thing. There are all these intricate details that you don’t know about until you get in a room and you get taught them. It’s been helping a lot.”

Julian Hicks and Dimitri Stanley: Both Hicks and Stanley are 2024 undrafted rookies who didn’t initially sign with the Packers following the draft, but joined the team following a tryout during rookie minicamp.

Coming out of Albany, Hicks stands 6-2 – 201 pounds and posted a RAS of 9.18. Over his career, he caught 52 percent of his 262 targets, averaging 12.3 yards per catch with 23 touchdowns. In 2023 specifically, Hicks averaged an impressive 16.4 yards per catch and ranked fifth at the FCS level in average depth of target.

Stanley played out Iowa State and is listed at 6-0 – 200 pounds. In six college seasons, Stanley caught 118 of his 182 targets at 11.7 yards per catch with five touchdowns. He also had 30 career punt return attempts, averaging 8.5 yards per return.

Packers 2024 Training Camp Preview: Tight Ends

By: Paul Bretl 7/11/2024

With Green Bay Packers training camp less than two weeks away, I’ll be doing a position-by-position preview. Next up are the tight ends.

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

Quarterbacks
Running backs

Roster: Tyler Davis, Tucker Kraft, Luke Musgrave, Ben Sims, Messiah Swinson, Joel Wilson, Henry Pearson (FB)

A dynamic one-two punch: We saw individually last season the potential that both Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft possess, but what we didn’t see a lot of were those powers being harnessed on the field together–or at least not with the full capabilities that are now available. That ability can help unlock a whole new world of potential for the Packers’ offense.

“I think tight ends are great weapons, right? Because they can really wear a bunch of different hats,” said tight ends coach John Dunn. “And so not to get into the schematics of how we use guys but you start getting two on the field and now the defense (asks), how do you match that? How do they defend that? How are you using them? And we talk about it in our room all the time, the more you can do, the better we’re going to be as an offense, the better we’re going to be as a unit, the better we’re going to be as a group. I think it’s exciting.”

For Matt LaFleur as the play-caller, having two tight ends who can impact both the running and passing games helps open up the playbook for him, allowing the Packers to get much more creative, particularly from 12 personnel, when both tight ends are on field, and a grouping the Packers used relatively often last season.

Having one tight end, but especially two, who can make plays in the passing game and be a capable blocker adds a layer of unpredictability to the offense. Pre-snap, defenses can’t decipher as easily whether a run or pass is coming simply based on where the tight ends are lined up.

Opponents are then forced to respect both the run and the pass on any given play, thus having to defend the entire field, which creates better spacing. Further stressing opponents is the the different skill sets Kraft and Musgrave bring, with Kraft being excellent after the catch and Musgrave a matchup nightmare downfield.

“I think it just adds to the complexity of your offense, in terms of having multiple personnel groupings,” said Matt LaFleur. “I think both those guys can do it all. I think they both will end up becoming complete tight ends in this league in terms of their ability to run block and then what they can do for you in the passing game. And I think they both have a little bit different flavor to them, which for us, allows for more flexibility on the offensive side of the ball. They’re both great dudes that love the game of football, and I think just to see where they are from a year ago, it’s night and day.”

When LaFleur took over as the head coach we often heard him discuss the ‘illusion of complexity,’ which the combination of Kraft and Musgrave enhances. The versatile duo allows the Packers to run a number of plays from just a few personnel packages and like-plays–or plays that begin similarly but end up being different–that build off each other throughout the game. All of which creates mismatches for Kraft and Musgrave to exploit and is an added stressor for opponents, keeping them guessing and off-balanced.

Tucker Kraft’s pec injury: Kraft did not participate in offseason programs due to a torn pec that he was rehabbing from. The injury happened during a routine lift.

“Just a regular lift,” Kraft said. “It was my last rep of the day on bench. Nothing crazy, not heavy weight. We were speed-benching and it just popped right off the bone.”

LaFleur said that there isn’t any “long-term concern” with Kraft’s injury and that he could even be back for the start of training camp, although if not, it does not sound like he will miss too much time.

“I’m just ready to take off in this league and establish myself as a football player, really. That’s where my frustration lies,” Kraft said.

