Packers: 3 breakout candidates for second half of season
These three members of the Green Bay Packers could easily breakout over the second half of the season and provide them with a huge boost.
The Green Bay Packers are officially halfway through their 2020 season and are off to a great start. Having won six of their first eight games, they are in a three-way tie for the top spot in the NFC and lead the NFC North. There’s not much more you could’ve asked for at this point.
Green Bay will certainly have challenging times ahead, as they play eight games in a row without a break to end the season. Furthermore, only the top team in each conference gets a first-round bye, further enhancing the competition for that top spot.
If Green Bay wants to earn some rest between the regular season and the playoffs, they’ll need these three players to break out over the second half of the season.
3. Kamal Martin
Kamal Martin has been a tease so far in his rookie season. He was off to a great start in Training Camp and was building a lot of hype before getting injured and missing the first six weeks of the season. He made his NFL debut against the Houston Texans in Week 7 and flashed some great potential. He’s fast, athletic and daring when attacking the line of scrimmage. He wasn’t as good against the Minnesota Vikings the following week before missing their Week 9 contest due to close contact with A.J. Dillon. It will be exciting to see what he can do when he gets back on the field, especially if he’s playing alongside veteran Christian Kirksey.
2. Marquez Valdes-Scantling
The lone offensive player on this list, Green Bay desperately needs another wide receiver to step up opposite Davante Adams. Hopefully, Allen Lazard will provide some of that when he returns, but Valdes-Scantling is the only legit option who can get behind defenses. We saw the good and bad with him against the San Francisco 49ers when he dropped a wide-open crosser on one series before catching a deep touchdown pass later in the game. There’s no questioning his speed, now he needs to work on catching the ball consistently.
Next. Packers' positional grades at halfway mark. dark
1. Kenny Clark
Kenny Clark has had a down season by his standards, only earning a 63.5 grade from PFF–the lowest of his career. Clark hasn’t been able to get off the double teams he sees consistently to stop the run and has been a non-factor in the passing game. To make matters worse, the rest of the defensive line has been awful as well. The good news is we know he has all the talent in the world to turn it around in a hurry. The Packers will need him to get back to his old form if they want to make a deep postseason run.