The Green Bay Packers are going to be one of the most-watched teams in the NFL this season. Of course, this is due to the fact that Jordan Love is taking over for future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers at quarterback. Football fans everywhere, while they may not believe Green Bay to be very good, are going to keep an eye on the team to see how they perform. The fact of the matter is, though, that the NFC North is wide open. None of the teams inspire very much confidence. However, if the Packers are to make a run at the NFL Playoffs, they are going to need substantial improvements and leaps from their young players.
There are several players that have the opportunity to make massive leaps in 2023. On offense, Samori Toure will get more chances to show that he belongs. On defense, Devonte Wyatt will almost certainly get more playing time, and NFL.com’s Bucky Brooks actually added him to his All-Breakout Team.
Green Bay Packers Defensive Tackle Devonte Wyatt Named to All-Breakout Team
Last season, Devonte Wyatt appeared in 16 games and played just 23% of the defense’s snaps. Most of these occurred late in the season after Dean Lowry went down with injury. In his limited playing time, Wyatt accumulated 1.5 sacks, three pressures, and 15 tackles. According to PFF, he had a better overall defensive grade (69.9) than Kenny Clark (66.4) and TJ Slaton (61.7).
In other words, Wyatt played very well in limited snaps. Why Joe Barry refused to give him more playing time is anyone’s guess. The point is, though, the Wyatt is primed to have a breakout year in 2023 with no other interior defensive linemen ahead of him on the depth chart. When he added Wyatt to his All-Breakout Team, Bucky Brooks wrote:
“Green Bay’s transformation from an offense-centric squad to a team sparked by its defense could hinge on Wyatt’s development as an interior disruptor. After contributing in Year 1 as a rotational player behind Jarran Reed and Dean Lowry, the 6-foot-3, 304-pounder should make his mark as a sturdy run stopper with pass-rushing skills. After posting eight pressures, five quarterback hurries and 1.5 sacks in a backup role, Wyatt could double or triple those numbers as a full-time starter at defensive tackle.”
The Packers will most certainly be relying on their defense to take the pressure off of the young offense led by Love. The majority of the team’s veterans and leaders reside on the defensive side of the ball. For years, the team has struggled to find a good complimentary player to line up alongside Clark. As a result, opposing offenses are able to double-team Clark and still run the ball effectively. If Wyatt can prove to be a disruptor, opposing teams will have to pick their poison: Clark or Wyatt. This could lead to dramatic improvements on the defensive side of the ball overall.
And if the defense improves, and the offense can be even a little bit better than it was last year, the Packers could win their division. Once they get to the playoffs, well, anything can happen.
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