Wilkins, Lazard lead 10-man practice squad

The Packers filled their entire 10-man practice squad with players released over the weekend.

The Green Bay Packers have started forming their practice squad, a group led by undrafted rookie quarterback Manny Wilkins.

With so much of the preseason focused on figuring out the No. 2 battle between Tim Boyle and DeShone Kizer, Wilkins hardly got a chance. He finished 2-of-6 for 35 yards. He did make one of the plays of the preseason when he hurdles a Chiefs defender for a 12-yard run.

“Manny, he’s a sharp kid,” quarterbacks coach Luke Getsy said earlier in the week. “He’s played for a bunch of different coordinators, so he’s had to learn new offenses throughout his career in college and that’s showed up for us in his ability not to have a bunch of reps but still be able to execute and operate in the offense.”

Video: Winners and losers from Saturday

With so few reps in the games and the practice field, Wilkins knew he had to maximize every rep.

“I’m not one to say that I get nervous by anything or get flustered by moments but I’d be foolish to tell you there is no pressure,” he said. “I’ve got to go out there and make the most of the reps that I do get. Being in the position that I am in, being an undrafted free agent and trying to make a roster, there’s just a couple more obstacles than somebody who was drafted in the first or second round. At the end of the day, mistakes will be made. It’s about how you respond from those mistakes and go out there with a fresh mind-set every play.”

A three-year starter at Arizona State, Wilkins threw for 8,624 yards and 52 touchdowns and added 1,035 rushing yards and 20 more touchdowns.

Wilkins’ mentor and roommate was Kizer, who was released on Saturday and was claimed off waivers by the Raiders on Sunday.

Here is the rest of the 10-man practice squad, which we reported in advance of the team's official announcement. 

The Packers filled all 10 with internal candidates, perhaps a nod to their depth but also for logistical purposes, with a practice to conduct and a short turnaround to Thursday night at Chicago.

RB Tra Carson: Carson lost a heated battle to sixth-round pick Dexter Williams. Carson probably has the better all-around skill-set but lacked the flash of Williams as a runner.

OT Yosh Nijman: One of the most athletic offensive tackles in this draft class, he also was one of the rawest. He’ll get a chance to hone his craft against the Packers’ fleet of outside linebackers.

WR Allen Lazard: Maybe the toughest cut of the preseason, the towering first-year player from Iowa State had a strong training camp and preseason. He caught six passes for 114 yards and one touchdown and earned rave reviews from Aaron Rodgers. For more on Lazard, click here.

WR Malik Taylor: Signed to the team in mid-July, Taylor had no receptions and a 20.3-yard average on kickoff returns. He averaged 17.3 yards per catch for his career at Ferris State.

TE Evan Baylis: A first-year tight end from Oregon, Baylis spent the final week of last season on the practice squad. He caught three passes for 23 yards and one touchdown in the preseason.

CB Kabion Ento: A receiver at Colorado, Ento caught only 20 passes in his career. At the urging of one of his collegiate assistants, Ento decided to try cornerback in the NFL. The undrafted free agent had a handful of spectacular pass breakups in training camp before suffering a hamstring injury.

DT James Looney: Looney was a seventh-round pick last year who was a nonfactor as a rookie but took a significant step forward in training camp and turned in a strong preseason. He lost out to Fadol Brown for the final roster spot on the defensive line.

OLB Randy Ramsey: Ramsey might have been one of the final cuts. He had 8.5 sacks and 19 tackles for losses during his final three seasons at Arkansas. He’s athletic enough for the NFL; now he has to get bigger and stronger.

ILB Brady Sheldon: The Packers initially did not offer Sheldon a practice-squad but changed their mind, according to a source. Potentially, someone else they had pegged for a spot backed out to take a different opportunity. He played in two games for the Raiders in 2017. Sheldon had nine tackles and one sack in the preseason.

Receiver Geronimo Allison, fullback Danny Vitale and cornerback Tramon Williams are starters who begain their time with the Packers on the practice squad, and receiver Jake Kumerow, tight end Robert Tonyan, cornerback Tony Brown and defensive tackle Tyler Lancaster are four other key players who got their starts on the practice squad.