With voluntary organized team activities continuing to cruise by for the Green Bay Packers, one name keeps having more buzz than anyone else, tight end Tyler Davis. During the last few days of practice, Davis has caught the eyes of both head coach Matt LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst by blossoming into a potential secret weapon the team could deploy this fall.
Davis joined the Packers last September after being signed off of the Indianapolis Colts practice squad. The 25-year-old saw the field last season playing 353 combined snaps on offense and special teams while recording four receptions, 35 receiving yards, and five tackles.
Davis’ potential impact on special teams heavily boosts his stock going into this season. Last year, the Packers showcased one of the worst special team units across the entire league, prompting Green Bay to heavily pursue a new special-teams coordinator in Rich Bisaccia. A player like Davis is going to be a great first step toward Bisaccia turning the unit around this season.
“He certainly made his mark on special teams and he’s a guy that I know Rich was really excited about when we hired Rich, just what he can bring,” LaFleur said. “He’s a guy that’s going to give you great effort each and every snap and he can really run.”
Not only will Davis be a difference-maker on special teams, but he’s also started to turn some heads this past week working with the offense. Throughout the first few days of OTA’s, Davis has received valuable reps with the first-team offense in absence of Marcedes Lewis and Robert Tonyan. The former quarterback also offers a different perspective to the tight end room by having a better understanding of “spacing and concepts.”
It’s easy to make the comparison between Davis and another former quarterback turned tight end, Taysom Hill, who spent time in Green Bay during the 2017 preseason. Hill, of course, turned into a swiss-army-knife player for the New Orleans Saints, becoming a valuable member on offense and special teams. It’s farfetched to assume Davis could have that type of impact this season, but his athleticism and potential combine for an enticing blend.
“I think I’m pretty versatile,” Davis said. “I feel like I can do a lot. I feel like I can be productive in the run game and I feel like I can be productive in the passing game as well. So, I’m just trying to do as much as [the coaches] ask me to do. I just feel like, whatever they ask, I’m all for it.”
The first hurdle for Davis to make his mark in Green Bay has already been cleared. Leading up to the 2022 NFL Draft many people, including myself, called for the Packers to add another piece to the tight end room. Instead, Gutekunst trusted his board and left the draft with the same roster of players at the position. Since then, he doubled down on his decision noting that the Packers “might have something” in Davis that’s worth investing in. And that’s exactly what the Packers have done the past few days at practice. Entering his third season in the NFL, Davis now has the chance to make it his best year yet.
“This is an awesome opportunity for me,” Davis said. “Now it’s just up to me to control what I can control. Just come in every day and become a better tight end, that’s what I’m trying to do. So, we’ll keep rolling that way.”
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Kole Noble is a lifelong Packers fan currently living in North Carolina and is a huge NFL Draft nut. You can follow him on twitter at @SlawSportsShow.
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