The Packers held their ninth practice of training camp last night. Here are the five most newsworthy items from August 5:
1) Camp sensation Romeo Doubs had a solid practice, but the most impactful rookie wide receiver was Samori Toure. The former Nebraska star, who has been coming on recently after a quiet start, caught a handful of passes, including a 55-yard TD. To be fair, Toure was doing most of his damage against bottom-of-the-depth chart defensive backs who’ll either be on the practice squad or the street a month from now. Whether the skinny seventh-round pick can get open against physical and experienced corners like Eric Stokes and Rasul Douglas remains to be seen. I have my doubts, but Toure did enough positive things last night to earn that opportunity when the Packers return to practice on Sunday afternoon.
2) As has been the case all summer long, right guard Sean Rhyan had his hands full with defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt. The rookie from UCLA simply hasn’t been able to handle the rookie from Georgia’s quickness. Rhyan began camp with a legit chance to earn a starting job, but that ship has sailed. While Jake Hanson opened with the 1s last night, the coaches would probably prefer him backing up the three interior spots – aka the Lucas Patrick role. I still think Royce Newman will be at right guard when the Packers visit Minnesota in Week 1, but for that to happen, either David Bakhtiari has to return from the PUP list, or rookie Zach Tom has to convince the coaches that he can hold up at tackle.
3) After a relatively quiet start to camp, the tight ends had a very productive practice. Dominique Dafney and Josiah Deguara were especially effective, although, to be fair, some of their success was due, at least in part, to really poor coverage. Still, it was nice to see this position involved in the passing game. I was expecting Dafney to step up when Robert Tonyan tore his ACL in the middle of last season, but that never really happened. While the former Indiana State star did a solid job as a blocker, he caught only two passes despite being used as a receiver for over 60 snaps. Deguara isn’t as talented as Dafney, but he has a better feel for the position. The third-year pro runs crisp routes and can find the soft spots in a zone. Unfortunately, his below-average build-up speed makes him a minimal threat after the catch.
4) Top pick Quay Walker looked pretty much the same live as he looked on tape. The former Georgia star should be a real asset against the run this season. He flows fast to the ball and has very good range to the sideline. He plays bigger than his size and doesn’t back down from guards who outweigh him by 70 pounds or physical runners. He’s also a fairly explosive hitter. Where Walker could struggle, especially as a rookie, is in pass coverage. His instincts aren’t great. He’s more of a see-and-go reactor, which could be a problem at this level. In fact, I’m still not convinced the 22-year-old will be a significant upgrade from Krys Barnes on third down – unless defensive coordinator Joe Barry uses him more as a rusher. Walker’s explosiveness and closing burst could make him a dangerous threat either off the edge or on the blitz.
5) It was only one practice, but none of the young specialists rose to the occasion on Friday night. Jack Coco and Steven Wirtel both had some shaky snaps, and rookie Gabe Brkic missed another field goal from about 45 yards. That was his third unsuccessful attempt from inside 50 yards in less than two weeks. There have been entire summers when Mason Crosby didn’t miss three kicks. If the 37-year-old, who’s currently on the PUP list with a knee injury, isn’t ready to go in Week 1, there’s a good chance Green Bay’s kicker is currently on another team’s roster. That could also be the case at long snapper. The only specialist who acquitted himself reasonably well was Pat O’Donnell, who hit a handful of nice punts.
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How has Wyatt looked besides last night? He impressed against Rhyan but haven’t heard much else on him so far in camp.
I’ve only been to three practices, including Family Night. Wyatt has looked better in 1-on-1 drills than 11-on-11, but his quickness is impressive. He should be useful on third downs this season.
How did Jordan love look ?
I thought Love looked pretty good, but it’s hard to judge a QB when there’s no hitting allowed. The preseason will be more telling.