Packers Announce Schedule for Week 3 of Training Camp
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers on Friday announced the starting times for next week’s practices.
Following Friday’s Family Night – the fifth consecutive day of practice – coach Matt LaFleur will give the Packers an off-day on Saturday. They’ll get back work with practices on Sunday (12:30 p.m.), Monday (10:30 a.m.), Tuesday (closed to the public) and Wednesday (10:30 a.m.). The team will fly to San Francisco on Thursday for Friday night’s preseason opener at the San Francisco 49ers.
After that, only two practices remain that will be open to fans. Those are the joint practices on Tuesday, Aug. 16 and Wednesday, Aug. 17 against the New Orleans Saints.
“We’re not really at that point yet,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said of intensive roster evaluations. “I think we’re trying to allow these guys to get into a comfort zone, to compete. Every rep in practice is important, but when we get to these preseason games and how they react between those white lines without a coach in their ear, that is where we’ll really start to focus in on that. And as we get closer to that Kansas City game, we’ll start to have those conversations like, ‘Do we have what we need right now? Do we need to go outside the building to try and fill some of those needs?’ But I think we’ve got good competition across the board. As we deal with the injuries the next three or four weeks, we’ll probably have to move some things around to get our numbers. But I like the competition, I like the way they’ve worked. I think their urgency and intensity has risen each day.”
Here is the updated schedule, with 12 practices this summer being open to fans.
Wednesday, July 27 (10:30 a.m.)
Thursday, July 28 (10:30 a.m.)
Saturday, July 30 (10:30 a.m.)
Monday, Aug. 1 (10:30 a.m.)
Tuesday, Aug. 2 (10:30 a.m.)
Wednesday, Aug. 3 (closed to public)
Thursday, Aug. 4 (10:30 a.m.)
Friday, Aug. 5 (Family Night, 7:30 p.m.)
Sunday, Aug. 7 (12:30 p.m.)
Monday, Aug. 8 (10:30 a.m.)
Tuesday, Aug. 9 (closed to public)
Wednesday, Aug. 10 (10:30 a.m.)
Friday, Aug. 12: Preseason Game 1: at San Francisco 49ers, 7:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Aug. 16 (joint practices against New Orleans Saints)
Wednesday, Aug. 17 (joint practices against New Orleans Saints)
Friday, Aug. 19: Preseason Game 2: vs. New Orleans Saints, 7 p.m.
Thursday, Aug. 25: Preseason Game 3: at Kansas City Chiefs, 7 p.m.
This is the 77th training camp in franchise history, a tradition started by Curly Lambeau in 1946. For the third consecutive year, the team will not call St. Norbert College its training camp home. This time, it will be due to upgrades of SNC’s residence halls. Prior to COVID in 2020, the team had called SNC its training camp home since 1958.
Packers Bike Tradition
Ranking the Packers: Top 40
No. 40: WR Romeo Doubs
Jersey No. 87; 6-2, 204; rookie; Nevada
At Nevada, Romeo Doubs caught passes from Carson Strong. Strong is no slouch but he’s also no Aaron Rodgers. Doubs admitted to being a bit star-struck after catching passes from Rodgers at minicamp.
“At one point, yeah, because I grew up watching him play with receivers like Donald Driver, and the list goes on,” Doubs said. “It’s very shocking for me but, after today, getting that feel of his trajectory of the ball, how it comes, I’m able to pick it up now and just focus on the next day.”
Thriving in Nevada’s Air Raid system, Doubs was one of the most productive receivers in the class. In four seasons, he caught 224 passes for 3,322 yards (14.8 average) and 26 touchdowns. He had 40-plus receptions in every season and 1,000-plus yards as a junior and senior. As a senior, he hauled in 80 passes for 1,109 yards (13.9 average) and 11 touchdowns. In what could be a major added bonus, he averaged 12.5 yards per punt return with one touchdown in four seasons.
Doubs was a big-time deep threat at Nevada, and that’s a niche the Packers must fill after losing Marquez Valdes-Scantling in free agency. At 6-foot-1 7/8, Doubs ran his 40 in 4.53 seconds at pro day. That’s not exactly comparable to MVS’s 4.37 at the 2018 Combine, but Doubs showed that long-ball prowess on more than one occasion during the offseason practices.
“He plays fast, runs by a lot of people, so we’re good there. The 40’s great but that play speed on tape is real,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said.
The Packers have to replace the production of Davante Adams and Valdes-Scantling. But that’s not the only reason why Doubs landed in a good spot in the fourth round.
“My mother’s a Green Bay fan,” he said after being drafted. “I just think it’s really great to just be a part of something that she can really root for, along with myself knowing the history of just playing for Green Bay. I know a lot about Aaron Rodgers. I know a lot about Davante Adams. Unfortunately, I know he’s gone, but I just know it’s an opportunity for me to really play for the organization, whether it’s helping on the field or just helping off the field. I’m just blessed and thankful to be a part of something really special.”
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Up next are four outside linebackers. On their own, none rank in the 30s. But somebody has to be the No. 3 outside linebacker behind Rashan Gary and Preston Smith.
“I love four guys,” new position coach Jason Rebrovich said. “Four legit guys that you can sub them in, sub them out, whether it’s situational, red zone, two-minute, third-down packages. You’re going to trot those two guys that we know about out there on the first play of the game, but it doesn’t mean that they’re just going to be the primary players out there.”
No. 39: OLB Tipa Galeai
Jersey No. 40; 6-5, 229; second season; Utah State
There weren’t many bigger believers in Tipa Galeai than his old position coach, Mike Smith.
“Talking about Rashan when he was younger, the more you play, the better you get,” Smith said late last season. “With Tipa, I know there’s something in there. I think I’ve got decent eyes seeing talent and seeing talent in different people that bring different things to the table. With him, he’s a slippery-type rusher that we don’t have. All our guys are big and strong, which is good. We’re built on a lot of stuff like that. But he brings something to the table.”
In a room full of 250-plus-pound bruisers, Galeai is the guy with the potential to win on quicks. He had 10.5 sacks during his junior season at Utah State in 2018, five sacks as a senior and joined the Packers as an undrafted free agent in 2020. Playing off the bench for the final seven games of last season, he averaged 21.7 snaps and contributed 12 tackles and one sack. Of Green Bay’s six outside linebackers with at least 35 pass-rushing snaps, his pass-rush win rate at Pro Football Focus was a unit-worst 9.0 percent.
It’s worth noting he was active ahead of Jonathan Garvin for the playoff game.
No. 38: OLB Randy Ramsey
Jersey No. 56; 6-3, 238; third season; Arkansas
Randy Ramsey was in position to be a key backup at the start of training camp last year but missed the season with a broken ankle.
“It’s been a crazy journey from when it happened,” he said. “Aug. 2 was the day; Aug. 5 was the day I got the surgery. To go from that to now, to be running and sprinting and jumping and training, man, I’m glad that I’m coming up out of that storm. I’m so used to going 100 mph. To be shut down and have to work on the little things that matter, you realize the little things are what make the big things run. From that standpoint, that process was long.”
An undrafted free agent in 2019 after recording 7.5 sacks at Arkansas, he played in 12 games in 2020 and logged 75 snaps on defense (two tackles) and 204 more on special teams (nine tackles).
Ramsey thought he’d be cleared for Day 1 of training camp but will start training camp on PUP.
“I had finally built my confidence and worked my way up the ranks of the guys. I finally felt like I belonged. I knew I was going to have a good role,” he said. “Everything happens for a reason. I just kept my head down and worked. We’ll see what this year brings, because I know I’m coming back better than what I was before I got hurt.”
How so? “My mental aspect, the film and my patience. Understanding that, no matter what, as long as you continue to work and stay consistent, everything’s going to work out.”
No. 37: OLB Jonathan Garvin
Jersey No. 53; 6-4, 257; third season; Miami
The Packers drafted Garvin in the seventh round in 2020. He went from 85 snaps as a rookie to 395 last season, the jump due in large part to Za’Darius Smith missing most of the season with a back injury.
In 16 games, Garvin collected 19 tackles, including 1.5 sacks. Of the six outside linebackers to play at least 35 pass-rushing snaps last season, he ranked fifth with a pass-rush win rate of 12.1 percent.
Garvin is a no-nonsense power player.