“I was really excited about this offseason – to have the whole offseason – to get running off the football again, get my second step down, my landmark. What I want to establish this year is I want to be the best Y in the outside zone – running the ball at the tight end. That’s my individual goal for the season. That just opens up so many avenues.”

With Kraft sidelined for OTAs and minicamp, along with Tyler Davis still rehabbing from an ACL injury, that opened up an opportunity for Henry Pearson, who was the third tight end during offseason programs, behind Musgrave and Ben Sims. Pearson is listed as a fullback, and worked with Josiah Deguara during practices last season. With the H-back role presumably available, Pearson’s versatility, being able to be moved around the formation, and ability as a blocker and pass-catcher as a college tight end, make him a prime candidate to fill that role.

“He always busts his butt,” said LaFleur about Pearson. I think there’s a great opportunity for everybody here, quite frankly. And that’s one of the things that we talked to the team about. It doesn’t matter, first-rounder, UDFA, if you’re a tryout guy, you;re here for a reason. You got an opportunity and it’s really on them to go out there and showcase what they can do and you got two days to leave a pretty good impression.”

Perhaps the bigger question about this specific position is whether the Packers want to have a specific player filling that role as Deguara did. Deguara played roughly 15 snaps per game in the latter half of the season. In addition to Pearson being someone who could handle those responsibilities, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ben Sims or Tyler Davis taking snaps in that role either.

Don’t forget about Tyler Davis: In what has become a crowded and quite talented tight end room for the Packers, Tyler Davis still has the ability to carve out a role on this team.

On offense, Davis certainly won’t be the focal point at tight end, but during the 2022 season, he was most often used as a blocker. His presence could provide added competition for Ben Sims, who primarily filled a blocking role last season. Or as already mentioned, perhaps, with Davis’ athleticism and versatility, the Packers have him fill the H-back role that is now vacant.

What, if any, role Davis has on offense is still to be determined, but his calling card is on special teams, where he has filled a do-it-all role in the past. Following Davis’ season-ending injury last August, Rich Bisaccia said that losing Davis was like losing his right hand because of all the roles he’s able to fill while doing so at a high level.

In 2022, Davis played 344 special teams snaps – the most on the team – and did so across five of the six special teams phases. He was also third on the team in tackles.

“It’s always interesting,” said Davis about his role on special teams, “but that’s why I love, that’s why I love this game, the preparation is the key and I love preparing. I know it might sound like a lot to a lot of people but to me it’s what I love to do, so it’s not anything too crazy for myself. I love my roles. I love to be on everything. I love the variety I can play with and just really looking forward to getting back to that.”

Despite rehabbing from an ACL injury, Davis remained engaged and active within the Packers tight end room when possible. While he wasn’t able to be on the practice field with his teammates and fellow tight ends, as one of the veterans of that position group, Davis was still involved in meetings and able to answer questions or provide guidance when needed.

“Tyler’s a stud,” said Dunn. “He is as dedicated of an individual as they come. There’s not enough good words I can say about Tyler, just him really being one of the veterans in the room, just the guidance.”

Davis did not participate in the on-field portion of offseason programs, and a specific timetable for his return hasn’t been announced. But Davis is on the right path with his recovery. The start of Packers’ training camp will be a few weeks shy of one year from when Davis suffered the ACL injury.

“I’m feeling good,” said Davis. “Getting there. It’s just a process. Taking it day by day, trying to do the best I can each day. Everything is moving in the right direction, so excited about it.”

Ben Sims carved out a blocking specific role: A late addition to the Packers 2023 roster, Green Bay claimed Sims off waivers when he was released by Minnesota during roster cut downs.

Sims would play 212 offensive snaps last season, with nearly 65 percent of them coming as a run-blocker. By PFF’s grading system, Sims would rank 29th in run-blocking out of 83 eligible tight ends. Sims would also play a key role on special teams, on the field for 105 snaps, most of which came on the kick return unit.

Having a tight end who can handle the blocking specific duties is an important element of the LaFleur offense, a role that was previously filled by Marcedes Lewis. Sims does, however, have pass-catching upside, posting a RAS of 8.32 coming out of Baylor. He would catch five passes on six targets in 2023 for 25 yards with one touchdown.

