Green Bay Packers

Devonte Wyatt Is Crucial Down the Stretch

Photo Credit: Mark Hoffman-USA TODAY Sports

Of the 18 first-round picks that the Green Bay Packers have made since selecting Aaron Rodgers back in 2005, 15 have come on the defensive side of the ball. Some have been smash hits, including A.J. Hawk, Clay Matthews, Kenny Clark, and Jaire Alexander. Overall, though, the continued effort to build a defense that could help Rodgers reach a Super Bowl has fallen flat every season since 2010, when the Packers had a top-five unit.

The Packers had two first-rounders in last April’s draft, the second via the Davante Adams trade. Understandably, the pressure to get Rodgers a weapon on the outside was at an all-time high after striking out on Adams’ replacement(s) in free agency and the trade market. Green Bay stood pat as receiver after receiver came off the board. They selected Georgia defenders Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt and waited until the second round to snag Christian Watson out of North Dakota State.

Packers fans have been rewarded for their patience with a legitimate rising star in Watson. His November 13 arrival date kicked off a four-game stretch in which the rookie scored a ridiculous eight touchdowns. Walker has manned the middle of the defense, having earned a starting role back in the preseason. He held down the fort in De’Vondre Campbell‘s absence and has shown explosiveness and improvement throughout the season.

On the other hand, Wyatt hasn’t contributed. Despite being drafted at age 25 and arriving at training camp with years of SEC experience, he has not been able to earn snaps. Now, after Dean Lowry sustained a calf injury and was subsequently placed on IR, Wyatt becomes one of the most important players for the Packers in the final stretch of their playoff push.

Fortunately, Wyatt’s increased workload is coming at a time when he’s started to show signs of deserving it. He made multiple impact plays in the Chicago Bears and Los Angeles Rams games, recording his first career half sack despite only playing nine snaps. Then he saw a career-high 24 snaps in the must-win showdown in Miami. His third-down pressure on Tua Tagovailoa forced a throwaway. After Jason Sanders missed a 48-yard field goal attempt, the game’s momentum began to shift in Green Bay’s favor.

Despite an inspired second-half performance led by a concussed Tagovailoa’s errant throws, the Packers’ defense continues to be completely outmatched by high-powered offenses. Miami’s first two runs gashed them for 14 and 17 yards, and the first half looked way too much like the 2020 NFC Championship game. It wasn’t because Raheem Mostert was carrying the ball but because Green Bay looked helpless in the trenches.

If the Packers make the playoffs, they’ll have to win three road games against good teams to make the Super Bowl. That’s three wins like the one they just had in Miami, and they’re not going to be able to count on Jalen Hurts or even Brock Purdy to hand them the game with everything on the line. Much-maligned defensive coordinator Joe Barry and his defense have to find a way to give Rodgers a chance. They’re not going to have star edge-rusher Rashan Gary or corner Eric Stokes, and it remains to be seen whether benched safety Darnell Savage or other benched safety Rudy Ford will be able to hold down that position. Wyatt is in line to spend a lot of time next to Clark, which becomes essential in stopping the physical rushing attacks they are likely to face.

Known for his lateral quickness and lower-body strength, Wyatt’s profile suggests he can be much more effective at plugging holes than Lowry ever was, which has to be enticing to a Packers coaching staff that has watched Mostert and Miles Sanders routinely run 11-15 yards untouched this season. The luxury of star Jaire Alexander and solid corner Rasul Douglas should likely enable Barry to dedicate more attention to the run in the upcoming Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions matchups, despite a lack of trust in the safety position. It stands to reason the same strategy would follow in a potential matchup in San Francisco. Then Philly is an entirely different animal, with two star wideouts and one of the best rushing quarterbacks in the league. However, Wyatt’s dynamism should make things easier if he rises to the occasion.

Following the win against Los Angeles, Wyatt told reporters that he’d “love to make more plays, be on the field a little more and make more plays and make a name for [himself].” Just a week later, his opportunity arrived. What he does with it will have a large hand in determining where the 2022 Packers land in the field of outcomes between flaming out Sunday at Lambeau and making an improbable playoff run.

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