“It’s the basis of my pass rush, I would say,” he said. “It’s not in a bad way. It doesn’t mean that I’m slow or anything but using your power, using what you do best, sets up everything else. And then as far as playing the run, of course, that’s always great being able to hold the edge and being able to enforce your will wherever you want to go or, if one person is trying to go one way, you can prevent that and force him to go another way against his will. That’s where strength and really leverage comes into play all the time. Sometimes, it’s not always strength. You’ve got to have the proper leverage to move people out of the way when you need to.”
Garvin played 20-plus snaps in 11 games and at least 12 in all 16 appearances but was inactive for the playoff game. He will turn only 23 on Thursday, so he’s still young and full of potential. At the same time, this will be Year 3. This could be a make-or-break camp.
No. 36: OLB Kingsley Enagbare
Jersey No. 55; 6-4, 258; rookie; South Carolina
Enagbare’s first name is Kingsley but he’ll answer to J.J., as well.
“When I was a kid, around 4 or 5, there was a show called Jay Jay the Jet Plane,” he said at rookie camp. “The main character was Jay Jay and, I guess when I was a kid, I used to act like him. Then it just stuck with me.”
At South Carolina, Enagbare had a breakout junior season with six sacks, seven tackles for losses and three forced fumbles in just eight games. In 12 games as a senior, he added 4.5 sacks, seven tackles for losses and one forced fumble. While the splash plays were down, he drew six holding penalties. In the draft class, only Florida State’s Jermaine Johnson (nine) forced more. According to Sports Info Solutions, out of 32 edge defenders in its draft guide, he ranked fourth with a pressure rate of 17 percent.
“Love him. Love his length, love his ability, very, very smart in the classroom,” outside linebackers coach Jason Rebrovich said. “He’s a cerebral kid, understands stuff, transitions from the classroom on the field. We got some technique stuff we’ve got to clean up and work up a little bit but, first impression, he’s done a really, really outstanding job.”
No. 35: TE Josiah Deguara
Jersey No. 81; 6-2, 238; third season; Cincinnati
When the Packers drafted Deguara in the third round in 2020, the hope was he’d develop into a player in the mold of star 49ers fullback Kyle Juszczyk.
That hasn’t gotten close to happening, though some of that might be circumstances. As a rookie, Deguara suffered a torn ACL in his second game. Last season, starter Robert Tonyan suffered a torn ACL at midseason, changing everyone’s role in the tight end room.
Deguara had a decent second season, catching 25-of-33 passes (75.8 percent) for 245 yards and two touchdowns. A big chunk of the yards came on a tight end screen that turned into a 62-yard touchdown in the finale at Detroit. Prior to that, Deguara’s largest output for an entire game was only 44 yards.
“I expect a big jump from all these guys,” coach Matt LaFleur said in May of the tight ends. “I think Josiah’s had a great mindset. I think that you can really see him as the season progressed last year, it seemed like he was playing faster. Definitely knew what to do. Any time you’re coming off a pretty significant injury like that, it takes some time. And we were really happy with him at the end of the year and hopefully he can build upon that. That play he had against Detroit that he took to the house, I think that really showed what he’s really capable of doing.”
According to PFF, he played 162 snaps as a traditional tight end, 108 as a slot receiver, 53 as a wide receiver and 44 at fullback. In a perfect world, there’d be less tight end and more fullback – there isn’t a true fullback on the roster – to maximize his traits.
No. 34: CB Keisean Nixon
Jersey No. 25; 5-10, 200; fourth season; South Carolina
Back when Keisean Nixon was playing in Snoop Dogg’s youth league, he never thought the NFL was a real possibility.
“No, absolutely not,” Nixon said during OTAs. “I had a rough upbringing. It was hard. I took a long route but I got here. When I was younger, absolutely not. When I was in junior college, I worked out with a couple NFL guys and I felt like I was better than them when we were doing drills. So, that’s when I thought I could play at the next level. I’ve just got to get there.”
A junior-college transfer before playing two years at South Carolina, Nixon intercepted two passes as a junior and tied for the team lead with nine passes defensed as a senior. At pro day before the 2019 draft, he measured 5-foot-10 1/4, ran his 40 in 4.42 seconds and posted a 32.5-inch vertical jump. He went undrafted but made it with the Raiders. After three seasons there, he signed with the Packers in free agency.
Reuniting with Rich Bisaccia, the Raiders’ former special teams coordinator and interim coach, was a big factor. On the day Nixon spoke, Bisaccia flipped out when the long snapper rocketed a snap over the punter’s head and then the punt team was sloppy coming out of the huddle.
“That’s him. That’s him,” Nixon said with a smile. “He’s going to be himself and it’s going to be 100 percent authentic. You either like it or you’re not, but he’s not going to change his ways for anybody. He’s one of the reasons why I chose to come here. I had a couple options but I’m comfortable coming here with Rich. And they win here and it’s a great organization, so it was a no-brainer.”
Nixon spent the offseason working as the fourth cornerback. If the starters are healthy, he will spend the season as a key cog on Bisaccia’s retooled special teams. If one of the starters goes down, Nixon would be pushed into the starting lineup. In 40 career games with the Raiders, he broke up only one pass. Pro Football Focus charged him with 19 completions in 24 targets (79.2 percent) in three seasons.
“There’s a big opportunity here,” Nixon said.
As for Snoop, it wasn’t just his name on the league. Nixon played for and against the music legend’s teams.
“He’s a rock star but he’s a good coach. We keep in touch a lot,” Nixon said. His best advice? “Stick to it, and I stuck to it. No matter what you go through, you’ve got to do it.”
No. 33: S Shawn Davis
Jersey No. 30; 5-11, 202; first season; Florida
Shawn Davis was a fifth-round by the Indianapolis Colts last year. He failed to make the Colts’ roster and joined the Packers’ practice squad in September. He wound up playing nine snaps on special teams in his one appearance.
With that humble resume, Davis spent the offseason as the No. 3 safety, making him the potential next man up behind Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage.
“When I watched his college tape, he was a really explosive player,” safeties coach Ryan Downard said. “He’s a very smart player. We do a really good activity in the room where the guys get up on the board during the season, and he’ll blow you away with what he’s able to process. (He has) explosiveness, athletic ability and being able to process and we continue to build on the call command and being able to trust that you’re going to put us in the right thing. He’s starting to show all those things and he’s just continued that this spring.”
For Davis, physicality is his calling card.
“He’ll knock the absolute dog out of you,” Colts GM Chris Ballard said after drafting Davis.
In four seasons at Florida, he intercepted five passes. Before the 2021 draft, he measured 5-foot-10 5/8 and 202 pounds. He injured a hamstring on his 40 but had a 39.5-inch vertical leap.
“At the position that I play, you have to be very physical because you are the last line of defense,” Davis said upon being drafted. “If you’re not physical then it’s all touchdowns coming from the backend on your part, so I made being physical a part of my game and one of my physical strengths.”
No. 32: DT Dean Lowry
Jersey No. 94; 6-6, 296, seventh season; Northwestern
2021 review: Lowry started every game for a third consecutive season. Along with his 42 tackles, he set a career high with five sacks. After a combined three sacks, six quarterback hits, four tackles for losses and 39 quarterback pressures in 32 games in 2019 and 2020, Lowry had the five sacks, nine quarterback hits, five tackles for losses and 42 pressures in 2021.
2022 outlook: For years, it’s been the Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry Show, with assorted supporting characters. With the additions of veteran Jarran Reed and first-round pick Devonte Wyatt, less will be asked of Lowry. Something to keep in mind: The Packers could release him and save $5.95 million of cap space.
Quote to note: “I think at the end of the day, when you find out who you are as a person and a player, and you buy into that, all of a sudden you start to excel, and I think he’s done that,” defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery said. “I think he realizes, ‘Hey, this is who I am, this is how I can affect the quarterback,’ and that’s not being a guy running around people. This is him being a hard hat, knock people back, high-effort, high-energy, violent player, and I think he’s really bought into that. He’s always been solid in the run and he’s always been able to affect the quarterback.”
No. 31: DT Jarran Reed
Jersey No. 90; 6-3, 307; seventh season; Alabama
The Packers signed Jarran Reed in free agency. A second-round pick in 2016 – after Kenny Clark but before Dean Lowry – Reed had 10.5 sacks in 2018 and 6.5 sacks in 2020. Other than a six-game suspension to open the 2019 season, Reed has started all but one game the past five years.
