Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst made a number of veteran additions during the offseason and regular season in an effort to build out his roster in 2022.
We counted 10 players added that eventually played meaningful snaps during the Packers’ 8-9 season.
Here’s a quick grading of the work Gutekunst and the Packers did in terms of adding veterans during the 2022 season:
WR Sammy Watkins
Info: Watkins caught 13 passes for 206 yards over nine games and 279 snaps before being released in December. It appeared Watkins still had some juice when he caught three passes for 93 yards – including a game-clinching 55-yarder in the fourth quarter – during a Week 2 win over the Bears, but a hamstring injury knocked him out for over a month and he wasn’t the same player upon returning. Over his final seven games in Green Bay, Watkins caught seven passes for 95 yards. He caught zero passes on two targets during the final three games before he was released.
Evaluation: An aging, often-injured receiver got injured and looked old. The Packers got exactly what was expected, but they needed more at a position in transition. Counting on Watkins as a starter to open the 2022 season was a mistake.
Grade: D-
2023 roster status: Free agent
P Pat O'Donnell
Info: O’Donnell averaged 44.5 yards per punt (29th in the NFL), 40.0 net yards per punt (28th), put 24 punts inside the 20-yard line (tied for 17th) and had two punts blocked (tied for most). He did place 46.5 percent of punts inside the 20, good for the fourth-best mark. The former Bears punter was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after placing five punts inside the 20 during a Week 3 win in Tampa Bay.
Evaluation: O’Donnell wasn’t a punting revelation in Green Bay, but he consistently put punts inside the 20-yard line and was terrific as a holder for field goals, helping Mason Crosby regain form.
Grade: B
2023 roster status: Under contract
CB/KR Keisean Nixon
Info: Signed off the street after the Raiders declined to offer a restricted tender, Nixon played on special teams coverage units and added six quality games as the primary slot corner, a contribution that – on its own – would have made this signing worth the relatively small price. But Nixon’s value to the Packers exploded once he was given a chance to return kicks. He led the NFL in kickoff returns (35), kickoff return yards (1,009) and kickoff returns of at least 50 yards (five) while also returning a kickoff 105 yards (NFL long for 2022) for a touchdown in Week 17, leading to a first-team All-Pro selection as a kickoff returner.
Evaluation: For the second offseason in a row, the Packers signed an unheralded player off the street and found a first-team All-Pro. Nixon joins De’Vondre Campbell as a true diamond-in-the-rough signing for Gutekunst.
Grade: A+
2023 roster status: Free agent
DL Jarran Reed
Info: Reed played in all 17 games and was on the field for 705 defensive snaps. He created 2.5 sacks, five tackles for loss and 14 quarterback hits, the second-most on the team. His forced fumble and recovery in Miami was a game-changing play. Of Reed’s 14 hits, 13 came over the final 10 games.
Evaluation: Reed came exactly as advertised. He was always available and occasionally provided disruptive plays as a versatile interior defender, although he was more of a flash player than one of true consistency down to down.
Grade: C+
2023 roster status: Free agent
S Rudy Ford
Info: The Packers thought they were getting a special teams weapon when they signed Ford after he was released by the Jaguars during final cuts. While Ford was valuable for Rich Bisaccia, he provided unexpected value as a safety for Joe Barry. Ford intercepted a career-high three passes, and his two picks against Dak Prescott in Week 10 likely saved the Packers from a defeat to Mike McCarthy. He ended up playing almost half the defense’s snaps and starting six games.
Evaluation: A quality addition. Ford was excellent early on as a core special teamer before transitioning into a bigger role on defense. He displayed a nice combo of speed and physicality in coverage.
Grade: B+
2023 roster status: Free agent
LB Eric Wilson
Info: The Packers signed Wilson off the Saints practice squad ahead of Week 5. He went on to make 13 special teams tackles (second to Isaiah McDuffie’s 14) and lead the NFL in overall special teams grade at PFF. In Week 8, Wilson played 23 snaps on defense after the Packers lost Quay Walker to an ejection. He played 12 more in the Week 17 blowout against the Vikings. He had a special teams tackle in seven of 11 games with the Packers.
Evaluation: A terrific mid-season addition. Wilson provided the Packers with another special teams weapon, especially in terms of covering punts and kicks. The performance should incentivize the Packers to keep him around in 2023.
Grade: A
2023 roster status: Free agent
S Dallin Leavitt
Info: Leavitt played in all 17 games. He didn’t see the field for a single snap on defense, but he finished second on the team in total special teams snaps (308). The Packers played him on every special teams unit besides field goals. Combining solo and assisted tackles, Leavitt finished with 13 combined tackles on special teams. He also rushed one time for zero yards on the Packers’ failed fake punt in Miami. PFF credited him with one missed tackle and one penalty.
Evaluation: Leavitt helped stabilize the special teams group with a valuable mix of reliability and leadership.
Grade: B
2023 roster status: Free agent
OLB Justin Hollins
Info: The Packers claimed Hollins off waivers from the Rams on Nov. 23. He played in six games and was on the field for 128 defensive snaps after arriving in Green Bay. As a backup, he was productive, tallying 2.5 sacks, four quarterback hits and nine total tackles.
Evaluation: In desperate need of depth at outside linebacker after losing Rashan Gary, the Packers took a chance on Hollins and found a nice depth piece down the stretch. He delivered a sack of Jalen Hurts, Kirk Cousins and a half-sack on Baker Mayfield. His athleticism and versatility make him an intriguing backup player if re-signed for next year.
Grade: B+
2023 roster status: Free agent
CB Corey Ballentine
Info: The Packers signed Ballentine to the practice squad in September and promoted him to the roster in November. He went on to play 106 special teams snaps and tally four tackles over eight games. On the field late in a blowout against the Vikings, Ballentine did give up a touchdown pass in coverage.
Evaluation: Ballentine’s pure speed made him an asset covering kicks and punts, and the Packers never had to put him on the field in an important defensive situation.
Grade: C+
2023 roster status: Free agent
S Johnathan Abram
Info: The Packers claimed Abram off waivers on Nov. 9. He was released 20 days later. He played in two games, registering one defensive snap and 28 on special teams. Amazingly, he committed three penalties while on special teams for the Packers.
Evaluation: A swing and miss on the former first-rounder. The Packers took a look, didn’t like what they saw and quickly moved on.
Grade: D-
2023 roster status: Free agent
Overall
Gutekunst made a costly error with Sammy Watkins, who wasn’t nearly good enough to stabilize the wide receiver position early in the season when the Packers absolutely needed a quality veteran to ease the transition minus Davante Adams. But give Gutekunst credit for going outside of his comfort zone and signing veterans to help fix the special teams unit. Pat O’Donnell, Dallin Leavitt, Rudy Ford, Eric Wilson and Corey Ballentine all made a positive impact, and Keisean Nixon was one of the biggest surprises of the 2022 season. On defense, Jarran Reed was fine as an every-down defensive lineman, and Justin Hollins provided quality snaps down the stretch. Gutekunst preaches 24/7/365 roster building, and he lived up to that idea in 2022. Overall, his roster just wasn’t good enough to hold up against the many cracks that eventually formed during a disappointing and frustrating season. A big reason? The veteran talent that arrived couldn’t rival the veteran talent that departed during the offseason.