“Growth,” said Dunn when asked what he’s seen from Sims. “You know that was interesting because obviously he comes, I think it was a week before the first game, something like that, and so Tucker and Luke are going through, and they had an offseason, they had a training camp to at least learn the system, so Ben, he’s thrown right in and didn’t blink. That’s what I love about him.

“So for him the interesting part and cool part, not to speak for him, but being here now, he wasn’t part of the offseason program last year. So kind of learning it from the level ground as opposed to the game plan and here we go is going to be really beneficial to him.”

Four or five tight ends? Potentially the big question with this position group is whether the Packers will roster four or five players at it. We know Musgrave and Kraft will be on the team, and I’m going to assume Sims will as well. But will the Packers keep both Davis and Pearson or just one of them?

If I were picking now, I would guess they keep just four and go with Davis over Pearson because of his special teams ability. For what it’s worth, in the LaFleur era, the Packers never rostered five tight ends on the initial 53-man–although in 2019 they did keep four tight ends and one fullback.

Messiah Swinson and Joel Wilson: Swinson signed as an undrafted rookie following this year’s draft. He is listed at 6-8 – 255 pounds. In four seasons, Swinson had only 42 targets, averaging 11.3 yards per catch with two touchdowns. Nearly one-third of his snaps came in the slot, but he was frequently utilized as a blocker.

The Packers signed Wilson to the practice squad last November. He went undrafted out of Central Michigan last April. Between the 2021 and 2022 seasons, Wilson caught 75 out of his 105 targets at 11.0 yards per catch with 12 touchdowns. According to PFF, 45 percent of his snaps came from the slot.

Fully healthy, Kingsley Enagbare’s continued success will be key for Packers’ defensive front

By: Paul Bretl 7/10/24

After what was thought to be an ACL injury that Kingsley Enagbare sustained in the Green Bay Packers’ playoff win against Dallas, to the surprise of many, Enagbare was on the practice field during OTAs and minicamp.

“It was great news,” said Enagbare. “I’m on my 10 feet walking.”

During the draft, Matt LaFleur confirmed that Enagbare never had surgery on his knee and that, internally, they were optimistic about where he was at in the rehab process. Still, I’m not sure anyone outside of the building expected to see Enagbare on the practice field at this stage of the offseason, and we still don’t know exactly what the knee injury was.

For roughly half of the offseason, Enagbare was limited in what he could and couldn’t do as he went through his rehab. But for the second half, he was able to return to form.

“I was pretty limited for probably like half of it,” said Enagbare, “but the other half, I was back running, pressing, basically where I am now.”

And now? As we saw during practice with Enagbare participating in both individual and team drills, he’s a full-go.

“100% 100%,” said Enagbare when asked how he was feeling.

During the second half of the 2023 season, Enagbare’s production really began to take off. Of the 27 pressures he recorded last season, 18 of them came in Week 12 and beyond. During that span, Enagbare ranked 28th in PFF’s pass-rush win-rate metric out of 128 eligible edge rushers. He would rank 36th in run-stop rate as well.

In addition to his contributions on defense, Enagbare would also play the eighth-most special teams snaps on the Packers, routinely playing across three different units.

“He’s been outstanding,” said LaFleur about Enagbare. “You talk about a guy who comes to work with the right mentality each and every day, he’s the epitome of that. And I think we’ve seen the growth.

“We saw it last year, the growth from Year 1 to Year 2, and I think we’re still seeing that growth as he develops his body and continues to learn the game. And certainly we’re asking these guys to do a little bit different things from a front standpoint but he’s somebody that’s certainly capable of it. He just brings an edge to your defense.”

Having Enagbare fully healthy provides a big boost to the Packers’ defensive end depth. Under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, where the job of the defensive front is to attack and get into the backfield, rotating defenders often to keep them fresh will be important, which puts an added emphasis on the unit’s depth.

Compared to what the defensive front was asked to under Joe Barry, this new system is a bit more simplified and puts the emphasis on being disruptive. Rather than having to defend two gaps and reading what the offense is doing before reacting, Hafley’s defense asks the defenders to get off the ball and into the backfield as quickly as possible.

“At least for the D-line aspect, we’re being preached or being talked to just go upfield and pretty much create havoc, whether it’s sack, TFLs. Just go vertical,” Enagbare said.

