4 Players the Packers Need More From After First 6 Weeks of Season

Quay Walker

The Packers need more from Quay Walker—and they need it now.

Drafted 22nd overall in 2022, Walker was supposed to be the anchor of the Packers' linebacker corps. His athleticism and sideline-to-sideline speed made him an enticing prospect, and the hope was that he could develop into a do-it-all linebacker for Green Bay. But after six weeks and two years, it’s clear the Packers aren’t getting enough from their third-year linebacker.

Walker often looks hesitant on the field, struggling to diagnose plays in real time. While his athleticism allows him to close gaps quickly, his delays in reading the action in front of him leave him chasing plays from behind. Too often, he's a step late filling running lanes or in coverage, resulting in tackles made well beyond the line of scrimmage—hardly the impact Green Bay envisioned.

Despite these struggles, benching Walker isn’t really an option. The Packers invested significant draft capital in him, and he remains one of the few linebackers on the roster with the athletic profile to compete with modern NFL offenses. He’s going to be a staple of the defense moving forward, so it’s not about pulling him off the field—it’s about getting him to play better when he’s on it.

Walker has shown slight flashes of brilliance, but flashes won’t cut it over the brutal stretch of games Green Bay is about to enter. He needs to grow into the linebacker the Packers projected him to be, and quickly. With Edgerrin Cooper pushing for more snaps, Walker must start showing consistency—or risk being phased out in critical moments.