The Packers Preseason is over and now, once again, all we can do is sit and wait and wonder until the season starts. Let’s go over some superlatives and discuss how these players may affect the regular season.
MVP
I’ve got to go with Jordan Love here. He may not have played an entire game (combined) but he did more than enough to put optimism in the hearts of Packers fans.
For years we’ve had to deal with irrational arguments like Jordan Love is bad because he threw interceptions on his college team with a new coach and skill players who may not have made their own high school teams. Or Jordan Love is bad because he was third string in the COVID when there was no offseason.
We don’t know yet if Love will be a first-ballot hall of famer, like his two predecessors, but we know now that he knows the playbook, has an above-average NFL arm, and has impressed everyone from Kurt Warner to Ryan Clark to Darius Slay.
Breakout Player
How often does a UDFA completely outshine a first-round pick at the same position? Lukas Van Ness didn’t have a bad preseason, but Brenton Cox is the talk of the town.
Cox was an elite recruit coming out of high school and fell out of the draft completely thanks to being kicked off two teams in college. It seems like he has his stuff together now and he led the league in pressures in the preseason, doing enough to convince Brian Gutekunst to keep six edge rushers.
Most Disappointing
All offseason we heard that Devonte Wyatt had slimmed down and was constantly in the backfield and then the preseason started. The former first-round pick had a total PFF grade of 40.8 in the preseason with poor scores in pass rush, run defense, and tackling.
The Packers’ defensive line is Kenny Clark, TJ Slaton, Devonte Wyatt, and a bunch of unknowns this year. Slaton has shown that he can at least give you profitable snaps. It’s time for Wyatt to transfer the promise that he has shown in practice to games and live up to his draft slot.
Most Exciting
No player could win this other than Emanuel Wilson. The Fort Valley State College back led the NFL in rush yards over the three preseason games and looked electric on an 80-yard TD.
It’s hard for UDFA running backs to make the team in their rookie year. Pass protection in the NFL is a different thing than it is in college. Wilson certainly has room to work on pass protection, but his running ability was enough to get him on the team — and have every Packer fan campaigning for it.
Mike Price is a lifelong Packers fan currently living in Utah. You can follow him on twitter at @themikeprice.
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