“That itself it’s very simple. Really nothing to think about. See ball, get ball type of thing. It’s pretty much I guess how we all essentially kind of want to play… Just look forward and make a play.”

As the new defensive coordinator, one of the key tasks for Hafley will be getting more consistency out of the defensive front. This was a unit last year that ranked 23rd in yards per carry allowed and had four games where they surrendered 200-plus rushing yards–a league-high.

The pass rush was also very hot and cold. While there were seven games where the Packers pressured the quarterback on 45-plus percent of his dropbacks–which is quite good–there were also seven games where they failed to pressure the quarterback more than 30 percent of the time. That was not very good.

Hafley’s attacking play style in the trenches will help provide that consistency through increased disruption, but also playing a key factor in those results will be Enagbare, who is healthy and continuing to ascend as he enters his third NFL season.

“Man, coming back, I’d seen him walking around and jumping around, and I’m like, ‘What?,’ said Rashan Gary. “We heard the same thing that we heard last year and I’m like, ‘Man, God is good.’ He understands that it could have went either way for him, so having that mindset and having the way that he’s attacked this offseason.

“Because he’s talked to me and he’s like, ‘I felt like I let you guys down at the end of the season with not being able to finish with the 49ers.’ I’m like, ‘Don’t be too hard on yourself,’ but having that mindset, he should be that hard on himself. Me being an older player, I’m trying to take some of that off him but man he’s hungry and he’s gonna have a hell of a year for us.”

Packers 2024 training camp preview: Running backs

By: Paul Bretl 7/10/24

With Green Bay Packers training camp less than two weeks away, I’ll be doing a position-by-position preview. Next up are the running backs.

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

Quarterbacks

Roster: Josh Jacobs, AJ Dillon, Marshawn Lloyd, Emanuel Wilson, Jarveon Howard, Ellis Merriweather

Jacobs knows leadership role must be earned: Although Josh Jacobs is a former All-Pro, NFL rushing leader, and team captain for the Raiders, those accolades are just that, accolades, even though they are impressive ones. His new teammates didn’t see the work that went into playing at that high level or what it took to earn the respect of his former teammates.

Jacobs wants to be a leader on this young Packers team but knows that is an honor that’s earned and not just handed out, regardless of what a player has done at their previous stops. So, as Jacobs nursed a hamstring injury during voluntary OTAs, was it a requirement that he be on the practice field, or was doing so a prerequisite for a successful season? Not really. But Jacobs is out to prove that he has the right mentality and work ethic to be a leader.

“Yeah, I do,” said Jacobs when asked if he needs to be on the practice field. “Because these guys haven’t seen me on the day to day. Sometimes you see the end result, but you don’t see the work it takes to get there. Like I said, trying to be a leader on this team with this young group, and I feel like you’ve got to show and prove a certain mentality, certain demeanor and certain work ethic, for a lot of guys that want to take that next step. Especially with being there before, a lot of guys don’t really know how to do that.

“I tell people all the time, having Davante Adams come to the Raiders was the best thing for me, because I seen a player be great, and I seen a player be great on a day to day basis, so for me, that’s what I try to bring.”

Jacobs looking to bounce back: Just one season after being the NFL’s rushing leader in 2022 when Jacobs totaled 1,653 yards on the ground, his production dipped last season. Jacobs finished 2023 with 805 yards at only 3.5 yards per attempt.

As is often the case, there were several factors in play that contributed to his down year. One of which was that Jacobs dealt with injuries, appearing in only 13 games. Jacobs’ offseason last year was also outside of the norm, as he held out during training camp after being franchise-tagged, with a reworked deal not getting done until August 26th. In addition to all of that, the Raiders’ offense could never gain consistent traction either.

Fully healthy this offseason, along with having his contract situation in order, gives Jacobs a leg up compared to this time last year. But the added help around him in the Packers’ offense also contributes to what hopefully becomes a bounce-back season.

Behind the Packers’ offensive line, Green Bay ranked top-10 in yards per carry as a team last season. On top of that, the potential that this Packers’ passing game has with Jordan Love under center and the playmakers at receiver and tight end around him could result in fewer eight-man boxes that Jacobs will have to contend with.