“I’ve got plenty left in the tank,” Reed said following an offseason practice. “I’ve got things I want to accomplish myself. Hopefully I can get those things but, overall, I want to leave this thing with a Super Bowl ring. That’s what we’re chasing.”
Reed is a big guy. He was born big, too. At birth, he was 10 pounds, 7 ounces. He’s always been a prodigy, too. He skipped crawling and started walking at 7 1/2 months old. “I knew then something would come from that,” his mom, Anjanette, told AL.com. “I believe that was the beginning of what we have now in him being an athlete.”
2021 review: Reed signed with Kansas City last offseason and started all 17 games. He recorded 43 tackles, including 2.5 sacks. If the Packers get the playoff version of Reed, they’ll be thrilled, because he was excellent in those three games.
2022 outlook: Reed has been a workhorse throughout his career. He played 78 percent of the defensive snaps in 2018, 70 percent in 2019 and 74 percent in 2020 before playing “only” 64 percent in 2021. With the addition of first-round pick Devonte Wyatt, Reed could be part of a powerhouse defensive line.
Quote to note: “I feel I can play anywhere, especially in this defensive scheme. I don’t like to have limitations on my game. I like to be able move around, to be mobile up and down the line.”
No. 30: P Pat O’Donnell
Jersey No. 16; 6-4, 220; ninth season; Miami
2021 review: The 32-year-old was a sixth-round pick by the Bears in 2014. In eight seasons, he’s got a lofty average of 45.1 yards. While he’s not getting any younger, he averaged 45.7 yards in 2020 and 46.2 yards in 2021. In 2020, he tied for third in the NFL with 28 punts inside the 20.
2022 outlook: As a punter, there was nothing wrong with Corey Bojorquez that time and seasoning might not have fixed. But the Packers don’t have time. New special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia’s got a lot on his plate to fix everything that’s wrong with Green Bay’s consistently awful kicking units. With the reliable O’Donnell punting and holding for kicks, Bisaccia should be able to focus on other things.
Quote to note: “I take a lot of pride in holding, just like I do punting. That’s half of it for me. Being on the field holding for field goals, you’ve got to put points on the board. I’ve been fortunate to have a lot of good kickers that I’ve worked with in the past. Having a veteran like Mason, I think we’re going to hit the ground running. I think it’s important for me to be the caddy. We kind of bounce ideas off each other with how the wind’s playing, how he likes the ball held and leaned, I think that’s really important. It kind of goes unnoticed but I think it’s really important to have that chemistry with your holder and me with the kicker.”
No. 29: WR Randall Cobb
Jersey No. 18; 5-10, 195; 12th season; Kentucky
2021 review: Brought back at the urging of Aaron Rodgers at the start of camp last year, Randall Cobb caught 28-of-39 targets (71.8 percent) for 375 yards (13.4 average) and five touchdowns. He didn’t drop any passes and rewarded Rodgers with a 144.2 passer rating. He had two-touchdown games against Pittsburgh and Arizona, and he was a huge part of the offense in a key win over the Rams before suffering a core-muscle injury that sidelined him for the final six games.
2022 outlook: Cobb accepted a pay cut to return to the team that drafted him in 2011 and to be Rodgers’ right-hand man. Without Davante Adams, Cobb figures to be a key figure early in the season but will have to hold off Amari Rodgers as the season progresses. His role as a mentor to the rookie corps of Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure can’t be overstated.
Quote to note: “Just making sure that they understand that they have all the tools, that they’re all special. They wouldn’t be here if they weren’t,” Cobb said of the rookies. Continuing about Watson, Cobb said, “He has the total package. Just being around him for the past week and seeing some of the things he can do. He has all the tools. He’s very gifted. It’s about applying it, taking the stuff he learns in the classroom and taking it to the field. He has the tools. It’s about refining those tools. It takes time. It’s not going to happen overnight. That’s what I was trying to tell him on our ride up earlier today – it’s a process. Just enjoy the process and have fun with it, don’t get so caught up in your head and press and think that it’s going to happen overnight. Because it never does.”
No. 28: WR Amari Rodgers
Jersey No. 8; 5-9, 212; second season; Clemson
2021 review: A third-round pick last year, Rodgers’ hopes of having an immediate role on offense died the moment the team traded for Randall Cobb. He caught 4-of-8 passes for 45 yards (11.3 average) with zero touchdowns and one drop. On special teams, he averaged 8.3 yards per punt return and 18.1 yards per kickoff return. On punt returns, simply catching the ball was an adventure at times, though he got better in that phase at the end of the season and wound up with seven returns of 15-plus yards.
2022 outlook: Thinking he was too heavy last year, Rodgers has remade his body. On Monday, he posted on Twitter than he had gone from 218 pounds at the start of the offseason to 202.
“This offseason, I locked in on getting my body right,” Rodgers said during OTAs. “I feel like the reason why I wasn’t able to play as much is because I wasn’t in shape the way I wanted to (be). I wasn’t able to go out there and play fast the way I wanted to because my body type and how much I weighed and how I was moving. I really took that to heart this offseason. I brought a chef in, focused on conditioning every single day doing something so I can get a good sweat in so I keep my body and my weight down.”
Through not playing on offense and the struggles as a returner, Rodgers’ confidence took a hit. With a new body and a new outlook, the confidence has returned – and then some.
“I’m definitely Amari Rodgers now,” he said. “I was probably Amari Rodg last year or Amari Rodger, for sure.”
Quote to note: “Being a competitor, you want to be at the level you want to be to go out there and make plays for a team. But it’s just like being a freshman in high school again, every time you’re at that new level, you’ve got to start over. That’s really how I saw it throughout the year. I knew I had to learn, and I had to get up to beat with the offense and just being in the NFL. When I realized I probably wasn’t going to be getting as many snaps as I wanted to, I just started learning from different people, taking different things so that when the offense came, I could come back now and be ready.”
No. 27: TE Marcedes Lewis
Jersey No. 89; 6-6, 267; 17th season; UCLA
2021 review: Marcedes Lewis had an excellent season as the oldest tight end in the NFL. He caught 23-of-28 passes (82.1 percent) for 214 yards (9.3 average). He did not get in the end zone but he didn’t have any drops. Of the 53 tight ends who were targeted at least 25 times, Lewis ranked third in catch percentage and eighth in yards after the catch per catch (6.5), according to Pro Football Focus. However, his fumble was the major turning point of the playoff loss to the 49ers. Already leading 7-0, Green Bay was on the way to more points when he was stripped by Fred Warner. In 426 career receptions, he had fumbled only five times.
“If you care, you’re going to have nightmares,” he said. “That’s exactly what happened. Watching as the playoffs went on, it’s like, ‘Damn, that’s a play I wish I had back’ amongst, as a team, other plays we wish we had back. But that’s one that I could’ve potentially controlled and I wish I had that back.”
2022 outlook: With or without Robert Tonyan, it will be more of the same for Lewis. He will be asked to power the run game as a blocker, catch the occasional pass and run over some defenders on the field, and lead with his sage words of wisdom in the locker room.
Assuming he makes the roster – and he will – he will tie Tony Gonzalez and Jason Witten for most seasons in NFL history by a tight end.
“My goal when I got drafted was to play 10. I figured 10 was like, ‘Yeah, that’s a great career.’ I figured I’d be tired and ready for it to end,” Lewis said. “And then once I got 10, I was like, ‘Damn, I feel good, like I can still continue to do this.’ Got to 13 … Once I got to 13, 14, I was like, ‘Let me see what the record is.’ This year, I’ll tie the record. It would be great to break it and then I would consider, ‘OK, I’ve done that.’ 18 is kind of bizarre, especially at the tight end position.”
Quote to note: “I just remember Tony Gonzalez getting 17 first. I think he was with Atlanta. Tony’s a good friend of mine so that was something that I followed close anyway. When he got to 17, I was like, ‘God, I don’t know if I can do 17.’ The way we play tight end is totally different. Tony was more pass catching. I did a lot of both. Now, I’m in my second prime as far as run blocking and stuff like that. Obviously, I’m in the trenches with what I do. If I want to get 18, I have to consider, ‘Yo, I’m playing the game way different than how pass catching and catching passes.’ My heart and my mind have to be aligned like, ‘Yo, I want to go get this record.’”
