Lowry’s Injury Means More Snaps for Wyatt

First-round pick Devonte Wyatt was ready for more playing time, anyway, after three consecutive noteworthy performances.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Dec 28, 2022 10:10 AM EST

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Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Dean Lowry’s pain is Devonte Wyatt’s gain.

The Packers placed Lowry on injured reserve on Saturday with a calf injury. With Lowry’s early exit on Sunday at Miami, first-round pick Devonte Wyatt played a career-high 24 snaps against the Dolphins.

Before the Miami game, coach Matt LaFleur said Wyatt was in line for more playing time, anyway.

“I think he’s done a nice job,” LaFleur said last week. “I think it’s been a little bit of a learning curve for him, but he shows improvement each and every week. I can tell he’s into it and I think he’s earning more and more opportunities and, certainly, when he goes in there and does a great job, that’s going to lead to more opportunities.

“He’s got to take advantage of every snap he gets, and that’s not only in the game, that’s in practice, as well, because that gives us confidence as coaches when you go out there and practice and show that you know what you’re doing. That typically leads to more opportunities in the game.”

Against Chicago a couple weeks ago, Wyatt played nine snaps. On one of them, he helped stuff David Montgomery on a third-and-5 run early in the fourth quarter. Lowry blocked a field goal on the next play to prevent the Bears from extending a 19-17 lead.

Against the Rams last week, Wyatt also played nine snaps. Early in the fourth quarter, he made back-to-back key plays. With the Rams backed up at their 13, Wyatt stopped Cam Akers for no gain on first down and teamed with Justin Hollins to sack Baker Mayfield on a bootleg on second down. On the next play, Rasul Douglas intercepted Mayfield.

“Making those plays, it felt good for that moment, but I would love to make more plays, be on the field a little more and make more plays and make a name for myself,” Wyatt said last week. “Making those two plays, it just gives me the confidence I can make more and I could be more dominant than what I am.”

A few days later, against the Dolphins, Wyatt had back-to-back pressures on the opening possession of the third quarter. The second of those led to a third-down throwaway and, ultimately, a missed 48-yard field goal.

Wyatt was the 28th pick of this year’s draft, making him the second defensive tackle off the board behind his Georgia teammate, Jordan Davis, who went 13th to the Philadelphia Eagles. With 15 games in the books, Wyatt is 12th among rookie interior defensive lineman in snaps with an average of about 10.5 per game.

Wyatt said waiting for his opportunity has not been difficult.

“It’s like my rookie year in college,” he said. “You know how it is – you start off slow. Once you get to learn the plays and the defense, get to moving fast. That’s what I’ve been treating it like and developing.”

At Georgia, Wyatt had to bide his time behind a bunch of four- and five-star recruits. It’s been a similar situation in Green Bay. Kenny Clark (first round), Jarran Reed (second round by Seattle) and Lowry (fourth round) were drafted in 2016. Combined, those three players have 262 NFL starts.

It’s worth noting just eight of those starts came during their rookie seasons, with only two by Clark, so Wyatt’s slow start isn’t unusual.

“I say having them three guys around me, they’ve been in the game for so long – eight or nine years,” Wyatt said. “Just fitting in and learning from them, it just helps me learn faster and see the things I don’t see that they see. They’re coaching me or they see I’m doing something wrong, ‘Hey, try this next time or do this.’ So far, everything they tell me has been working.”

While Wyatt got the best job training imaginable competing in the mighty SEC, it’s still a huge step forward to the NFL. Wyatt said learning offensive formations has been the most challenging part of the transition. As he learns what’s coming – and what’s not coming – through how the offense lines up, Wyatt can let his quickness shine.

“Just don’t be scared to make mistakes,” he said. “Just go out there and play hard, fast, physical and just do what I’ve always been doing since I’ve been playing football – dominating.”