“It’s just so special when you got a guy like Jordan Love back there, and you can’t really just load the box every play, and you make defenses decide what they want to stop,” Jacobs recently said in an interview with NFL Network. “I think that’s going to be the biggest help for me this year.”

There is also something to be said for playing in Matt LaFleur’s offense, which keeps defenses off-balanced through a variety of looks and provides the running back position with one-on-one opportunities.

“The thing that I like the most is how diverse it is—especially for me,” said Jacobs of LaFleur’s offense. “Like, we can line up wide, we can do dual backs, they have certain packages of personnel that allow me to win, put me in space and be able to win in space. And as a running back that’s all you ask for, get your 1-on-1 matchups and that’s where you can show how special you are.”

Jacobs’ impact on the passing game: As we all know, Jacobs can handle a heavy workload as a ball carrier, but he also brings a natural pass-catching ability to the running back position as well. Over five seasons with the Raiders, he was targeted in the passing game 249 times, and as Jacobs told Matt LaFleur when he first arrived to Green Bay, he believes he has more to offer in that regard.

“I was talking to (LaFleur) about that actually and I was telling him I feel like I want to catch it a little bit more,” Jacobs said. “I feel like I didn’t get to show that as much as I would have liked. So, that’s definitely something in the conversations we had. I know the schemes out here, they do a lot of outside-zone running. I think it just fits me, man. I can’t wait to get in and feel it out and see where I fit in. But also try to leave my mark on it, too.”

Beyond the prerequisite of making plays as a ball carrier, the running back’s ability to not only impact the passing game but be moved around the formation is an important element of LaFleur’s offense as it can create mismatches for the running back to exploit, along with one-on-one opportunities in space, where Jacobs has excelled. During his All-Pro 2022 season, he ranked 11th in average yards after contact and first in missed tackles forced.

Coming out of college, Lance Zierlein of NFL.com wrote that Jacobs has the “ability to track the ball like a receiver.” So, in addition to Jacobs seeing more targets than he did with the Raiders, the real difference may come with what he’s asked to do in the passing game, specifically lining up from the slot more often and running a greater variety of routes.

Don’t forget about AJ Dillon: While the pads have yet to come on, AJ Dillon is looking more trim this offseason while still maintaining his muscle mass, and as he put it, he is in the best shape of his life.

The result appears to be a more explosive version of Dillon, which the Packers need. Last season, Dillon averaged just 3.4 yards per rush, with his 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.

“I’ve got a bunch of motivation but it’s all internal,” said Dillon. “I’m in the best shape of my life. I feel good so I’m ready to do whatever it takes. I want to go win a Super Bowl. I’ve been here – this is Year 5 now. We’ve been close. That’s really it. I’m going to go out, work and I’m going to be a dog in whatever capacity on game day. That’s it. Motivation? I’ve got it. Discipline? I’ve got it. I’m here and trying to be great.”

By Dillon’s own admission, and Sirmans has agreed, there are times when Dillon is overthinking on the field, and rather than reacting to what’s happening and letting his natural abilities take over, he’s pressing, which can slow him down.

“Just let the game do more of coming to him,” said running backs coach Ben Sirmans last season, “and when he relaxes and does that, he’ll be fine. If you’re out there thinking too much about I need to do this or I need to be this type of guy, then that’s going to take away from you playing natural football.”

From a contract standpoint, with Dillon carrying a dead cap hit of only $167,500, he is far from a roster lock. But as the headline suggests, even with the additions of Jacobs and Marshawn Lloyd, don’t forget about Dillon this summer.

In the early going of offseason programs, he was routinely getting reps ahead of Lloyd. Now, that doesn’t mean he will be RB2 to start the season–that is still to be determined–but there is value in the stability Dillon can provide. He knows the LaFleur offense inside and out and has proven to be quite capable in pass protection and as a receiver. If Dillon can add some playmaking to his well-rounded skill set, then there is certainly a role that can be carved out.

“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.”

Marshawn Lloyd adds a new element to the Packers’ running back position: Following the NFL draft, we heard both LaFleur and Adam Stenavich say to some effect that Lloyd brings a different element to this position group for Green Bay. After a short time of watching Lloyd on the practice field, you see what LaFleur and Stenavich were referring to, with him bringing a level of burst and acceleration that the other backs just don’t have.