No. 26: LG Jon Runyan
Jersey No. 76; 6-4, 307; third season; Michigan
2021 review: When the Packers drafted Jon Runyan in the sixth round in 2020, he hoped to escape the large shadow cast by his father, former NFL lineman Jon Runyan Sr. He’s off to a good start. With David Bakhtiari out and Elgton Jenkins sliding to left tackle, Runyan started the final 16 games. His 1,053 snaps ranked second on the team. Of 63 guards with 50 percent playing time, he finished eighth in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency with two sacks (both against Washington in Week 7) and 20 total pressures. He was guilty of one penalty (zero holding).
2022 outlook: Runyan didn’t win a starting job out of training camp last year. It wasn’t until injuries forced him into the lineup that he proved he belonged. There’s no doubt Runyan will be in the starting lineup this year. He needs to better in the run game but he’s well on his way to having a long career.
Quote to note: “After my rookie was over, I was really prepared to take that next step forward,” he said. “When my number was called, I stepped up and I knew what had to be done for the team and I just felt comfortable out there. Playing 1,000 snaps on the season is really cool.”
No. 25: RG Royce Newman
Jersey No. 70; 6-5, 310; second season; Mississippi
2021 review: Newman was a surprise fourth-round pick after starting at guard and tackle at Ole Miss. A scout at the time noted Newman’s position flexibility but said he wasn’t good at any of those positions. Turns out, Newman was pretty good at right guard. He started the first 16 games and, after some rough performances, really settled in. While he allowed six sacks, he gave up only one during the final eight games, according to PFF. He was penalized five times (three holding) and led the offense with 1,084 snaps.
2022 outlook: Newman will start at right guard. Unless he starts at right tackle. During the offseason practices, with David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins rehabbing their knee injuries, Yosh Nijman was the left tackle and Cole Van Lanen the right tackle with the No. 1 offense. However, during the final week of OTAs, Newman got some snaps at tackle.
Quote to note: “Royce looks heavier,” quarterback Aaron Rodgers observed. “He might not look the same coming out of the shower to his girlfriend as he did last year; I feel like his belly got a little bigger, but that might make him a better right guard. And he played a ton of football for us.”
No. 24: DT Devonte Wyatt
Jersey No. 95; 6-3, 304; rookie; Georgia
2021 review: The 28th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, Devonte Wyatt started all 24 games during his final two seasons at Georgia. He was a key part of the national championship defense with 2.5 sacks, seven tackles for losses and two forced fumbles. According to Pro Football Focus, there are 80 defensive linemen in this draft class who rushed the passer more than 220 times. Wyatt finished 12th in PFF’s pass-rush productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap.
2022 outlook: Wyatt joins Kenny Clark, veterans Dean Lowry and Jarran Reed, and second-year player T.J. Slaton on what could be a powerhouse defensive line. Lowry and Reed have been there and done that; Wyatt has not. However, with his 4.77 in the 40 making him the fastest 300-pounder at the Scouting Combine, he’s got the athleticism to be a major weapon.
“He can be really good on first and second down, and he’s an inside guy that has some unique traits as a pass rusher,” defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery said. “Some things you can’t teach, you just naturally have. He’s got twitch. I’d like to call it awkward movements, some movements he can be out in that other guys can’t be and he can recover from those things. And he’s got a high motor, just a naturally high motor. So, really, really good defensive line traits.”
Quote to note: Green Bay’s three first-round picks the last two years all came from Georgia, with Wyatt and linebacker Quay Walker in 2022 and cornerback Eric Stokes in 2021. “We were just talking, man, talking about how amazing it is, how we all on the same team, how we all on the next level, how far we came because about four years ago,” Wyatt said. “We’re like, ‘We want to go first round. We want to do this. We want to play together.’ Just doing that now is just a dream come true.”
No. 23: WR Sammy Watkins
Jersey No. 11; 6-1, 211; ninth season; Clemson
2021 review: Playing in 13 games with nine starts, Watkins caught 27-of-49 passes (55.1 percent) for 394 yards and one touchdown in his lone season with the Ravens, making it six consecutive seasons in which he’s fallen short of 700 yards. He caught four passes in each of his first four games, then caught four passes just once the rest of the season. His four drops gave him a career-worst drop rate of 12.9 percent.
2022 outlook: It might be now or never for Watkins. Having turned 29 in June, it’s been a long time since the fourth pick of the 2014 draft caught 65 passes for 982 yards and six touchdowns as a rookie and 60 passes for 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns in his second season. He’s missed 18 games for a variety of injuries the last four years.
Watkins acknowledged all these things in saying his “back was against the wall” and that he needs to stay healthy to “revive” his career.
“I think this is probably one of the best situations I’ve probably ever been in in my career, to play with one of the best quarterbacks in the league, one of the best coaches, one of the best organizations – this is probably the winningest organization in the league,” Watkins said. “To get this opportunity is really a blessing because I did nothing last year. I was hurt. And to get a call from Matt and this organization, hopefully I can have a healthy season and play hard and win a ton of games.”
Quote to note: “One thing you’ll see with him is he plucks the ball different,” receivers coach Jason Vrable said. “He has hands where you’ll hear the pluck and running through catch, and his play strength. There’s a reason why we drafted him that high and he’s had a lot of successful years in his career. That Kansas City Super Bowl run, in the playoffs when they were doubling Tyreek, he had a one-on-one and he’s winning those when you watch the tape. I’m fired up about him.”
No. 22: QB Jordan Love
Jersey No. 10; 6-4, 219; third season; Utah State
2021 review: Starting against Kansas City and playing the second half against Detroit, Love completed 58.1 percent of his passes with two touchdowns, three interceptions and a 68.7 passer rating. Of the 50 quarterbacks with at least Love’s 62 attempts, he ranked 46th in passer rating, 44th in completion percentage and 47th in interception percentage. He threw only one fewer interception than Rodgers despite throwing 469 fewer passes and had as many turnovers while playing less than 12 percent of the snaps.
2022 outlook: Because of COVID, his rookie season was thrown for a loss with an abbreviated training camp and no preseason. Because of a shoulder injury, he missed the joint practices and the preseason game against the Jets last year. If Love can stay healthy, he figures to get extensive playing time in all three seasons, giving him a shot to build some momentum and confidence. On the other hand, if he struggles through another summer, the Packers might be looking for The Successor to Aaron Rodgers 2.0.
Quote to note: “I think just getting out there and being able to play was huge,” Love said. “Obviously, it’s a process being a quarterback in the NFL and the more reps you can get in that game, it helps. There’s a lot of takeaways and things I wish I can do better and obviously things I felt I did good. Just trying to work on those things, tightening the details and whatnot.”
No. 21: K Mason Crosby
Jersey No. 2; 6-1, 207; 16th season; Colorado
2021 review: Mason Crosby’s 15th season started great. Including the 51-yard bomb to beat San Francisco in Week 3, he extended his franchise-record streak to 24 consecutive field goals. But he missed three at Cincinnati in Week 5 and wound up missing a league-worst nine attempts. An end-of-camp change at punter meant a new holder, and a midseason meant a new snapper. Plus, the protection unit never got squared away. It all added up to a miserable season for one of the most productive kickers in NFL history.
2022 outlook: Ranking 14th all-time in scoring, Crosby has a challenger (Gabe Brkic) but is the overwhelming favorite to keep his job. With a new coordinator (Rich Bisaccia) and a veteran holder (punter Pat O’Donnell), there’s no reason why Crosby shouldn’t bounce back in strong fashion.
Quote to note: “It’s been reinvigorating with having a new guy in the building with Pat and being able to feed off of him and how he operates and looking at some of the things that he does really well and trying to implement that into my routine, as well, on recovery and nutrition and stuff like that,” Crosby said during OTAs. “That relationship has been awesome to keep my love of this and the energy up. I’m feeling good. Mentally and physically, just feeling like I’m hitting the ball well and trying to build it solidly to the season. It’s hard this time of year not to try to be ready for the regular season. I just want to grow and work all the way up until that time comes, whenever that first kickoff comes.”
