Ranking The Rookies

After a couple of months of OTAs and minicamps and six weeks of training camp, the Packers’ rookie class has fared very well. All 11 draft picks made the 53-man roster, as did an undrafted free agent, and two others are on the practice squad.

The following is an analysis of the 14 rookies up to this point and an educated guess at what to expect from each in the future:




1. QUAY WALKER

While a team’s No. 1 pick should always be at the top of this list, that’s not always the case. In fact, Green Bay’s best rookies the past three summers were second-round picks Elgton Jenkins and Josh Myers in 2019 and 2021, respectively, and fifth-round pick Kamal Martin in 2020. But Walker has more than lived up to his draft status. The former Georgia star got a little better every day and will go into Week 1 as the rare rookie inside linebacker who stays on the field for all three downs. Pairing him with first-team All-Pro De’Vondre Campbell could be a nightmare for opposing offensive coordinators. Walker will certainly have his ups and downs as he faces complex NFL schemes for the first time, but his unique mix of size and athleticism should allow him to weather any early storms and become a true impact player by winter.

2. ROMEO DOUBS

I was skeptical of all the early hype surrounding the fourth-round pick until I got to see him in practice. While far from the biggest or fastest receiver in the league, there’s just something about Doubs. Like new Packers Hall of Famer Greg Jennings in 2006, he just knows how to get open – whether by beating press c0verage at the line of scrimmage and/or spinning cornerbacks in place with subtle moves down the field. However, unlike Jennings 16 years ago, Doubs wasn’t always the most reliable route runner this summer, and he dropped too many passes. Still, it would be a surprise if he doesn’t contribute to the offense this season. Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, and Sammy Watkins may have quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ trust, but none of the three possess the ability to really put a scare in a defense. Doubs appears to have that trait.

3. ZACH TOM

Coaches became so enamored with the former Wake Forest star’s ability to play all five positions that they never gave him a chance to get even remotely comfortable at one spot. In fact, Tom took his fewest snaps at left tackle and center, the positions he played most in college. Still, the fourth-round pick managed to hold his own at left guard and right tackle during practice and the preseason. Even though Tom is more talented than Jake Hanson and Royce Newman, he was never given the chance to seriously challenge either for a starting job. That’s been as curious a decision as the one last January to bench Yosh Nijman for the divisional round playoff game against San Francisco. So while Tom figures to begin this season as a backup, it’s only a matter of time before he becomes a starter. The only real question is at which position.

4. KINGSLEY ENAGBARE

Whether the former South Carolina star has the explosiveness to be a top-end starter at this level is debatable, but there’s no question he was a solid fifth-round pick. Enagbare lasted so long on draft day because of a very slow 40 time (4.87), but he plays faster. What’s never been in doubt is his strength. He exhibited that trait consistently in college and flashed it at times during training camp. I compared Enagbare to Jonathan Garvin in the spring. That was actually a compliment. The veteran outside linebacker from the University of Miami has been a fairly dependable reserve for the Packers since being drafted late in 2020. But I might’ve underestimated Enagbare a bit back then. He’s already almost as good as his much more experienced teammate, and there’s every reason to believe he’ll be a better player in the future.

5. SAMORI TOURE

Toure might be seventh on the depth chart at wide receiver, but there’s plenty to like about the former Nebraska star. He made the final 53-man roster even though six spots were pretty much already locked up before the start of training camp, and Rodgers made it clear a number of times how much he liked reliable veteran Juwann Winfree. I compared Toure to two-time 1,000-yard receiver Robbie Anderson of Carolina after this spring’s draft, and while the chances of him achieving that kind of success aren’t great, he showed enough this summer to at least make it seem possible. The 24-year-old, who weighs less than 190 pounds, needs to get stronger in order to get off the line of scrimmage against press coverage. Not surprisingly, this was an issue at times, especially versus bigger corners like Eric Stokes and Rasul Douglas.

6. TYLER GOODSON

The undrafted rookie entered camp as the best of the undrafted rookies, and he left the same way. Goodson ran for a team-high 107 yards and caught eight passes in three exhibition games. The shiftiness that made him a star at Iowa was on display throughout the summer. He also showed better-than-expected vision, doing a pretty good job of following his blockers. Despite all of this, the 21-year-old will begin the season on the practice squad because Brian Gutekunst chose to keep only two running backs on the 53 for the first time in five years as general manager. On the positive side, Goodson will now be able to work on pass protection without having to worry about getting Rodgers killed. And if he can improve that part of his game, there’s a pretty good chance that cutdown down in 2023 will be a much happier experience.




7. CALEB JONES

The 6-foot-9 undrafted rookie entered the summer as somewhat of a novelty, but he left as a legit prospect. In fact, his release a week ago was probably the most surprising. Jones dropped 30 pounds between the end of last season and the beginning of training camp, and that made a huge difference (pun not intended). The former Indiana star was quicker on his feet at 350, which allowed him to adjust to speed and recover better than he did in college. Jones didn’t look like someone who ran a tortoise-like 5.6 at the Combine. Whether he can hold up at tackle against NFL defensive ends and outside linebackers remains to be seen. O-linemen his size aren’t usually natural knee benders, so they tend to set too tall which allows smaller players to get up and underneath their pads. That’s something Jones will have to work on going forward.

