Like all teams, the Green Bay Packers will be banking on young players to come back from the offseason and impress coaches and teammates enough during training camp to win open jobs on offense or defense.
Unlike past seasons, the Packers have several big roles available and a number of young players, including rookies, with an opportunity to open Week 1 playing important snaps.
Here are the young players capable of earning roles during Packers training camp:
OLB Kingsley Enagbare
Rashan Gary’s recovery timeline is unclear, potentially leaving the door open for playing time at edge rusher opposite Preston Smith to start 2023. First-round pick Lukas Van Ness might take on some of the snaps, but don’t sleep on Enagbare, a fifth-round pick last year who had impressive moments (25 pressures, 18 stops, per PFF) as a rookie. Van Ness will need time, and Enagbare already proved he can handle starting snaps. The guess here is that Enagbare is on the field plenty to start 2023, especially if he shows signs of a second-year leap during training camp.
DL Devonte Wyatt
An obvious one here. Gone are Dean Lowry and Jarran Reed, who played over 1,000 snaps combined along the defensive line last season. The Packers desperately need Wyatt, a 2022 first-rounder, to assume a big chunk of the vacant snaps alongside Kenny Clark. TJ Slaton is also expected to play a big role up front, but it’s Wyatt who has the first-round talent and disruptive ability. If he doesn’t take a big leap as a second-year player, the Packers could be in big trouble along the defensive line in 2023. We’ll know by the end of training camp if Wyatt is up to the task of being a first-time starter.
TE Luke Musgrave
Most rookie tight ends don’t have an opportunity to win a starting job during their first training camp. The position is too difficult to learn, and too demanding physically and mentally. But the Packers don’t have the luxury of time with Musgrave because the returning options at tight end are so underwhelming. While Josiah Deguara and Tyler Davis will get snaps, especially early, Musgrave can earn a big role right away if he’s impressive this summer. The Packers need his speed and pass-catching abilities on the field for Jordan Love. The same opportunities are available to Tucker Kraft, the team’s third-round pick.
OL Zach Tom
One of the best battles entering training camp is at right tackle, where Tom — who excelled at several different positions as a rookie — is expected to compete with Yosh Nijman for the starting job. Tom was terrific as a pass-blocker in 2022 whether he was playing guard or either tackle spot. While Nijman has more experience, Tom is loaded with potential as a second-year breakout candidate. The 2022 fourth-rounder emerging as a capable and consistent player at right tackle for the Packers could turn the offensive line into one of the NFL’s best.
WR Jayden Reed
The Packers offense under Matt LaFleur doesn’t necessarily have a designated slot receiver role, but Reed is the clear favorite to win the job of playing between Romeo Doubs and Christian Watson in three-receiver formations. Playing inside may minimize his lack of size and help him use his explosive movement ability to create separation. The Packers think Reed can play outside and do some things in the return game, but his best shot at impact as a rookie may come as the starting slot. He must prove he’s ready for the role at camp first.
CB Keisean Nixon
The All-Pro kick returner will get the first crack at being the Packers’ nickel cornerback. It’s a big job, and an important one, especially with corners Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas on the perimeter funneling targets elsewhere. Nixon must play well enough this summer to hold off Eric Stokes, who is still recovering from last season’s significant injury. This is Nixon’s shot to prove he’s more than just a returner and capable of becoming a big part of the Packers’ passing defense full-time.
K Anders Carlson
Carlson, a sixth-round pick in 2023, has a tough assignment: Replacing Mason Crosby, the team’s all-time leader in just about every important kicking category. But considering he’s a draft pick, Crosby is unsigned and there’s no other kicker on the roster, Carlson is the big favorite to take over as the Packers new kicker in 2023. He has Rich Bisaccia in his corner, and the Packers know he’ll go through typical rookie ups and downs. But Carlson still must prove he’s NFL-caliber during his first training camp or the Packers may be forced to look elsewhere.
S Anthony Johnson Jr.
Johnson is a seventh-round pick who converted from cornerback to safety late in his career at Iowa State, and he’s stuck behind at least four veterans — Darnell Savage, Rudy Ford, Tarvarius Moore and Jonathan Owens — for a role at safety to open camp. But don’t count him out this summer. Johnson can run, cover and tackle, and his final season at Iowa State showed he can be a confident, physical and aggressive safety despite being new at the position. Will it all come together during his first training camp? Who knows. But Johnson has the tools to be a factor at safety for the Packers as a rookie.
DL Colby Wooden (or Jonathan Ford?)
Even with Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry and Jarran Reed eating up most of the snaps along the defensive line last season, TJ Slaton and Devonte Wyatt still combined to play over 550 snaps as the fourth or fifth defensive linemen. Who will be the top rotational option in 2023? Wooden, a fourth-round pick, might be the favorite. He played some on the edge at Auburn, but he’s adding weight to play inside for the Packers. Think of him as a Kingsley Keke type. The other option is Ford, a seventh-rounder from last year who wasn’t active for a single game as a rookie. He’s a massive player who might fit what the Packers are looking for against the run. The other candidate is Karl Brooks, another versatile rookie lineman. The Packers need one of the three to emerge as a viable player during camp.
WR Samori Toure
Toure, a 2022 seventh-rounder, became somewhat of an offseason darling this summer. Can he translate the physical transformation and comfort in the offense into a strong training camp? Behind Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs, nothing is set in stone and everything is up for grabs. Could Toure open Week 1 in Chicago as the third receiver if he’s impressive this summer? Certainly. Bo Melton, a seventh-rounder of the Seahawks last year, fits into the same category. Whether it’s Toure, Melton, Jayden Reed or Dontayvion Wicks, the Packers need a young reciever to step up during camp.