No. 20: WR Christian Watson
Jersey No. 9; 6-5, 208; rookie; North Dakota State
2021 review: Playing at perennial FCS champion North Dakota State and in its run-first offense, Watson caught 43 passes for 801 yards (18.6 average) and seven touchdowns as a senior. He returned two kickoffs for touchdowns as a junior and was a second-team All-American as a senior. For his career, he averaged 20.4 yards per reception.
2022 outlook: The Packers didn’t send their two second-round picks to NFC North rival Minnesota to get a developmental prospect. The expectation is that Watson will produce as a rookie. That might not be in Week 1 but the Packers will need Watson to be a major factor for the stretch run and into a potential push to a Super Bowl. “He’s going to be a problem,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich predicted. At 6-foot-4 and with 4.36 speed in the 40, his athletic traits rival those of NFL legend Calvin Johnson and another Hall of Fame-caliber receiver, Julio Jones. Once the calendar turns to August, it will be interesting to see if the Packers force-feed him reps, and if Aaron Rodgers focuses the rookie’s direction, to accelerate his development.
Quote to note: “Obviously, he’s a big, fast, physical receiver. We think his best football is ahead of him,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said after drafting Watson. “We brought him in here for one of our 30 visits, got a chance to spend a lot of time with him, and just really felt that he’s a really smart kid that we feel will fit our culture. Like everything, obviously, he’s got really good tape, his athletic traits are off the chart. The more we got to know him as a person, we just felt really good about him.”
No. 19: LB Quay Walker
Jersey No. 7; 6-4, 241; rookie; Georgia
2021 review: Quay Walker, the first of the Packers’ first-round draft picks at No. 22 overall, started all 15 games for Georgia’s national championship defense. He finished third on the team with 67 tackles. In the title game vs. Alabama, he had eight tackles and six quarterback pressures. His stats don’t jump off the page but that defense was so good that the numbers were spread out relatively evenly across the unit. It’s perhaps troublesome that he only broke up three passes in his career (all as a senior) and neither forced a fumble nor intercepted a pass in four years.
“If you watch any Georgia football game last year, it’s hard not to see ‘7’ flying around making plays,” defensive coordinator Joe Barry said. “He has that ability, he has that skill-set and I think he has the mindset of what you want. If you can surround yourself with a bunch of guys who love football, good things are going to happen, and Quay loves ball.”
2022 outlook: Walker presumably will beat out incumbent starter Krys Barnes for the starting job. From there, the hope is that Walker and All-Pro De’Vondre Campbell will form a fearsome tandem. Because of lackluster inside linebacker play, the Packers typically have played more dime defense (six defensive backs, one linebacker) than most teams. Perhaps Campbell and Walker will change the equation. If so, Green Bay’s run defense should be much better.
Quote to note: “It’s just being the guy that I’m capable of being. I think my ceiling, I think I never reached that at Georgia,” Walker said at rookie camp. “A guy being my size there’s a whole lot that you can do. By me being so versatile, there’s a whole lot of things you can do with me. I feel like the size and talent was there, just my leadership and the way I fly around to the ball and the way I communicate to my teammates that pretty much separates me, I feel like. But just being a guy at my size and playing inside linebacker is probably not normal to do the things that I do.”
No. 18: OT Yosh Nijman
Jersey No. 73; 6-7, 314; third season; Virginia Tech
2021 review: The Packers trusted Yosh Nijman to replace an injured Elgton Jenkins at left tackle for the Week 3 game against San Francisco and were rewarded. It’s too bad they didn’t trust him for the playoff rematch.
Nijman was one of the great stories of the season. An undrafted free agent in 2019, he hadn’t played a single meaningful snap from scrimmage before offensive line coach Adam Stenavich picked him to start against Nick Bosa in an early-season showdown at San Francisco. Nijman survived a rocky start to that game and really became an asset. He started eight times and never looked like he was in over his head. Of the 58 offensive tackles to play at least Nijman’s 590 snaps, he finished 31st in PFF’s pass blocking efficiency with three sacks and 20 total pressures. Remember, he was playing left tackle, which meant games against premier pass rushers such as Bosa, Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson (first in pressures from the defense’s right side), Cleveland’s Myles Garrett (second) and Chicago’s Robert Quinn (fourth). Impressively, he was guilty of only two penalties (zero holding).
2022 outlook: Because of injuries, Nijman will start somewhere to open the season. If David Bakhtiari’s knee remains an issue, he will start at left tackle. If Bakhtiari is healthy, then Nijman will start at right tackle. He’s so athletic and powerful. His two-hand punch just sounded different compared to the other linemen during the offseason practices.
Quote to note: “I would just say that I’m proud of myself contributing to the team the way I have and I’m just grateful,” Nijman said late last season. “I’m just grateful to put on that helmet, be in the NFL and playing for the Packers. It’s really a dream come true given all the circumstances. I’m just grateful, really grateful.”
No. 17: C Josh Myers
Jersey No. 71; 6-5, 310; second season; Ohio State
2021 review: Josh Myers’ rookie season wasn’t a lost cause but it wasn’t far from it. A second-round pick and the first center off the board in 2021, Myers started the first four games before missing Week 5 at Cincinnati when a broken finger became infected. A handful of plays into his return at Chicago, he suffered a torn MCL and didn’t return until the finale at Detroit. Getting 26 percent playing time, he allowed zero sacks, eight pressures and wasn’t penalized.
“Anytime you’re missing games, you’re not feeling good about it,” Myers said during OTAs. “That time that I was out for injuries was really rough. The time that I was in there, I felt good about. Definitely stuff to build on, no doubt about it. I felt like I played solid.”
2022 outlook: As much as any of the second-year players, the Packers need Myers to take a massive jump. At that spot in the second round, the Packers could have drafted Creed Humphrey, who wound up being the All-Rookie center. Starting every game and playing almost 1,200 snaps, he allowed only 10 pressures – just two more than Myers.
Quote to note: “I learned a lot about myself. It was an incredibly difficult time, if I’m being honest,” Myers said. “I’ve never missed time for an injury. I’ve had injuries, but I’ve never missed time for them. … It was just such a different experience. I learned how to push through. I’ve been able to push through things physically when it’s challenging. When something’s that mentally challenging, it’s just a whole different level of pushing through. I learned how to do that. It’s just something I’ve never done.”
No. 16: CB Eric Stokes
Jersey No. 21; 6-0, 194; second season; Georgia
2021 review: Eric Stokes was the team’s first-round pick despite limited experience at Georgia. Was he more than just pure speed? A project? Was he even the best Georgia cornerback in the draft? Stokes answered those questions affirmatively with a big-time rookie season. Perhaps because he spent most of training camp battling Davante Adams, Stokes never blinked regardless of the challenge. Sports Info Solutions charged him with a 46.2 percent completion rate and 5.3 yards per target, figures that ranked sixth and eighth, respectively, among starting corners. He had one interception led the team with 14 passes defensed.
“All them snaps that I had last year is just repetition,” Stokes said during OTAs. “It’s getting to know the formations, getting to know the routes, getting to know wide receivers, getting to know all this stuff that you just didn’t see throughout college and getting experienced and all of that. When I had to jump into that role of me starting and me doing all this stuff and me going with the 1s, just helped me learn and grow quicker and all that stuff. I take so much away from it.”
2022 outlook: More of the same with more big plays. According to SIS, he dropped four interceptions – tied for the most among all defensive backs. Tall, fast, fearless and a quality tackler, there’s nothing not to like about his game.
Quote to note: “Stokes, that’s my dog,” fellow cornerback Rasul Douglas said. “He works hard like me. That’s what I love. Anybody who competes a lot, I like that.”
No. 15: CB Rasul Douglas
Jersey No. 29; 6-2, 209; sixth season; West Virginia
2021 review: Without a bit of hyperbole, finding Rasul Douglas on the Cardinals’ practice squad was one of the great in-season transactions in NFL history. The Packers desperately needed a cornerback after losing Jaire Alexander to a shoulder injury. Douglas, unbelievably, was the savior. The Panthers didn’t re-sign him after the 2020 season, and he failed to make rosters with the Raiders and Texans during training camp.
