Following Family Night at Lambeau Field on Saturday, the Green Bay Packers will be back on the practice field Monday and beginning an important week that will feature a joint practice and preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Can the players who put their best foot forward inside Lambeau Field stack success this week?
Here are six players who boosted their stock at Family Night:
DL Devonte Wyatt
He was a wrecking ball on Saturday night, going through and around offensive linemen (including starters) to create havoc in the backfield. On one snap, he beat Josh Myers clean for a would-be sack. On another, he ran over Royce Newman for another pressure. Wyatt’s performance at Family Night was just a continuation of what has been a very good training camp for the 2022 first-rounder. The Packers need him to provide quality snaps as a starter, but Wyatt is raising expectations. Maybe he can be a game-changer in Year 2.
K Anders Carlson
The rookie kicker rebounded from back-to-back difficult practices with a stellar performance inside Lambeau Field. Carlson made all eight of his kicks with a good snap and hold, including five of at least 45 yards. He was also good from over 50 yards to end the two-minute drill and win the period for the second-team offense. The Packers are going to be patient with the sixth-round pick because the talent is there. Can he find consistency in time for the regular season? Saturday night was proof of Carlson’s ability.
LB Tariq Carpenter
Carpenter, a seventh-round pick in 2022 and key special teamer as a rookie, is transitioning from safety to linebacker. It will take time to get comfortable in a new position, but his valuable ability on special teams should provide him the necessary time on the 53-man roster. At Family Night, Carpenter delivered a couple of interceptions, including a diving pick of Sean Clifford on a pass over the middle. He was also featured on the first team of all important special teams groups. It’s difficult to see the Packers keeping him off the roster, especially if he keeps making splash plays at his new position.
🏈🙌 @tariqcarpenter2 pic.twitter.com/lS7gvoshSK
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) August 7, 2023
WR Malik Heath
Don’t sleep on Heath’s opportunity to sneak onto the roster as the No. 6 receiver. As he’s done all training camp, Heath caught a bunch of passes during Family Night, including one for a long touchdown and several others during competition situational periods. On one red zone snap, he beat Corey Ballentine on a crosser for a touchdown from Sean Clifford. His speed on the field looks much faster than his pre-draft timed speed.
Double Cross concept is great in the red zone against single high. Hard Duo play fake, throw away from where the free safety helps pic.twitter.com/rKnXUIbEX8
— Bobby Peters (@b_peters12) August 6, 2023
DL Colby Wooden and Karl Brooks
We’re lumping Wooden and Brooks in together because both were disruptive during the practice and both figure to be important depth players along the defensive line as rookies. They need to keep stacking good days together because the Packers are going to count on them to play snaps as rookies. The more Wooden and Brooks win during these competitive periods, the more the Packers will trust them in key spots come the regular season.
