The Green Bay Packers came into the season needing a second-year jump out of defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt. It’s safe to say the 2022 first-round pick is off to a good start following a super disruptive performance in the team’s Week 1 win over the Chicago Bears.
According to Pro Football Focus, Wyatt led all Packers with six quarterback pressures. He also recorded three tackles, two tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks. One of his sacks resulted in an 11-yard loss for the Bears, while the other half-sack — with some help from Kenny Clark– caused Justin Fields to fumble into Green Bay’s possession.
Buy Packers Tickets“It felt good,” Wyatt said in the locker room afterward. “That was the whole plan to disrupt them and don’t let Fields get comfortable. Keep him in the pocket, make him be a quarterback and don’t let him use his feet.”
…Devonte Wyatt starting to look the part. pic.twitter.com/wPh3o9yNtk
— Ben Fennell (@BenFennell_NFL) September 11, 2023
Sunday’s game was precisely what the Packers had in mind when they thrust Wyatt into a starting role this offseason. They knew they would have to count on him during the regular season, and by the time training camp rolled around, it was clear he was a different player.
“He’s way ahead of a year ago,” fellow defensive lineman T.J. Slaton said of Wyatt during camp. “I feel like his hands are better. His get-off is way faster and I feel like the game has really slowed down for him. He’s seeing things almost in slow motion.
All of Slaton’s remarks about Wyatt came to be true in the season opener. His hands and feet appeared to be sharper than they were a year ago and his processing skills were improved. Wyatt won multiple reps where it felt like he was in the backfield almost instantly. Also, on the 11-yard sack, he made a great read to not fall for the play-action and was there before Fields could even finish carrying out the fake.
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/CeXbiHg3Nh
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) September 10, 2023
The Packers have one of the best young pass-rushing units in the NFL this year and Wyatt is set to be at the forefront in 2023. Next, he has to start doing it consistently, but it’s encouraging to know he is already trying to improve upon what he did in Chicago.
“Watch the tape, see what you did, and see what you can get better at because you always have room for improvement,” said Wyatt. “That’s my goal. Just watch this film and see what I can improve at because I’ll say I started off kind of slow for me, but I want to watch film so I can start off fast and not have a slow start.”