Douglas saved the Packers’ victories over Arizona and Cleveland. Without those interceptions, they would have finished 11-6 instead of 13-4. He added pick-sixes at home against Los Angeles and Chicago. Douglas tied for fourth in the NFL with five interceptions even though he played in only 12 games with nine starts. According to Sports Info Solutions, he gave up a 45.3 percent completion rate and 5.3 yards per attempt, both among the league leaders. PFF had him ranked third in opponent passer rating (49.6).
2022 outlook: The trade of Davante Adams freed up the cap cash to re-sign Douglas in free agency. With Douglas, Alexander and Eric Stokes, the Packers might have the best trio of cornerbacks in the NFL. With his size and tackling ability, he’ll be a factor in the slot. The Packers are counting on his breakout 2021 not being a one-year thing.
“It just wasn’t luck last year,” defensive backs coach Jerry Gray said before the start of offseason practices. “It doesn’t happen to be luck. You can’t get that lucky every time. So, you have to put work in before you get here, so when the curtain opens up, you’re ready to go play. I don’t know what Rasul Douglas did. But, I tell you what, he must’ve worked his tail off because when he got here, he wasn’t out of shape, he was ready to go play, and he made the plays he needed to make.”
Quote to note: Douglas credited improved film study with Gray – aka Coach OG – for the difference. “Earlier in my career, I didn’t know how to watch film. It was kind of like watching a show you’ve watched 1,000 times, so it was getting boring,” Douglas said during the offseason. “I was falling asleep, because I didn’t really know what I was supposed to look at. Sometimes, I caught myself looking up here like, ‘Oh, that’s Julio,’ and I’m watching him make catches, and I’m forgetting I’m supposed to be watching film on how he’s running his routes. So, when I got here, I’d come in at 5 in the morning with OG, and he was just teaching me like, ‘You’ve got to watch it like this because, if you don’t, it’ll get boring to you or you’ll miss what you’re supposed to be looking for.’”
No. 14: S Darnell Savage
Jersey No. 26; 5-11, 198; fourth season; Maryland
2021 review: Savage started all 17 games and was second on the defense with 1,038 snaps. He finished fourth on the team with 63 tackles, tied for third with two interceptions and third with nine passes defensed. He took his lumps in coverage, at times, with a career-worst six touchdowns allowed, according to Pro Football Focus, but had a hand in the team limiting big plays.
2022 outlook: The Packers flipped the switch on Savage’s fifth-year option, meaning he’ll be back in 2023. But, for his long-term outlook, it’s time for him to maximize his potential. He dropped three interceptions and missed 12 tackles last season, and he’s missed 42 tackles in three seasons compared to just 20 for Adrian Amos.
Quote to note: Savage is entering his fourth season in the NFL and his fourth season starting alongside Amos. “We're very talented and even more so, we're really smart. This is really our fourth year as a secondary being together, other than Eric (Stokes), but he's got some good role models to look up to, so he'll be all right. It just makes it so much easier just the communication. Practice time, we already know what each other is going to do before we make a call. It just makes everything just seamless, and it's fun, too. Obviously, we've been playing together for four years now, so it just makes it a treat to go out and practice every time.”
No. 13: RB AJ Dillon
Jersey No. 28; 6-0, 247; third season; Boston College
2021 review: Dillon led the Packers with 803 rushing yards last year. There was nothing fancy about it beyond brute force. He averaged a ho-hum 4.3 yards per carry but almost always gained a couple more yards than the blockers provided. He ranked No. 1 among running backs in Football Outsiders’ Success Rate, a metric that mirrors Green Bay’s win/loss grading. He was practically a slam-dunk on third-and-1. Impressively, he caught 34-of-37 targets for 313 yards. Out of the 44 backs who were targeted at least 35 times, he ranked third in catch percentage and eighth in yards after the catch per catch.
2022 outlook: Dillon was good. Now, he needs to become great. The key to that will be turning those 5-yard runs into 15- and 25-yard runs. Last season, his 10-yard run rate of 4.8 percent was by far the worst in the NFL. “He’s got that type of ability,” running backs coach Sirmans said, “because he can actually make you miss in the open field. He’s got the ability to put a little juke on you, even for a guy his size, so it’s really just bringing all those different facets of his game, just bringing those attributes together and let him apply them. I think he will have more explosive runs this year.”
Quote to note: “Coming in, I was always the big back who’s only good for third-and-short, so I really want to be and I think of myself as an APB, an all-purpose back, no matter what the situation. I feel like last year was a good start, a good foothold if you will, but there’s still a couple opportunities I wish I had caught the ball and been in better placement or ran a route better. So, I’m happy with the improvement but obviously still working on it.”
No. 12: RB Aaron Jones
Jersey No. 33; 5-9, 208; sixth season; UTEP
2021 review: Re-signed in free agency, Aaron Jones put together his third consecutive season of more than 1,100 total yards. In 15 games, he rushed for 799 yards (4.7 average) and four touchdowns. A tremendous receiving threat, he added 52 receptions for 391 yards (7.5 average) and six touchdowns. That gave him 1,190 yards and 10 touchdowns from scrimmage. Jones and two NFL legends, Hall of Famers Jim Brown of Cleveland and Jim Taylor of Green Bay, are the only players in NFL history with at least 4,000 rushing yards, 40-plus rushing touchdowns and a 5.0-yard average in their first five seasons.
2022 outlook: No matter how many times AJ Dillon is handed the ball, Jones will have a major role in the offense. A slashing running back who’s a threat to get in the open field with every touch, he’s also one of the best pass-catching backs in the league. Jones had a major hand in the Packers going 7-0 without Davante Adams the past three seasons. He averaged 122.6 total yards in those games and scored 10 total touchdowns – at least one in six of those games.
Quote to note: Running backs coach Ben Sirmans is excited about the possibility of using Jones and Dillon more together. “It really comes down to trying to get some of your best players on the field at the same time. You you have to be confident they can handle what it is that you’re putting them through or what assignments or schemes you have them involved with. Particularly with a guy like Aaron, now he’s such a vet, he’s been in this offense now going on four years, we feel much more confident in certain situations. I think it really just comes down to trying to get some of your best football players on the field. I’m excited about it, of course, as a running backs coach.”
No. 11: TE Robert Tonyan
Jersey No. 85; 6-5, 240; fifth season; Indiana State
2021 review: After his monster 2020 breakout season in which there were more touchdowns (11) than incomplete passes (seven), there was nowhere to go but down for Tonyan. In 2021, he caught 18 passes, with more incompletions (11) than touchdowns (two). Just when it appeared he was about to get rolling, he suffered a torn ACL in a midseason game at Arizona.
2022 outlook: Tonyan is opening training camp on the physically unable to perform list. He’s going to be really close to returning to action in Week 1. Whenever he’s back on the field, the Packers obviously will need Tonyan to return to his playmaking ways to help an offense that’s in obvious transition following the trade of Davante Adams.
Quote to note: “I respect what he did,” new tight ends coach John Dunn said before OTAs. “He’s done a lot of good things here. To me, it always starts with the person, so getting to know him as a person, he’s a phenomenal guy, always with a smile on his face, very jovial, really smart. He attacks every day mentally, physically. So, I’m really excited about him and who he is and his character. I think that always bleeds over to the player. I’m excited obviously at some point to be able to get back on the field and be able to work with him.”
No. 10: S Adrian Amos
Jersey No. 31; 6-0, 214; eighth season; Penn State
2021 review: In 2019, the Packers signed Amos to a four-year contract worth $36 million. It wound up being a safety swap. Green Bay’s former starter, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix, signed with the Bears. At least one veteran analyst proclaimed it a slam-dunk win for the Bears.
Yeah, not so much. Amos has been everything the Packers wanted and more. While not a big-play performer – he’s coming off a fourth consecutive season of two interceptions – he is one of the most reliable players in the NFL. Starting all 17 games and leading the defense with 1,048 snaps in 2021, Amos finished third on the team with 94 tackles and added eight passes defensed. Of 64 safeties with at least 50 percent playing time, Amos ranked sixth with a missed-tackle rate of 6.1 percent (six misses), according to PFF. Really, there might not be a more important stat than that for a safety.
2022 outlook: Entering his final season under contract, this will be a big season for Amos, who has a chance at one more big payday, and the Packers, who will have a key decision to make about a player who will be approaching his 30th birthday next offseason.