8. DEVONTE WYATT

The coaching staff and the GM will insist that big guys take longer to develop so they’re not at all disappointed in Wyatt’s unimpressive training camp, but that would be a load of crap. Gutekunst used the 28th overall pick in April’s draft on the former Georgia star because he wanted another disruptive inside pass rusher to pair with Kenny Clark in the nickel package. Perhaps Wyatt will be that player at some point this season, but nothing he did the past six weeks would make that seem likely. The 24-year-old lacked urgency at times and was too often steered and controlled by double teams. Fortunately, veteran Jarran Reed stepped up and filled that role superbly. His emergence will allow Wyatt to use the early part of the season to work on his craft away from the usual scrutiny that accompanies a No. 1 pick.

9. RASHEED WALKER

The former Penn State star did the seemingly impossible by erasing five very underwhelming weeks of practice in one night. Walker’s strong performance against the Chiefs earned him a coveted spot on the 53 despite the fact that he saw limited reps in practice and didn’t play in either of the first two preseason games. I’ve been covering Green Bay online since 2006 and can’t remember a rookie going from the outhouse to the penthouse so quickly. To be fair, Walker does have a lot of talent. He’s blessed with impressive size (6-5 1/2, 325), power, and body control. Those traits made him a possible Day 2 selection going into his junior season, but inconsistent play and a knee injury dropped him three or four rounds. It’s still too soon to tell whether Gutekunst got a steal at pick No. 249, but he obviously wants more time to find out.

10. JACK COCO

Gutekunst’s history makes it hard to believe he got it right by committing to the undrafted rookie as his long snapper. After all, this is the same general manager who cut Zach Triner, drafted Hunter Bradley, and signed Steven Wirtel. On the other hand, you’d like to think new special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, who’s been doing this job for over 30 years, had a say in the decision to go into the season with Coco. The former tight end from Georgia Tech did get better as the summer went along. His snaps for punts – a skill he hadn’t done since high school before joining the Packers in May – became more consistent with each practice, and he avoided any major issues in the preseason. Still, this is a gamble, especially for a team that’s spending millions of dollars on Bisaccia, kicker Mason Crosby, and punter Pat O’Donnell.

11. TARIQ CARPENTER

The seventh-round pick is listed as a safety, but make no mistake, he made the 53 because of his potential to help on special teams. Blessed with size (6-3, 230), speed (4.4), and toughness, Carpenter could be a nightmare to block on kick and punt coverage. And while the former Georgia Tech star didn’t excel with either unit during training camp, he did end the preseason with an impressive showing against Kansas City. That good game probably kept him off the practice squad, at least for now. As far as defense is concerned, Carpenter lacks the movement skills to play in the secondary at this level. Like most tall safeties, his transitional quickness is below average and that makes covering wide receivers and athletic tight ends a challenge. If he’s going to eventually see action on defense, it’ll most likely be as a hybrid linebacker.

Gutekunst worked hard to keep all 11 of his draft picks on the 53, and none required more heavy lifting than Ford. The seventh-round pick was an underachiever in college, and he did nothing to shed that label during training camp. The 335-pounder got pushed around quite often in practice and looked like he was wearing skates at times against second and third-string offensive linemen during the preseason. So why did Ford stick over hard-nosed second-year pro Jack Heflin and athletic journeyman Chris Slayton, who were both much more productive this summer? Two reasons. The first is that he was a draft pick. The second is that he moves pretty darn well for such a large human being. Fair or not, that combination usually affords a young player a lot of patience. It’s now up to Ford to prove to the Packers he’s worth their time.

13. SEAN RHYAN

While I’m not surprised that the college left tackle struggled in his transition to right guard in the NFL, I’m shocked that he’s last on this list. But Rhyan deserves this spot. He was terrible at the start of camp and only slightly better six weeks later. The former UCLA star struggled with his technique, which made blocking against quick defensive linemen a nightmare. Rhyan even managed to make Wyatt look like a young Aaron Donald during some 1-on-1 drills. It’s safe to assume the 21-year-old won’t step foot on the field during the season, and while that’s disappointing considering he was drafted 92nd overall, there’s no reason to mark him down as another third-round mistake by Gutekunst just yet. Unlike ex-Packers Oren Burks and Jace Sternberger, at least Rhyan has the legitimate excuse of learning a brand new position.

INC – CHRISTIAN WATSON

Green Bay paid a steep price to move up in the second round to select the former North Dakota State star, so he’s going to get his fair of snaps early in the season despite spending most of camp on the physically unable to perform list. And while Watson might not be a first, second, or even third option for Rodgers in the passing game, his very unique skill set should still allow him to contribute. Much like defenses did when ex-Packer Marquez Valdes-Scantling was in the huddle, Watson’s size and speed will have to be respected. By simply running 25 or 30 yards down the sideline, the 23-year-old will open up space in the middle of the field, and that’s vital because most of Green Bay’s other receivers are most effective between the numbers. Of course, Watson will have to catch a pass now and then to keep the opposition honest.

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