The Green Bay Packers made 13 selections in the 2023 NFL Draft and then signed another 10-plus undrafted rookies between draft night and as recently as a few weeks ago. In their preseason opener against Cincinnati, many of those rookies were able to play very well.
“I think confidence is huge,” said Matt LaFleur after the game, “whether it’s in football or in life. And anytime you go out there and perform well, it definitely gives you confidence. I thought there were a lot of great young players out there, whether it was (Dontayvion) Wicks, or (Malik) Heath, or (Carrington) Valentine, a lot of guys got in there and did a really nice job.”
At quarterback, Sean Clifford displayed that “gamer” mentality that LaFleur has mentioned when talking about him. After back-to-back interceptions, one of which went the other way for a score, Clifford bounced back, completing 20 of his 26 passes for 208 yards and a score. This included some impressive passes that were either under pressure, into tight windows, or downfield.
“I do like the fact that he had to battle through some adversity,” said LaFleur about Clifford. “Throwing the two picks and then coming back and leading us on a two-minute drive. Just to see him not be phased by those situations, I thought it showed something; you can’t coach that. You can talk about it all you want, but it’s intrinsic, and he possesses that. Just happy he was able to battle through that and overcome it.”
Receivers Dontayvion Wicks, Malik Heath, and Jayden Reed combined for eight receptions for 124 yards, including three plays over 15 yards and two over 25. Wicks and Heath also made some nice blocks, with Reed, as he often did, making a contested catch. Luke Musgrave only had one catch for eight yards, but he was targeted on three of Love’s 10 passes for the game.
Undrafted rookie Emanuel Wilson rushed for 111 yards and two scores, including an 80-yard run. On the other side of the ball, interior defensive linemen Colby Wooden and Karl Brooks continued to build upon their strong training camp performances, making their way into the backfield on a few occasions and generating push up the middle.
“That was by far the best he has looked,” said LaFleur about Wilson’s performance. “Any time you rip off an 80-yarder, that’s a pretty good deal, and he had two touchdowns. It was a big night for him. I was really happy for him to come out, in his debut, and he rips off over 100 yards and two touchdowns.”
Edge rusher Brenton Cox had his best performance of the summer, creating several pressures and deflecting a pass that ended up as an interception. We also saw Lukas Van Ness running a number of stunts and generating pressure that way.
Perhaps the best performance of the group belonged to Carrington Valentine. With Jaire Alexander out, Valentine got the start and cemented himself as the fourth cornerback on the depth chart right now with his performance. Valentine was again making plays on the ball with his length and athleticism, recording two pass breakups and an interception, along with a tackle in the run game.
“I think he’s got the skill set you look for,” said LaFleur. “He’s athletic. He’s long. And he competes–he’s not afraid. I love that about him. He’s got a great demeanor. He is extremely coachable. I think he’s working really hard, and quite frankly, from the moment we’ve gotten him, he’s had a great attitude, comes into work each and every day. You saw it early on and continue to see it, a guy who shows up and makes plays, (and) competes.”
After discussing the performances of many of these rookies, LaFleur also added that it’s only one game. As always, the key to long-term success is consistency, which is what every young player is chasing initially. But with that said, both LaFleur and Brian Gutekunst have to be very pleased with what they’ve seen from the 2023 class, not only in this game but through the start of training camp as well. Several of these players, most notably Reed, Van Ness, Musgrave, Brooks, and Wooden, are going to have to be relied upon quite heavily as rookies.
