When you’re a third-round rookie who had their debut campaign cut short by a season-ending injury, it’s easy to get lost in the fold the following offseason. While Josiah Deguara isn’t getting much attention from the media, he has slowly worked his way back into demon mode this offseason for the Green Bay Packers.
Packers head coach Matt LaFleur raved about Deguara earlier this week, providing some insight into the potential he sees in the second-year tight end this season.
“Deguara looks fantastic,” LaFleur said. “He’s just such a savvy, smart football player. There’s so many things he does that are tough to coach.”
Deguara’s broad skill set provides many different options for the Green Bay offense, and that could be the best way to distinguish himself in what is a crowded tight end group.
Green Bay’s tight end room is filled with talented dudes at varying points in their careers.
Take Marcedes Lewis, for instance. He’s in his age-37 season, clearly on the last drive of his career, and has developed into a fan favorite and a locker-room leader. He isn’t getting up and down the field as he used to and he doesn’t put up gaudy stats, but the Big Dog is a glue piece for the offense that Aaron Rodgers constantly raves about.
Deguara is at such a vastly different place in his career than Lewis that he offers a far different scope of options for LaFleur and the Packers offense.
The 2020 third-round selection out of Cincinnati never had a defined role in the two games he played last year before tearing his ACL, but it became clear that LaFleur was compelled by his potential.
Deguara lined up in the traditional tight end spot, in the slot, and even lined up in the backfield as a fullback for Green Bay last season. In today’s NFL, one of the best assets you can bring to the table is versatility, and Deguara certainly has that. The more ways you can be utilized benefits the grander offensive scheme. While it was unlikely Deguara was going to light the league on fire in his rookie season, his ability to line up in a variety of different spots in different sets had LaFleur giddy. The torn ACL quashed that excitement.
Looking back on his lost rookie season, Deguara seemed more than eager for this season to begin when talking to the media earlier in the week.
“There’s definitely that little timeline right after you get hurt, you gotta give yourself some time to be angry, give yourself time to feel bad about yourself,” he said. “It’s part of the whole journey, and I don’t know exactly how long that took to get over but, when I got surgery, it was time to grind from there.”
It’s a great mindset that Deguara had in his injury rehab process.
It also helps that expectations for Deguara are more modest on a squad full of marquee names.
The Packers have Rodgers, Davante Adams, and Aaron Jones running the show on offense, and Robert Tonyan had an unpredictable breakout year at tight end in 2020. Those stars keep Deguara flying under the radar when defenses are preparing for Green Bay. His ability to line up all over the place could make him a legitimate problem for defenses across the league. LaFleur likes to keep opposing teams on their toes. He likes using two running backs, lining them up on the outside, and putting Davante in every spot on the field. Now he has a tight end who can mimic a fullback, play the traditional tight end position, and even line up in the slot to really confuse a secondary.
Deguara continued to study while he rehabbed, and he’s appreciative to just be back out on the field with his teammates during training camp.
“I’ve always tried to be a student of the game. Wherever I was, whether in high school, college, trying to do that extra work to know not only what I’ve got, but just learning the game of football. I’m still obviously learning a lot right now.… I’m excited to be back out there every single day,” he said. “Playing for the Green Bay Packers, man, it’s an unbelievable experience, and I’m just trying to take advantage of every opportunity.”
The Swiss Army knife tight end that is Deguara isn’t getting much hype when the media discusses the 2021 Green Bay Packers. That could very well change once the season is in full swing.
