The Green Bay Packers defense was not very good at all in 2022. For that matter, the only real bright spot throughout a good portion of the season was the revitalization of the special teams under coordinator Rich Bisaccia. What made the defense’s poor showing last year so troubling was the presence of seven first round picks on it to start the season. One of them, Quay Walker, was handed a starting job right out of the gate. While he played well, he also got himself into trouble. On two occasions, Walker made contract with non-player personnel on opposing teams, resulting in his ejection.
That behavior, of course, was troubling. There is no place for it in the NFL much less on the Green Bay Packers roster. Over the course of the offseason, linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti has been having conversations with Walker about how to control himself and improve his behavior.
Green Bay Packers Linebackers Coach Discusses Quay Walker
When asked about Walker’s season overall last year, Olivadotti stated:
“Up and down, I think. I think he would agree with that. I think there was a consistent growth throughout. It wasn’t like he would learn something and then unlearn it. I don’t think that was the case. That’s very encouraging. The biggest thing is how all his skills are going to fit into this defense because it’s a new team picture every year.”
On last year’s ejections, Olivadotti said:
“Those conversations are ongoing and he’s more than willing to learn from all his mistakes, especially those. Obviously, you can’t have that, and he understands that.”
Last season, Walker had 121 total tackles, five tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, seven pass deflections, and three forced fumbles. According to PFF, he had solid pass rush (70.3) and coverage (70.8) grades. However, his run defense grade was an awful 34.9.
To be fair, the entire run defense was awful last season, and multiple players will need to improve in that area if the Packers are to be successful in 2023. However, for Walker, his behavior on the field must also improve if he is going to have a future in Green Bay.
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