Green Bay Packers: 3 players feeling safer after the draft

With the NFL draft now complete, there are a few Green Bay Packers players breathing a little easier this offseason, knowing their jobs are likely safe for another season.

The NFL Draft represents a possibility of replacing players on the roster and turning weaknesses into strengths. Sometimes, there are perceived weaknesses to the outside world that is not necessarily shared feelings inside an organization.

This season was no different for the Green Bay Packers. There were positions that were not addressed that some draftniks thought should have been. Because of that, there are players that could have been nervous before the draft but are now breathing a sigh of relief. Here are some of those players.

DeShone Kizer – QB 

Kizer was brought in last season with the hope of upgrading the backup quarterback position behind Aaron Rodgers. His extended periods of time on the field against Chicago and Detroit to bookend the season left a lot to be desired. Kizer did not lead the Green Bay Packers to a single scoring drive in either of those opportunities.

He fumbled away three points against the Bears in field goal range. Then he would follow that up with a horrendous interception right into Khalil Mack’s breadbasket that gifted the Bears seven more points. Against Detroit, he showed little in the way of improved decision making.

All that said, the Packers made a rather large investment in Kizer by trading a starting player in Damarious Randall for him. It always seemed unlikely that they’d give up on him after one season, and they did not.

Green Bay had a chance to draft several quarterbacks for backup competition, but they chose to stay status quo. They’ve brought in several quarterbacks as undrafted free agents, but those seem more likely to be competition for third-stringer Tim Boyle. Kizer will be the backup for at least one more season.

Second Year Receivers

 This is more of a group than it is an individual player, but these guys are going to get lumped together all season long. J’Mon Moore, Equanimeous St. Brown, and Marquez Valdes-Scantling will likely be viewed as the reason the Green Bay Packers didn’t feel the need to invest in a receiver for this year’s draft.

That was a debate all offseason long as to whether the Packers needed to pick a receiver and Brian Gutekunst clearly feels more comfortable with these three players than the outside world does.

At this time, MVS and EQ are the only two that have shown anything of substance. It’s a gamble similar to the ones Gutekunst took last season at EDGE and Safety. Teams take risks at positions all the time. Sometimes they work out, other times they do not. If this year’s gamble does not work out, the Packers will be picking a receiver early in next year’s draft.

Oren Burks – ILB

Like the receiver, linebacker was a position that many outside of the Green Bay Packers believed was a pressing need. We will never know if the Packers would have selected Devin White or Devin Bush had they been available when Green Bay was on the clock. Once those two were gone, however, there were not a lot of players worth a high investment.

In addition to the lack of quality at the position, the Packers have a belief they may have an answer on the roster. Oren Burks is someone they traded up for during the 2018 draft. He looked good in training camp before injuring his shoulder, which hampered his development, and he never really got on track throughout the season.

It’s clear the Packers still like him, as they didn’t add anyone significant during free agency or the draft. Burks is going to get every opportunity to prove himself. It is also possible that he becomes a replacement for Blake Martinez in 2020. Either way, Burks has to see a glowing opportunity right in front of him to earn a role in Mike Pettine’s defense.