“He’s got serious speed,” said GM Brian Gutekunst about Lloyd. “He’s very elusive, he’s got great balance, so he’s a little bit different than some of the backs that we have in our depth chart right now.”

The focus for Lloyd during the time off between minicamp and training camp was going to be on the pass-catching aspect of his game. Last season with USC, Lloyd put up ridiculous numbers in the passing game, averaging a whopping 17.8 yards per catch, leading all running backs in yards per catch and average YAC per reception.

“He definitely can be a weapon out of the backfield,” said Matt LaFleur. “I love all the measurables. He’s a 220-pound back that runs 4.4 and can run routes out of the backfield. I think he could be a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses.”

However, Lloyd wasn’t involved all that heavily in the passing game during his time in college–although as we saw with AJ Dillon, just because the opportunities weren’t there doesn’t mean there isn’t the ability. Over Lloyd’s final two seasons, he was targeted 43 times, including only 18 times in 2023. For some context, those 18 targets ranked 117th among running backs last season.

As has already been detailed, the pass-catching element at running back is an important component when it comes to seeing steady playing time at this position in LaFleur’s offense.

“Pass catching,” said Lloyd when asked what he will focus on. “Just being able to be available as a pass catcher. Being able to use my abilities to make people miss and be used in space. I feel like that’s something I’m gonna work on this whole offseason. It’s been pretty good.”

Although I don’t believe that anyone should forget about Dillon at the running back position this summer, I also don’t think Lloyd is going to experience a rookie season like Dillon did, where he was the third running back and saw minimal playing time. Because Lloyd adds a different dynamic to the offense, Stenavich wants to get him involved as often as they can.

“I would like to get him out there as much as possible,” said Stenavich. “He’s got a skill set that’s a little bit different than AJ’s as far as his speed. He’s not quite the bruiser that (Dillon) is obviously, but he’s got a different type of skill set. So it’ll be nice to get him the ball in space and just see what he can do. I think he’s gonna add a good explosive element to the offense, for sure.”

Where does Emanuel Wilson fit in all of this? If the Packers value Dillon’s well-rounded skill set on the roster, it becomes difficult to see where Wilson fits on the 53-man. In the limited action we saw from him last season, he displayed good burst with the ball in his hands.

However, when it comes to being the third running back on the roster, while there is a certain prerequisite as a ball carrier that has to be maintained, the ability to contribute on special teams and hold up in pass protection will be key factors in determining if Wilson will make the team. During training camp, Wilson could very well have to showcase that he can hang with Dillon when it comes to these parts of the game.

“I just think it’s, there’s a learning curve for every young player in this league,” said LaFleur last October prior to the Denver game, “and you just kind of have to prove it through practice. He’s a talented guy, no question about it. But it’s just that trust that he can go out there no matter what the defense gives us that he’s going to be able to go out there and execute.

“Because it’s not just running the football. It’s protections, it’s all that. I think he’s progressing nicely. We’ll give him more opportunities throughout practice in order for him to be able to go out there and do it in a game.”

In many instances, when it comes to determining the final roster spot at a position group, you could make the case that the team should choose the younger, higher-upside player, which in this case is Wilson, over the veteran on a one-year deal, which is Dillon. However, with both Jacobs and Lloyd under contract for the next four seasons, that thought process becomes less important.

“I’d say mentally, honestly,” said Wilson of where he saw the most growth in his first season. “Just sitting back, asking the guys questions about pass protection and really the running the scheme to. Having my mental reps is the most important thing for me.”

Jarveon Howard and Ellis Merriweather: Howard, similarly to Jacobs and Lloyd, has a more compact frame, listed at 5-10 – 215 pounds. A 2024 UDFA from Alcorn State, Howard’s most productive season was in 2022, when he rushed for over 1,200 yards at 5.0 yards per carry, and 12 scores, ranking 20th at the FCS level in yards after contact. As a pass-catcher, he finished his career with 54 targets, averaging 6.6 yards per catch.

Merriweather went undrafted in 2023 out of Massachusetts and was signed to the Packers’ practice squad in November. Standing 6-1 and weighing 220 pounds, Merriweather averaged 4.0 yards per rush during his final college season, forcing 20 missed tackles and had 15 runs of 10-plus yards. He would also catch 29 passes at 6.7 yards per reception.

