Green Bay Packers Sign 3rd Round Selection Josiah Deguara

Just before rookies report to training camp, the Green Bay Packers have now signed third-round pick and H-back, Josiah Deguara.

And the last domino finally falls. With the Green Bay Packers’ rookie class set to report to training camp on Thursday of this week, third-round selection Josiah Deguara has signed his rookie deal.

Like the two picks before him – Jordan Love and A.J. Dillon – this selection was a bit of a head-scratcher initially for many fans. Although a tight end while at Cincinnati, we would learn from Matt LaFleur after the draft that Deguara is going to be an H-back in Green Bay and fill a similar role to what Kyle Juszczyk does in San Francisco.

LaFleur’s offense is predicated on running various plays with the same personnel. This will give the Packers’ that element of unpredictability, but it also requires the players to be quite versatile as they line up all over the formation and handle different responsibilities.

This is where Deguara’s skill-set comes into play. Although he isn’t going to affect the passing game like George Kittle or Travis Kelce, he’s proven to be a reliable pass-catcher while in college. On top of that, he’s an excellent blocker, especially against the run, and he can line up in the backfield, inline, in the slot, or out wide.

While we shouldn’t assume that Deguara is going to be as successful as Juszczyk, San Francisco head coach Kyle Shanahan has called Juszczyk irreplaceable in that Niner offense with his ability to switch from one role to the next with ease. If Deguara can become effective in that H-back role, he will be an X-Factor within this LaFleur offense.

Now, something to be mindful of during Deguara’s first season is that with the unusual offseason that has taken place and the unusual summer that is to come, his impact may not be noticed right away considering that there is going to be a steep learning curve given the many hats that he will have to wear. However, long term, he is still going to be an important part of this offense.

Taking an H-back in today’s NFL in the third-round was certainly a bit puzzling, however, given how important this position is to Matt LaFleur, I can understand why the pick was made.