DuBose Was Happy To Throw Block Parties at Charlotte

Green Bay Packers receiver Grant DuBose, a seventh-round draft pick, personified Charlotte’s desire to play like bullies.

Author:
Bill Huber
Updated:
May 23, 2023 12:00 PM EDT
Original:
May 23, 2023

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Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – For four years, Allen Lazard relished his role as the “goon” in Matt LaFleur’s Green Bay Packers offense.

As much as Lazard liked catching passes, he also relished the opportunity to get his hands on defensive backs or even throw a shoulder into an unsuspecting defensive lineman. His blocking was a big reason for the success of the Green Bay running game.

Who will take that role? Perhaps seventh-round draft pick Grant DuBose.

To be sure, the Packers drafted DuBose mostly because he’s a quality receiver prospect. He caught 62 passes for 892 yards and six touchdowns in 2021 and 64 passes for 792 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022. That DuBose is willing to do the dirty work caught the attention of receivers coach and passing-game coordinator Jason Vrable.

“Watching him at Charlotte, I thought there were some raw things to him because he only played two years there,” Vrable said on Thursday ahead of the start of organized team activities this week. “But the way he caught the ball, the way how physical he was, he blocked, he kind of reminded me of Lazard the way he was throwing his body around and being physical and gritty.”

That’s the way he was coached, said Perry Parks, DuBose’s receivers coach at Charlotte the previous two seasons.

“That’s one of the things we talked about: core values, having a true block-first mentality and being physical at the point of attack and embracing that and loving it. Grant really bought into that,” Parks, now the receivers coach at Coastal Carolina, told Packer Central.

“We tried to be bullies. If you watch any of our tape, we wanted defenses to see that we were physical and we weren’t going to shy away from any contact. That’s the stamp that we had as a room, and Grant really personified that with the way we played the game.

“We blocked 40 and 50 yards down the field to spring touchdowns. Any point of attack, any crack block, we were going in there and putting our faces in there. He’s a physical guy. He’s going to put his hands on you and try to maul you at the point of attack.”

There’s an obvious difference between Lazard and DuBose. At 6-foot-4 5/8 and 227 pounds, Lazard’s got a couple inches and 25 pounds on DuBose, who measured 6-foot-2 3/8 and 201 pounds at the Scouting Combine.

Mentality helps, though, and DuBose has got it. He’s an aggressive player as a blocker and when the ball’s in the air.

“He had some of the most impressive catches of this draft class that I saw that were just unbelievable, his hand-eye coordination,” Vrable said. “I’m excited about him once he gets back on the field here to get him rolling, because live reps are always going to be better than in the classroom. Grant’s been unbelievable through the process and just really excited about him.”

DuBose missed the rookie minicamp due to an undisclosed injury. Whenever Vrable gets to coach him on the field, he will find a coachable pupil who is eager to get better.

“The thing that makes him different is he’s super-intelligent and his work ethic is bar none,” Parks said. “There wasn’t a practice at Charlotte where he didn’t get out early or leave last. He always found something in his game to get better. After his first year, me and him sat down and he said, ‘Hey, what do you think I need to get better?’

“Everything I told him – short-area quickness, changing your releases up, being stronger and more physical at the point of attack – all that stuff he really took heed to and he really worked in the offseason to correct those things and become better. He became more of a student of the game. To see him take some constructive criticism and apply it and get better, you know that the kid has his head on and he understands what he’s trying to get out of football.”