Green Bay Packers: 3 UDFAs Who Could Make Roster Push

Green Bay Packers UDFA: Christian Uphoff – S

Why could Uphoff make the final roster?

The Green Bay Packers are in excellent shape at the safety position with Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage; however, that third safety spot is really up for grabs. Will Redmond has been better as a special teams player, while Henry Black and Vernon Scott are still relative unknowns–although each did flash in small sample sizes last season.

The Joe Barry defense requires a lot from the safety position. With lightboxes, safeties need to be active in the run game, and as a result, reliable tacklers as well. Not to mention that what the safeties show the quarterback pre-snap isn’t necessarily what they’ll be asked to do once the play is unfolding–making versatility key, and Uphoff certainly has versatility.

With Raven Greene no longer on the team, that dime linebacker role is up for grabs, and Uphoff’s versatility, ability in coverage, and against tight ends, makes him an under-the-radar candidate to fill that need.

Uphoff’s college career 

With the Missouri Valley Conference not playing in 2020, Uphoff, who is out of Illinois State, has just one year of starting experience–although it was an impressive year. When it was all said and done, he had recorded eight pressures, allowed a completion rate of just 51 percent in coverage on 39 targets, and came away with two interceptions along with eight pass breakups. He was also a stout tackler as well.

Uphoff would end up taking 238 snaps from the box, another 460 as the free safety, and 234 from the slot. As one of the standout performers at this year’s Senior Bowl, many that thought Uphoff could have been selected during the draft.

What the pre-draft report says about Uphoff

"“Versatile safety prospect with the size, play strength and coverage ability to be deployed in a variety of positions. He’s a plus athlete with above-average length and a playmaker’s mindset. He has the foot quickness and anticipation to handle man coverage and contest catches underneath or handle split safety duties, where his awareness and athleticism benefit him. Tape shows an instinctive player who can be a little inconsistent in responding to what he sees. He’s tough and physical enough to cover tight ends and play near the line of scrimmage in run support. His angles to the football and inconsistencies as an open-field tackler are a little concerning, but he should be an early backup with the upside to develop into a starter.” — Lance Zierlein, NFL.com"