6 Packers Already on Thin Ice in Training Camp

Which Packers are already on thin ice at training camp?
Green Bay Packers
Green Bay Packers / Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
3 of 6
Next

3. Devonte Wyatt, defensive line

I'm not entirely sure what being on "thin ice" will mean for former first-round pick Devonte Wyatt, one of the Packers' top selections back in the 2022 NFL Draft class.

Wyatt hasn't yet emerged into a full-time player for the Packers, playing just 23 percent of the defensive snaps as a rookie and 50 percent of the snaps in his second NFL season. Still, when you look at his production last season, it's hard not to get excited about what he brings to the table.

Wyatt had 5.5 sacks and 11 QB hits last season, which is all the more impressive when you consider he played just 50 percent of the team's defensive snaps. Even with that in mind, why is this guy not a full-time starter for the Packers? Should people be concerned?

You certainly don't draft a guy in the first round just to have him play 50 percent of the snaps for your defense. You take a guy in the first round to play an impact role on every down. Especially when you're talking about an interior defensive lineman, which is one of the most valuable assets you can have defensively in today's NFL.

The really concerning thing about this is that you could have at least somewhat chalked up Wyatt's lower snap count to Joe Barry (since the former Packers defensive coordinator seemed to get blamed for just about anything related to poor personnel usage). But now, it's Jeff Hafley calling the shots on that side of the ball.

What if Wyatt simply doesn't have it to be able to play 65 percent of the snaps or more? Although his production in a part-time role is encouraging, we have to see it sustained over increased snaps. Otherwise, the Packers aren't going to keep Wyatt beyond his rookie contract.