Packers 2024 Training Camp Preview: Quarterback

By: Paul Bretl 7/9/24

With Green Bay Packers training camp less than two weeks away, I’ll be doing a position-by-position preview, starting with the quarterbacks.

Roster: Jordan Love, Sean Clifford, Michael Pratt

Countering the counters: Opposing defenses have now had a full offseason to look back and digest Love’s tape. They’ve been able to really examine what he does well and where he struggles and will undoubtedly come up with game plans that try to take away the former while putting him in scenarios that exacerbate the latter.

“You might anticipate a defense maybe bringing a little more pressure,” said Clements. “Disguising a little bit more. Making it more difficult to see where to go. So that’s from a quarterback standpoint, if that happens you have to have a lot of film study and be able to react.

“I mean that was one of Aaron’s (Rodgers) best attributes is the he could process information very quickly and usually make the right decision and get the ball where it had to go. That’s something that we’ll have to see how defenses approach it, but that’s something you’ve got to be ready for.”

For a team with Super Bowl aspirations, it’s obviously important that Love and the offense counter these adjustments thrown at them but also do so somewhat quickly. Taking a week or two to adjust can have a big impact on potential playoff seeding. Instead, these counters need to be made on the fly.

With the experience Love has gained over the last year, his ability to process the play as it’s unfolding has improved as has his overall comfortability with the offense and the players around him. These will be key factors when it comes to countering the counters.

Emphasis on footwork: Proper footwork is at the core of what quarterbacks coach Tom Clements emphasizes in his teaching, and not only with Love, but with Aaron Rodgers as well. That element has again been the focus for Love this offseason.

“There’s always little things,” said Love on what he’s working on. “I think the biggest thing for me is just staying poised in the pocket, being able to say balanced in the pocket. Sometimes I get out of whack with my feet and I might start drifting in the pocket too much. Just pocket awareness, making smaller moves and understanding when I’ve got to get out of there.”

Footwork is the foundation for a quarterback’s success on any given play. As quarterbacks coach Tom Clements has said previously, he usually has a good idea of how the pass turned out by watching the quarterback’s footwork.

Footwork, the cornerstone of a quarterback’s performance, is more than just steps. It’s about executing the right drop to ensure timely throws, maintaining balance, and keeping the feet in constant motion. This synchronized movement with the quarterback’s eyes is crucial for a successful play. Any deviation from this can disrupt the quarterback’s mechanics, leading to inaccurate passes or mistimed plays.

Proper footwork also extends beyond just being in the pocket. In today’s NFL, making off-schedule throws on the move is a must as well.

“Also throwing on the run,” said Love when further describing what he’s been working on. “Being able to escape the pocket and make those off-schedule plays is something I worked a good amount on.

“Also, just being comfortable, seeing the defense, going back and watching the tape, seeing things I could have done different with picking up protections and things I wasn’t doing earlier on that I started being able to pick up on later in the season. But I think the biggest thing for me is just pocket movement, making smaller movements.”

In addition to the individual drills that the quarterbacks go through, Matt LaFleur has heavily utilized 7-on-7 periods during OTAs to help further emphasize the footwork element at the quarterback position. LaFleur has made it known he is not a fan of 7-on-7 drills, largely because there isn’t a pass rush, but the focus right now is on having “perfect feet,” and this drill helps accomplish that.

A big jump for Sean Clifford? The addition of Michael Pratt in this year’s draft doesn’t mean that the Packers aren’t bullish about Clifford. In fact, Clements expects the second-year quarterback to make a big jump.

“He developed throughout the year,” said Clements, “which is what you’d like to see. He’s doing a great job in this offseason. So I think he’ll make a big jump from year one to year two.”

As I’ve detailed before, my sense is that drafting Pratt was more so about adhering to an organizational philosophy that goes well beyond Gutekunst’s tenure as GM, where the development of the quarterback position is prioritized, almost regardless of what the depth chart looks like, and it was less about the Packers feeling a sense of urgency to find an upgrade for Clifford.

