The long-snapper position is once again a big question mark for the Green Bay Packers.
Last summer, Hunter Bradley, a former draft pick by the Packers, battled inconsistency and was eventually replaced during the season by Steven Wirtel, who had been on the practice squad.
Unfortunately, that move didn’t spark any improvements. Wirtel was PFF’s third-lowest graded long-snapper last season, as he too, was wildly inconsistent.
To some degree, the struggles snapping did play a factor in Mason Crosby’s down season, and I’m sure, as you all remember, it was Wirtel who San Francisco’s Jordan Willis ran through to block that punt in the playoffs.
Joining Wirtel in training camp this summer is undrafted rookie Jack Coco. Through 12 practices, it would appear that Coco has a leg up on Wirtel for the starting job based on playing time with the starting field goal unit; however, neither has performed all that well overall.
Coco also comes to Green Bay with no long-snapping experience on punts during his time at Georgia Tech. He was used strictly on field goals and extra points.
Given these ups and downs that both players have faced, it’s very possible that the Packers’ long-snapper for the 2022 season isn’t on the roster yet.
For one, the team worked out two long-snappers on Tuesday, Mitchell Fraboni and Antonio Ortiz. Also, just last week, when speaking with reporters, GM Brian Gutekunst mentioned that Wirtel and Coco are not only competing with each other but also against any long-snappers around the league who end up getting cut.
This isn’t an abnormal practice when it comes to specialists; in fact, we saw it last season when the Packers traded for Corey Bojorquez just before the regular season began.
As far as who might be available, well, that’s the million-dollar question, along with, can they provide the Packers with an actual upgrade? Something that has eluded this team at the long-snapper position over the years.
Despite the Packers’ struggles to retain an effective long-snapper, as Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated wrote, the team has had several come through 1265 Lombardi Avenue. There are currently five long-snappers on NFL rosters who were at one point members of the Packers.
One team to monitor this summer is the Cincinnati Bengals. Joe Goodberry would recently point out that the Bengals currently have Clark Harris, a former Packer and Pro Bowler, competing with undrafted rookie Cal Adomitis, who Goodberry called the “top long-snapper prospect.”
The upcoming preseason games will provide additional clarity when it comes to whether Wirtel or Coco can be the guy. However, based on what we’ve seen and heard so far, Green Bay’s long snapper for the 2022 season may be outside the building at the moment.
