GREEN BAY, Wis. – The competition at the Olympic Summer Games ended with the United States and China tying for the most gold medals. Who were the medal winners for the Green Bay Packers this week following practices on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and the preseason victory over the Browns on Saturday?
Bronze: DT Devonte Wyatt
Devonte Wyatt was one of the winners at Cleveland, making his presence felt three times on the opening series alone. It was a continuation of what he’s done almost daily at training camp, with the 2022 first-round pick’s quickness too much to handle for Green Bay’s interior blockers.
“I think what we’re doing with him is beneficial to his skill-set and I’m excited for him,” coach Matt LaFleur said recently.
He’ll have to show he can do it against the opponents’ starting blockers – the Browns didn’t play left guard Joel Bitonio, and their starters at right guard (Wyatt Teller) and center (Ethan Pocic) played only the opening series.
He’ll also have to show he can be a closer. Wyatt missed a sack against the Browns. Last season, of 92 interior defenders to play at least 400 snaps, Wyatt had the highest missed-tackle percentage, according to PFF. Had he cashed in more frequently, he might have had 10 sacks rather than 5.5.
Silver: LB Isaiah McDuffie
McDuffie had four tackles in 24 snaps against the Browns. As is the case with Wyatt, it was a continuation of what he’s done every day at practice. He might not be the biggest or fastest but, as is the case with the great linebackers, McDuffie’s got a nose for the ball and a red-hot motor. His two tackles on running plays at Cleveland yielded a total of 1 yard.
The Packers drafted Edgerrin Cooper in the second round and Ty’Ron Hopper in the third round. Even if they were healthy, neither would be in position to unseat McDuffie in the base 4-3 defense or as one of the two linebackers in nickel.
“I would say they put us in good situations to just run and hit, and I feel like that’s what I do best,” McDuffie said of the new defense recently. “I get to the ball (and) I get there violently, so I feel like it’s going to be good. I feel like they’re putting us in those situations to be most successful, so I think it’s going to be fun.”
Gold: LT Rasheed Walker
Remember before the draft, when it was thought the Packers could use their first-round pick on a left tackle to be the long-term replacement for David Bakhtiari?
Instead, the Packers drafted Jordan Morgan and planted him at right guard.
As it turns out, maybe Walker is the long-term replacement for Bakhtiari.
Walker was surprisingly solid when thrust into action last year after Bakhtiari shut it down after Week 1. Then, he was a stud against the Cowboys’ Micah Parsons and the 49ers’ Nick Bosa – two of the NFL’s elite defenders – in the playoffs.
Those games had Walker feeling “elite.”
Walker is the no-doubt-about-it starter at left tackle. He’s been so good at training camp that he’s become an afterthought. He’s dominated the one-on-ones and performed well during team drills on the practice field, and delivered a spotless three snaps against the Browns.
“I think Sheed’s been doing good,” quarterback Jordan Love said last week. “I think Sheed has solidified himself over there and is continuing to make a name for himself. He stepped up big time last year. I think with the whole Bakh situation last year, he was thrown into a role where it’s that next-man-up mentality and I think he did a really good job.
“I think Rasheed is building on what he did last year, trying to be as consistent as possible. I think Sheed’s a very talented player. He shows crazy flashes all the time, but just that consistency we’ve got to keep building upon. But I don’t think Sheed’s ever worried about that (Morgan getting drafted). I think his mindset is, he’s a dog and he’s trying to go out there and just prove himself every day, and I don’t think he lets any of that faze him.”
Just Off the Podium: WR Grant DuBose
DuBose was excellent on Saturday with five catches and some sturdy blocking, as well. It’s going to be hard to knock off Bo Melton, a speedy playmaker who can hep on special teams, and gritty Malik Heath, a physical player with playmaking ability.
But as DuBose continues to stack days, he’s put himself front and center in the battle at the team’s deepest position.
“I had my (back) injury last year where I was sidelined for most of the offseason, and then I came back and barely made it for the last two weeks of the preseason, played those two games, sat a whole year on the practice squad,” DuBose said on Saturday.
“It’s been a long time coming. I got a chance and I got the opportunity to go out there and showcase my skill-set and just wanted to take advantage of it the best I could.”
Far Off the Podium: Impact Rookies
The Packers drafted five players in the first three rounds.
Four of them are injured, with Morgan (shoulder), Cooper (hip) and Hopper (ankle) missing Saturday’s game and running back MarShawn Lloyd dropping out with a hamstring injury after just two touches.
At this rate, maybe only Morgan will be on the field for anything beyond special-teams duty for Week 1.
“Like most of these guys, some good, some bad and a lot to learn from,” LaFleur said of Morgan a few days ago. “But we’re excited about the talent. You can see the talent there. I think it’s just making sure he gets the adequate number of reps so it’s second nature and there’s a lot less thinking going on. But I feel like he’s competed well. He just needs to continue to learn and improve.”
More Green Bay Packers Training Camp News
Among the #Packers winners from yesterday:
– Jordan Love, who was so-so on deep balls last year.
– Grant DuBose, who created four first downs on third or or fourth down. ⬇️https://t.co/EG9YBAUVbr— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 11, 2024
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