A young player looking to improve, a veteran attempting to bounce back from a disappointing season or an ascending player growing into a new role all provide ideal scenarios for a “prove it” type of season.
The Green Bay Packers have several players that fit into each category this year.
Here are the Packers with the most to prove entering the 2023 season:
RB A.J. Dillon
Entering a contract year. Coming off a disappointing season. Expecting to have a bigger role in a new-look offense. All the factors of a “prove it” season are on the table for A.J. Dillon in 2023. Can Dillon break more tackles, create more yardage on his own and be a better and more consistent receiver this season? He has the traits of a workhorse, No. 1 running back, and the Packers could eventually see him as the top option long-term. But Dillon must prove he can bounce back from the 2022 season while giving the Packers confidence in offering a new deal. This season could either be the start of Dillon’s ascendance to the Packers running back throne or his last season in Green Bay.
OT Yosh Nijman
Nijman, who has started games at left and right tackle over the last two seasons, is entering 2023 on the one-year restricted tender and in competition with Zach Tom to start at right tackle. His career is approaching a fork in the road. Will Nijman win a starting job and eventually earn a long-term contract, whether it’s from the Packers or another team? Or will he emerge as more of a backup swing tackle? Both scenarios are plausible at this point. It will fall on Nijman’s shoulder to decide the path forward. He struggled after suffering an injury late last season but has been an effective pass-blocker at a premium position for the Packers.
DL Devonte Wyatt
Outside of Jordan Love, no player on the Packers roster represents a better combination of obvious talent, hopeful development and new opportunity than Wyatt, a 2022 first-rounder who is expected to be a starter next to Kenny Clark along the Packers defensive line. Given the lack of depth up front on defense, the Packers need Wyatt to step in and play quality snaps against the run and pass. Already 25 years old, Wyatt played at a top collegiate program and got a year to develop at the NFL level. He must prove ready in 2023. Maybe he can carry over his late-season surge as a rookie and create the ever-important second-year jump.
WR Romeo Doubs
Christian Watson looked like a star in the making to end the 2022 season, but he’ll need a capable sidekick in 2023 if the Packers passing game is going to be consistently productive. Doubs, who flashed as a rookie before injuries, is the top sidekick option. He’s developed a strong chemistry with Jordan Love, who trusted him in many different situations during the offseason workout program. While Watson is the big-play threat, it’s possible Doubs will lead the team in targets in 2023. Can he stay healthy, win more snaps against man coverage and establish himself as a trust-worthy and efficient target? The Packers will have a strong 1-2 punch at receiver for Love if both Watson and Doubs take a step in Year 2.
TE Josiah Deguara
The 2020 third-rounder is entering a contract year as the most experienced tight end on the roster. While more of an H-back type, Deguara should get plenty of opportunities, especially early in the season, to be a factor as a more traditional tight end while rookies Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft find their way. Can Deguara emerge as a more versatile player who can play inline? Will he be a factor in the Jordan Love passing game? Deguara has only 39 catches in 35 games. His future beyond 2023 is uncertain, but he’ll have a chance to prove he’s a valuable role player worth keeping around past this season.
S Darnell Savage
This might be Savage’s last chance to get his career back on track in Green Bay. Once on the edge of stardom at the safety position to end the 2020 season, Savage has suffered regression in each of the last two seasons and was even benched at one point in 2022. He’ll enter 2023 as an expected starter at safety, mostly by default given the state of the depth chart. Can the 2019 first-rounder think less, play faster and make fewer mistakes as a tackler and in coverage? Savage will either play himself into the discussion for a contract extension or be looking for a new home come free agency in 2024.
CB Keisean Nixon
Everyone now knows he can be an explosive, game-changing returner. But what’s his value on the defensive side of the ball? The Packers are going to give Nixon a chance to be the starting nickel cornerback to open 2023. Imagine how valuable he would become — both on the field and in terms of his next contract — if he proves he can be an effective starting corner in the NFL. Nixon, who returned on a one-year deal, produced encouraging snaps in the slot over a half-dozen games in 2022, but he’s going to be a player opposing quarterbacks want to go after with Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas operating on the outside. A passing defense is only as good as its weakest link, so the Packers need Nixon to step up to the challenge. And Nixon must rise to the challenge because 2021 first-round pick Eric Stokes will eventually be healthy enough to get back on the field.
LB Quay Walker
Walker’s rookie season was an expected mix of peaks and valleys, with disruptive and inspiring moments stirred together with avoidable mistakes and a pair of disappointing, heat-of-the-battle decisions resulting in ejections. The question entering 2023: Can Walker amplify the good and lessen the bad while creating a substantial second-year leap? The 2022 first-rounder has the size, athleticism and versatility to become the heart and soul of the Packers defense, but improvement across the board (and especially down-to-down against the run) is required in Year 2. The ability is there. Walker must prove he’s ready to take the step.
C Josh Myers
Myers is entering Year 3 and coming off a season in which he played almost 1,100 snaps at center for the Packers offense. A big second-year leap didn’t happen, but at least Myers was injury-free after all the issues he dealt with as a rookie. The Packers could use significant development from Myers in Year 3, especially as a run-blocker. If Myers improves, the Packers offensive line could be one of the NFL’s very best. If not? Well, Zach Tom looms as another option at center if Myers doesn’t fully solidify himself as the position’s best player in 2023.
QB Jordan Love
At least contractually, the Packers are giving Love a two-year window to prove he’s the long-term answer at quarterback. In reality, the 2023 season will be a huge evaluation and proving point for Love’s future. He sat for multiple seasons behind a future Hall of Famer and is entering Year 4 in the same Matt LaFleur offense. A first-round talent, Love was given the ideal developmental pathway. Now, he must prove he’s ready for this opportunity. The bar should be set higher for a fourth-year player, especially one who has played in real games and is deeply engrained in the offense. What happens if Love doesn’t play well and the Packers are picking high in the 2024 draft? Taking a quarterback is possible. Like Aaron Rodgers before him, Love must take full advantage of his first season as the starting quarterback of the Packers.
Bonus: The rookies
All rookies have something to prove. It’s part of being a first-year player. But much of the Packers’ rookie class is 2023 will get an opportunity to be on the field in meaningful ways this season. Lukas Van Ness will get snaps while Rashan Gary recovers. Luke Musgrave might be the starting tight end, Jayden Reed might be the starting slot receiver. Tucker Kraft and Dontayvion Wicks could be complementary parts of the passing game. One of Colby Wooden and Karl Brooks will likely be on the field as a go-to rotational defensive lineman. Sean Clifford could be the backup quarterback. Anders Carlson will likely be the kicker. Even the seventh-rounders could earn roles if they are impressive this summer. In a transition year, the Packers’ 2023 draft class will get a real opportunity to impact the team’s performance at key positions week to week.
