Green Bay Packers: 3 Players who need more Opportunities in 2nd Half of Season

The Green Bay Packers are already halfway through the season and as we look ahead to the rest of the year, these three players need more opportunities.

Even with all of the positive additions that were made to this Green Bay Packers team this past offseason, I can’t imagine that there were many out there that would have had them at 7-1 through the first half of the season. Not only are they 7-1, but they are 3-0 within the NFC North and have established themselves as one of the top teams in the NFL.

There have been plenty of contributions along the way from the big names on this roster including Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Jones, Davante Adams, amongst others. However, there are also a few players that deserve more opportunities in the second half of the season and can help take this Green Bay Packers team to the next level.

Allen Lazard

With the absence of Davante Adams, Green Bay needed someone from the receiving core to step up while he’s been sidelined. And even though Allen Lazard’s opportunities didn’t come right away, since the fourth quarter of the Detroit game, he has been Aaron Rodgers’ favorite receiver to target.

During that span, Lazard has caught 12 of the 14 passes thrown his way for 149 yards including a fantastic touchdown grab against Detroit. Lazard is a big, physical receiver who can sky for the ball, make defenders miss, as well as run right through them. And perhaps most important, it is clear that he has the trust of Rodgers.

When Adams returns, I hope we get to see him out-wide with Marquez Valdes-Scantling while Lazard occupies the slot. He’s definitely earned more opportunities and Matt LaFleur needs to continue finding ways to put the ball in his hands.

Danny Vitale

Danny Vitale is listed as a fullback but this isn’t your typical fullback that many NFL fans think of. Vitale is versatile and a proven weapon in the passing game.

This season, LaFleur has used Vitale all over the formation. He’s lined up in the backfield, as an inline blocker, in the slot, and even out-wide. While his opportunities in the passing game have been limited, he’s made the most out of those chances. So far, Vitale has caught six of seven passes for 94 yards with an average of nearly 16 yards per catch.

While he’s certainly been impressive, being used as a pass-catcher is nothing new to Vitale. At Northwestern, he had 135 career receptions for 1,427 yards and 11 touchdowns through the air. Vitale is a matchup nightmare for opposing defenses and my hope is that we see more of him in the passing game during the second half of the season.

Oren Burks

Another preseason injury derailed the start of Oren Burks’ season but since returning against Dallas a few weeks ago, he’s played in a total of just 30 defensive snaps. The Green Bay Packers drafted Burks in the third round of last year’s draft to be their coverage linebacker. However, the transition to the NFL has been tough for him.

Instead, Green Bay has had to rely on Blake Martinez, B.J. Goodson, and Will Redmond to cover the middle of the field and tight ends specifically have been a major issue. While Burks does struggle against the run, he’s a very good athlete and was making some strides in his coverage skills prior to his injury.

Hopefully, safety Ibraheim Campbell returns soon as he will be a welcomed addition, but until then, the current formula isn’t working, so why not give Oren Burks some more reps and see what he can do?