Training camp is all about opportunity, and a few players for Matt LaFleur’s Green Bay Packers team have taken full advantage this summer.
Who has stepped up and all but locked in a 53-man roster spot for 2023?
Here are four players who went from bubble players to roster locks during training camp:
DL Karl Brooks
The sixth-round pick entered camp with a good chance to make the team as a draft pick at a weak position group, but Brooks — who played a lot of football at Bowling Green and can beat blocks in a variety of ways — cemented his spot with a terrific summer. He was consistently disruptive during practices and preseason games, and now Matt LaFleur sees him as a player who will be on the field and asked to contribute during the 2023 season. Brooks and fourth-round pick Colby Wooden are going to be important rotational players up front for Joe Barry’s defense in Year 1.
OT Rasheed Walker
Walker, a seventh-round pick in 2022, was on the field for just one game as a rookie last season, but a legitimate second-year leap has him shooting up the depth chart. In fact, Walker is going into the final preseason game as the favorite to be the backup left tackle and go-to swing tackle ahead of Yosh Nijman. He started at left tackle against the Patriots and gave up zero pressures over 23 pass-blocking snaps, per PFF. Could Walker end up being a surprise starter? Just this week, the Packers moved Zach Tom to center and had Walker on the field as the first-team right tackle.
CB Carrington Valentine
The seventh-round pick from Kentucky has been a standout throughout training camp. Matt LaFleur loves his length, athleticism and mental makeup at the position. How good has Valentine been this summer? At this point, he is locked in as the defense’s No. 4 cornerback and the go-to backup behind perimeter cornerbacks Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas. That might change once Eric Stokes is healthy, but for now, Valentine is a rookie who will be active and contributing on most gamedays in 2023. His ceiling is high.
QB Sean Clifford
The Packers used a fifth-round pick on Clifford believing the record-breaking Penn State quarterback could immediately compete to be Jordan Love’s backup, but he still had to get on the field and prove it. Clifford has passed the test with flying colors during camp. The rookie quaretrback has proven to be accurate and tough, athletic outside the pocket and calm in tough situations. He even rebounded from a few shaky decisions in the preseason opener. The Packers knew Clifford had the brain to be the backup, now they know he has the talent. A legitimate search for a veteran backup would have been necessary had Clifford not been up to the task this summer. There’s no need now.
Other notables
While not roster locks necessarily, these players have helped themselves during camp:
WR Malik Heath: The undrafted rookie out of Ole Miss is probably one more strong preseason performance away from locking in his roster spot. He gets open, catches everything and is willing to do the thankless work.
S Rudy Ford: In a crowded safety room, Ford has begun to separate. For better or worse, it looks like he’ll be a Week 1 starter.
OL Sean Rhyan: The 2022 third-round pick looks much improved in Year 2, which should lock him in as a backup at guard entering 2023.
OLB Justin Hollins: He’s been running with the first-team defense throughout camp and has three quarterback hits in two preseason games. Even in a deep position group, Hollins has all but locked in his roster spot.
RB Patrick Taylor: He runs, he catches, he blocks, and he plays special teams. Taylor isn’t special in any one way, but he’s solid across the board, and his special team versatility has once again made him the likely No. 3.
DL Jonathan Ford: Like Rhyan, Ford has enjoyed a big jump as a second-year player. Will the Packers keep six defensive linemen?
CB Innis Gaines: The Packers really like him in the slot and on special teams. Had he been healthy throughout camp, Gaines would be a lock. But recurring injuries are a limited factor.
OLB Brenton Cox Jr: The rookie edge rusher can play. He needs more development before he’s ready to be on the field in a meaningful role, but edge rushers are so valuable.
RB Emanuel Wilson: He went from long shot to serious contender at running back. A slippery, violent runner, he leads the NFL in rushing yards entering the final preseason week.