Quote to note: “I think the No. 1 thing with that position, both with Adrian and D Savage is that, those guys, we use a term they drive the bus,” defensive coordinator Joe Barry said last year. “Those guys have got to control everything. They are mission control at least from the back end. So, when you get a sharp guy that’s played a lot of football like Adrian has, you just feel comfortable, and we have two of them in both Darnell and Adrian. It’s nice you have that guy as your quarterback of the back end from a communication standpoint. Adrian has played a lot of football. He’s very savvy. There’s not much in his career that he hasn’t seen or hasn’t experienced, so I think he brings a lot to the table from that standpoint.”
No. 9: OLB Preston Smith
Jersey No. 91; 6-5, 265; eighth season; Mississippi State
2021 review: Coming off a disappointing 2020 season, Preston Smith swallowed a restructured, incentive-laden contract. Good call. He went from four sacks and 26 pressures in 2020 to nine sacks and a career-high 62 pressures in 2021. According to Pro Football Focus, he was 14th among edge defenders in pass-rush win rate. He was excellent in every fashion, whether it was rushing the quarterback, playing run defense or stepping up as a leader in the absence of Za’Darius Smith.
2022 outlook: Coming off a big-time 2021, Smith was rewarded with a contract extension. Now, he needs to do it again. There’s an odd thing about Smith’s history. In his four odd-numbered seasons, he’s recorded 37 sacks and seven forced fumbles. In his three even-numbered seasons, he’s posted 12.5 sacks and zero forced fumbles.
“We’re going to break that curse and we’re going to make sure we don’t go back down. We’re going to make sure we keep going up,” Smith said at the start of the offseason. How? “I just feel good about myself, man. I believe in God. I prayed about it. I just know this is the year. I got my guy Joe B(arry) back for a second year and I just like this year is going to be the year I break it, man. I was aware of it. It was brought to my attention – this is the second time it was brought to my attention. I just felt like this is the year. I’m just feeling really confident. That’s all the talent scout I give y’all this year.”
Quote to note: The contract extension “means a lot, coming from where I’m coming from,” Smith said. “I’m not going to say I grew up in poverty, my mom was broke or nothing. That’d be kind of made up. My mom did what she could to take care of us. Just to be able to put my family in that position means a lot because growing up as a kid, you only know what people tell you. So, you don’t know if you’re broke or you don’t know what you don’t have or if your parents can’t make ends meet. My mom wasn’t telling us about her bill problems as a kid or ‘I need this much money.’ She just never told us about any struggles. So, I never felt like we were struggling.
“But when you get older and you might want more toys, you might want a car, want whatever, and then you start to find out that you just don’t have it like that. You need to get your needs taken care of, not your wants. So, you kind of set goals as a kid. I want to make sure my kids and my daughter and my child that’s on the way, to make sure when they want something, they can get it. I know I can give them whatever they need or whatever they want. And I can get my mom whatever she wants, too. As long as she doesn’t see this interview. She doesn’t need to want anything else.”
No. 8: WR Allen Lazard
Jersey No. 13: 6-5, 227; fourth season; Iowa State
2021 review: Allen Lazard is coming off the best season of his young career. He caught 40-of-60 targets (66.7 percent) for 513 yards (12.8 average) and eight touchdowns. Lazard saved his best for the latter stages of the season. In the first 11 games, he had only one game of more than three catches and never topped 60 yards. In the final six games, he had three games of five-plus receptions for 70-plus yards. During training camp last summer, coach Matt LaFleur called him a “goon” because he’s so physical as a blocker. But he’s more than just a bully. Among all NFL receivers, Lazard’s five touchdown catches over the final five games were surpassed league-wide only by Davante Adams.
2022 outlook: If Lazard could carry that end-of-year production through 17 games, he’d finish with 71 receptions for 986 yards and 17 touchdowns. That would certainly help ease the transition without Adams. It also would mean a big payday as a free agent next offseason. From one perspective, Lazard could be a 1,000-yard type of player. While he’s not the dictionary definition of a No. 1 receiver, he’ll get more looks without Adams. On the other hand, he’ll be the guy that defensive coordinators will focus their attention. How he responds to those new challenges will have a big role in determining personal and team success.
Quote to note: “I think the biggest thing is opportunity,” Lazard said last year of his surging production. “I feel like I’ve gotten a lot more opportunities this back half of the season with everything, and then just seizing those moments. I think after the Rams game, I was just very down on myself. I wasn’t pleased with my performance. Just me being who I am and knowing the situations of my career, my future and all that, having to focus just a little bit more, eliminate things that could be distractions for my daily life and just kind of really just focus in.
“The relationship that I’ve had with Aaron has kept growing on and off the field. Obviously, that’s a huge part of my success and will continue to be, but just staying focused, not getting too worried about things that I can’t control and just staying locked in.”
No. 7: OL Elgton Jenkins
Jersey No. 74; 6-5, 311; fourth season; Mississippi State
2021 review: A Pro Bowler in 2020, Jenkins entered last year hailed as one of the best guards and young linemen in the NFL. After shifting out to left tackle to replace David Bakhtiari last year, Jenkins solidified his standing as one of the best linemen in the NFL, period. Of 67 offensive tackles with at least his 496 snaps, he ranked 16th in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-protecting snap. SIS charged him with zero blown blocks in the run game. Of every lineman in the NFL who played at least Jenkins’ 176 snaps as a run blocker, he was the only one with a blown-block rate of 0.0 percent. He suffered a torn ACL at Minnesota in November. Who knows how the season would have ended had he been on the field for the playoffs.
2022 outlook: Because of the injury, Jenkins will start training camp on the physically unable to perform list. He might open the regular season there, too. Jenkins is too good to rush back. And, as he enters his final season under contract, Jenkins no doubt will want to be triple-sure that his knee is 100 percent before he walks on the practice field and risks millions of dollars of future earnings. When he’s healthy, he’ll start … somewhere. Will it be at left tackle if Bakhtiari’s knee is shot? Will it be at right tackle? Or will it be one of the interior spots?
Quote to note: “I like the challenge,” he said of playing tackle. “I’ve never really backed down from a challenge. I’ve been doing this since college — my first two years playing left tackle, then guard, then going to center. So, I feel like it’s kind of fun. It keeps my mind spinning and things like that.”
No. 6: LB De’Vondre Campbell
Jersey No. 59; 6-3, 232; seventh season; Minnesota
2021 review: During the June minicamp, with Krys Barnes and Ty Summers penciled in as the starting inside linebackers, the Packers signed linebacker De’Vondre Campbell. Veteran linebackers have come and gone over the years, from Antonio Morrison in 2018 to B.J. Goodson in 2019 to Christian Kirksey in 2020. Each time, the fanfare upon their arrival was greater than the despair after their departure.
Campbell was different. Infinitely different. Even while sitting out the final game of the regular season, he finished seventh in the NFL with 145 tackles. He added six tackles for losses, six quarterback hits, five passes defensed, two forced fumbles and two interceptions. Campbell was the only linebacker in the league with 100-plus tackles and at least two sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions. Among off-the-ball linebackers, he ranked among the league leaders in yards allowed per passing target and missed tackle percentage. Sensational in every way, Campbell earned first-team All-Pro honors and a five-year contract.
2022 outlook: Now that he’ll be paired with first-round pick Quay Walker, what can Campbell possibly do for an encore as part of a potential-packed defense? “A lot of people thought it was a fluke,” Campbell said at the start of the offseason. “You know how that goes. I’m just trying to continue to get better every day and keep pressing forward and try to repeat.”
Quote to note: Green Bay made an instant impact on Campbell. Upon his arrival for the minicamp, Aaron Rodgers went up to Campbell and introduced himself. As if Campbell didn’t know about the reigning MVP.
“That was Day 1. From the day I walked in, everybody from Russ (Ball) and Mark (Murphy) and Brian Gutekunst, the people up top to the players on the team to even the scouts, everybody was so happy that I was here,” Campbell said. “When you got people all over from the top down to people who were just starting, showing how much they appreciate you being here, it goes a long way. I’ve always felt like I’ve done all the right things for the wrong people. So, to actually find people who show their appreciation for you, you want to run through a wall for them. The fact that the Packers showed me a commitment, it’s mutual. It goes both ways.”
