First Impressions of Draft Picks at Packers Rookie Minicamp

From Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt to Samori Toure, most of the Green Bay Packers' draft picks made a positive impression during their first practice.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – No Pro Football Hall of Fame busts will be engraved after Friday’s practice at Green Bay Packers rookie minicamp. No starting jobs were won. No roster spots were earned. No bubbles were burst.

But, as the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Here was my first impression of the 11 draft picks who made their professional debuts on a blustery Friday afternoon at Ray Nitschke Field.

First Round: LB Quay Walker

He’s huge and athletic. In other words, exactly as advertised. At Georgia, Walker started for the first time as a senior. In 15 games, he broke up three passes and had zero interceptions. It was unimpressive ball production. On Friday, he had one interception and an additional pass defensed during a one-on-one period. The interception came on a deep ball when he ran stride for stride with running back Tyler Goodson, who was a big-time receiving threat at Iowa. Walker just covers so much ground. During a run-game drill, he seemed a bit tentative at times.

First Round: DT Devonte Wyatt

It’s hard to glean too much from the big guys in the trenches when they’re not wearing pads and they’re not going full tilt. During a run-game drill, though, he burst through a double team. On another step, he pushed the blocker a few yards into the backfield.

Second Round: WR Christian Watson

Watson was on the receiving end of one of the big plays of the day. Lining up in the right slot, he streaked straight down the field and caught a deep pass from first-year quarterback Danny Etling. Watson did have one drop and, depending on who was doing the grading, might have had another on a wobbler that was thrown behind him and almost intercepted. Hands were the knock on him coming out of North Dakota State. But he is big and fast and should be an immediate asset.

Third Round: OL Sean Rhyan

Rhyan, a three-year starting left tackle at UCLA, moved around a bit on Day 1. One rep that stood out came when he was at right tackle Undrafted outside linebacker Kobe Jones tried to set up a move on Rhyan but Rhyan wasn’t taking the bait. He patiently waited for Jones to arrive, then easily kept him from the passer.

Fourth Round: WR Romeo Doubs

According to Pro Football Focus, Doubs had 15 receptions on passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield during his final two seasons at Nevada. That was No. 1 in the nation. Doubs had three deep catches on Friday. To be sure, there might not have been an NFL cornerback on the field but, at 6-foot-2 and 201 pounds, he’s got a nice blend of size and speed. He flashed some really good hands; his 10-inchers are a big advantage.

Fourth Round: OL Zach Tom

Tom wants to be Elgton Jenkins 2.0, a player capable of lining up and playing high-level football at all five spots. He spent most of the day at center and showed a lot of quickness off the ball. He scored an impressive win against Wyatt in the one-on-ones.

Fifth Round: OLB Kingsley Enagbare

Enagbare ran his 40 at the Scouting Combine in 4.87 seconds. That’s slow. At pro day, he ran his 40 in 4.96 seconds. That’s even slower. You wouldn’t know it, though. Maybe his 40-yard time isn’t fast but there’s nothing wrong with his first 5 yards, which is what it takes to get to the quarterback.

Seventh Round: S Tariq Carpenter

At 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Carpenter ran his 40 in 4.47 seconds. In other words, he’s got the size of a linebacker but the speed of a safety – his position at Georgia Tech. Playing safety, he was a day late and a dollar short for most of his first practice, though.

Seventh Round: DT Jonathan Ford

Ford measured 6-foot-5 and 333 pounds at the Scouting Combine and was 5 pounds heavier at pro day. Ford is a big man but it doesn’t appear that it’s a lot of bad weight. During the one-on-ones, he beat Tom with a nifty spin move – not exactly what you’d expect from a 338-pounder who hasn’t had a sack since 2019. On one snap during a run-game drill, he simply refused to be budged by the blocker.

Seventh Round: OT Rasheed Walker

Walker was one of two players who didn’t participate.

Seventh Round: WR Samori Toure

Maybe it was the subpar quality of cornerbacks, but Toure routinely got himself open. He was billed as an excellent route-runner before the draft and that’s what he showed in his debut. Really, the early impressions on all three drafted receivers – not to mention undrafted free agent Danny Davis of Wisconsin and tryout player Keke Chism of Missouri – were positive.