Although we saw very little of Clifford last season, one intangible trait that LaFleur often used to describe Clifford was ‘resiliency.’ Regardless of what had just happened, whether it be a turnover, a sack, or a missed throw, Clifford was very quick to bounce back and move on. He’s a competitor. 

However, a big part of Clifford’s responsibilities as the backup was running the scout team offense each week. In that role, just like many of the other Packers’ rookies, Clements saw growth in Clifford as the year went on.

“Sean, he definitely did grow,” said Clements. He’s like a game-type gamer. A little bit of Matt Flynn in him. Once the season started, and he was running the scout team, and he started to become more familiar with our offense and then running opposing team’s offenses, you usually have a lot of similar plays, and he ran the scout team very well, ran the huddle well, he’s a good leader, and he started to make plays throughout the year.”

I’m sure if Pratt is able to come in and push Clifford, creating some additional competition, the Packers will be thrilled. All offseason, Gutekunst has continually mentioned the importance of competition within every room. 

With that said, don’t forget about Clifford either, just because there is a new quarterback on the team. The Packers are ‘super excited’ about what they have in him, as LaFleur put it, and with Clifford having a full year in the NFL and in LaFleur’s offense, he is going to have a massive leg up in any potential competition that takes place this summer with Pratt.

“As I said, usually there’s a big jump from year one to year so I anticipate that to be the case,” Clements said. “You just have to be ready to go. Sean is very into the game. If you watch him on the sidelines, he’s always talking to Jordan, learning, watching what’s going on out on the field. He loves football, so he just needs to continue to work and be ready.”

Michael Pratt had some promising moments but still has a way to go: There were a few occasions during team drills during offseason programs where Pratt was able to impress. During one two-minute drill, in particular, Pratt led the third-team offense into field goal range, which Anders Carlson was able to connect on from 46 yards. 

Pratt finished the drive, completing 5-of-9 passes for 46 yards, and from my vantage point, it looked like two of those incompletions would have been classified as drops.

Beyond the numbers that don’t mean a whole lot this time of the year, what stood out most was the process of it all. Playing full-speed, Pratt appeared poised in the pocket, he was mostly accurate, and got the ball out quickly, knowing exactly where to go with it.

“Definitely slowing down,” said Pratt on the speed of the game. “I think this week, you know, yesterday and today, I think everything’s really started to slow down a little bit. I feel like I’m at the point now where rookie minicamp and first week it was like hearing the whole call and it’s like thinking about the formation, thinking about the motion, thinking about the protection, thinking about the concept, like now once I get the call, I can kind of visualize the formation and the motion together.

“Think about the protection a little bit because I might need to change it and then the concept, now that I know the formation, it’s X this or Z this. I think it’s definitely starting to click a lot better and I’m able to operate a little faster and able to play a little bit faster.”

In the past, we’ve heard Matt LaFleur mention ‘letting it rip,’ when he’s discussing what he wants to see from Jordan Love or Sean Clifford. This doesn’t mean being overly aggressive or throwing the ball downfield just for the sake of doing so, but rather, being confident in what you see and the quarterback getting the ball out of his hands. On Wednesday, Pratt was letting it rip.

However, having said that, Pratt still has a ways to go. Ultimatley I believe that the learning curve that Pratt is and will experience will be the differentiator in deciding who Love’s backup quarterback is. Clifford having that familiarity and understanding of the offense, plus the added comfort level of the speed of the game, will help him separate himself from Pratt as training camp and the preseason unfolds.

“Any time you talk about the quarterback position, there’s so much information thrown at these guys, and it’s a big learning curve,” said Matt LaFleur. “But I think much as how we saw Sean (Clifford) adjust, I think OTA’s it’s survival mode because you’re drinking basically water out of a fire hose and you’re just trying to survive out there and I think these next five weeks will be good for him to kind of like decompress a little bit, take what he’s learned.

“He’s going to have to stay in the book and hopefully it will help him digest it a little better so when he gets to training camp he’s ready to roll. He’s done a nice job. I’m not saying he hasn’t. It’s just you don’t get as many reps as you’d like to at that position. That’s why we like to do a lot of the two-spots and today, we’re short in a couple areas so we didn’t do that. But yeah, I’m looking forward to when he gets back to camp, he’s already gone through it once, learned basically the entire install and to go through it again a second time I think will be really beneficial for him.”

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