No. 5: DT Kenny Clark
Jersey No. 97; 6-3, 313; seventh season; UCLA
2021 review: Kenny Clark returned to the Pro Bowl after a one-year, injury-related hiatus. Among his 48 tackles were four sacks and six stops for losses. He finished fourth interior defensive linemen with a career-high 67 pressures, according to PFF. Of 94 interior defenders with at least 200 pass-rushing snaps, Clark ranked sixth in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snaps. For reference, living legends Aaron Donald and J.J. Watt were fourth and fifth, respectively.
2022 outlook: Incredibly, the seventh-year pro is only 26. For most of his first six seasons, he flew solo on the defensive line with only Dean Lowry proving anything resembling reliable play on a year-to-year basis. This year, with Lowry, free-agent addition Jarran Reed and first-round pick Devonte Wyatt, the Packers have a loaded defensive line. Will that mean fewer double-team blocks to beat? Perhaps not but it won’t hurt.
Quote to note: “Come on. He’s one of the best defensive tackles in the league,” Reed said of Clark. “I like his game a lot. We’ve become really close. I hang with him almost every day. Just coming in, hopefully we can jell and be like the Bash Brothers or something.”
No. 4: OLB Rashan Gary
Jersey No. 52; 6-5, 277; fourth season; Michigan
2021 review: In 2019, the Packers bet on Gary’s immense potential but lackluster collegiate production. GM Brian Gutekunst won that bet last season, when Gary was one of the league’s breakout players. Along with his team-high 9.5 sacks, he ranked second among edge defenders in pressures (81) and pass-rush win rate (26.0 percent), according to PFF.
2022 outlook: Gary is a relentless, powerful player who appears poised to burst into big-time stardom. “Not yet,” he said. The key will be turning more of those pressures into sacks. “I want to be the best at my position,” Gary said. “When you say things like that, that’s where I want to be is be able to be top of the categories and things. But my No. 1 thing is bringing a ring back. So, I’m not really into all that, how people are looking at me. I’m into whatever I’ve got to do for this team so we can bring back the ring.”
Quote to note: More than individual goals, Gary is focused on the ultimate team success. “No. 1 is a ring. Personal goals, I don’t like to talk about, but my No. 1 thing is getting us to that division championship, winning and going to the Super Bowl. That’s the No. 1 thing. We’ve been there three years in a row. We’ve got all the pieces. It’s just about putting it all together”
No. 3: CB Jaire Alexander
Jersey No. 23; 5-10, 196; fifth season; Louisville
2021 review: In 2020, Jaire Alexander earned All-Pro honors and capped the season by grabbing two interceptions from Tom Brady in the NFC Championship Game. Alexander made an all-world interception at San Francisco in Week 3 of last season but suffered a shoulder injury in Week 4 against Pittsburgh and didn’t play again until the playoffs. “When I made the tackle, it was like a pain I’d never felt,” Alexander said during minicamp. “I kind of take pride in not laying on the field for like an arm injury. That was some of the toughest pain I’ve ever felt.” In limited action, he allowed a 46.7 percent catch rate, according to Sports Info Solutions. He is the only cornerback in the league to allow a sub-50 percent catch rate each of the last three seasons.
2022 outlook: Armed with a contract extension that made him the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, Alexander is back and eager to regain his elite status. Depending on matchups, he’ll get time in the slot, something he relishes because he’ll be in position to blitz. A great cover man with a big personality, Alexander is a face-of-the-franchise type of player. He was voted a team captain last season and probably will again this season.
When asked about fellow corners Rasul Douglas and Eric Stokes, Alexander delivered a deep and meaningful response. “It’s going to be cool. I tell Stokes, he needs to be the best in the league. I know I’m the best in the league but what would I be like telling him not to be the best? Or Rasul not to be the best? That would be selfish. I just tell them, ‘Just be the best.’ We’re both going to be the best and, the next you know, all three of us are going to be the best.”
Quote to note: “Jaire’s got an unbelievable energy that he brings each and every day,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “He has a lot of fun out there on the field, and I think his teammates feed off of that. We missed that last year not having that. Now, thankfully, we had some other guys really step up when you look at what Stokes was able to do and what Rasul was able to do. So, we’ve got a lot of depth with those three guys right there. Jaire just brings so much to the team in terms of how he prepares on a daily basis, how he competes on a daily basis and elevates everyone around him.”
No. 2: LT David Bakhtiari
Jersey No. 69; 6-4, 310; 10th season; Colorado
2021 review: Bakhtiari’s season was a disaster. His on-again, off-again comeback from a torn ACL was sidetracked by a second procedure. At the urging of his close friend Aaron Rodgers, Bakhtiari came back for the Week 18 game at Detroit. He was tremendous. In 20 pass-protecting snaps, his man never got within Rodgers’ ZIP code. Great players can roll out of bed and play great. Bakhtiari is no exception. Just when it appeared his return could put the Packers in position to finally get to the Super Bowl, he was inactive for the playoff loss against the 49ers.
2022 outlook: In terms of annual salary, Bakhtiari remains the second-highest-paid offensive tackle in the game, his four-year, $92 million deal working out to a mere $23 million per season. Teams need their high-priced players to perform like high-priced players. Instead, almost 19 months past the injury, he will open training camp on the physically unable to perform list. When will Bakhtiari play again? Will Bakhtiari play at a high level again? Will Bakhtiari even play again? Rodgers will get crushed by the pundits and fans if he never wins another Super Bowl. What if Bakhtiari had been on the field for the playoff losses against the Buccaneers and 49ers?
Quote to note: “I’m so proud of him,” Rodgers said after Bakhtiari played at Detroit. “He’s been through so much. Obviously, being really close to him and having a lot of conversations with him, it’s been tough mentally, which is understandable. To think you’re coming back in Week 7 maybe, Week 8, have a setback and surgery, it’s been tough on him. I’m so proud of him. It seemed like he was fantastic. I’m just really happy for him, the person. He’s a great person and he makes our team better. Obviously, he’s an incredible player. To celebrate him and his happiness today is pretty special. Nothing like running out there and seeing The Big Giraffe.”
No. 1: QB Aaron Rodgers
Jersey No. 12; 6-2, 225; 18th season; California
2021 review: Aaron Rodgers won his fourth MVP, and second in a row, with another virtuoso campaign. What a season. There was his feud with management. A decision just before training camp to return to the team. His clearing of the air and, ultimately, building a strong relationship with general manager Brian Gutekunst. There was a bout with COVID – and his strong thoughts on the topic – and a broken toe. And, finally, an incredible display of quarterbacking in which he ended the season with seven consecutive games of two-plus touchdown passes and zero interceptions. That’s the second-longest streak in NFL history. He threw 20 touchdown passes during that span.
Rodgers authored just the fifth season in NFL history in which a quarterback led the league in passer rating, touchdown percentage and interception percentage. Rodgers has done that in back-to-back seasons. After a two-interception shellacking at the hands of the Saints in Week 1, he threw 37 touchdowns vs. two interceptions the rest of the way.
But when the team needed Rodgers to be at his best, he laid an egg in the playoff loss against the 49ers.
2022 outlook: Can Rodgers dominate without a dominant receiver? He’s never entered a season without a proven No. 1 receiver. That will change following the offseason trade of Davante Adams. Quarterbacks get paid a lot of money to turn lemons into lemonade. Rodgers, especially compared to Tom Brady, hasn’t been given a lot of sugar to make that happen.
Really, all that matters is winning another Super Bowl. Peyton Manning isn’t giving back that one he won by riding the coattails of the Broncos’ superb defense. Rodgers is a great quarterback and he’s surrounded by a bunch of great players. Can he redefine his career with a series of playoff masterpieces to finally grasp the Lombardi Trophy once more?
Quote to note: “The playing is easy. That’s the easy part. It’s the other part that’s a grind,” he said at minicamp. “You wear a lot of hats as a quarterback and it’s more than just playing on Sundays. At some point, the grind gets to all of us and, every year, it seems like a slightly bigger commitment to come up to being the guy again in another season. But it just comes down to where I’m at. Obviously, I want the team to be successful. Obviously, I don’t want to be a bum standing back there playing like crap and not able to move around. If the talent goes, it’s a no-brainer, but it’s a little harder when you still can really play and the mental part is difficult.”
