If you haven’t been following the United Football League, you’re missing out.
The UFL offers a fun football experience at a time when it’s sorely needed. It also does some things better than the NFL and offers many exciting players to follow. While I’m a Green Bay Packers fan, first and foremost, I cannot deny that the Kaw is the Law.
Even if you aren’t interested in the UFL, it has some relevance for the Packers.
Every avenue of player acquisition is important to a successful NFL franchise, and the Packers are no different. Many of these spring league players are proving they deserve a legitimate shot at an NFL career and offer teams a chance to get experienced players.
Many teams, including the Packers, signed former XFL and USFL players last season. While the UFL is early in its first season, old friend and current St. Louis Battlehawks receiver Darrius Shepherd already stands out as a promising name. Shepherd’s Packers ties, success in the UFL, and experience with the UFL kickoff rules would make him an intriguing option as a return specialist this offseason.
Shepherd spent two seasons with Green Bay in 2019 and 2020. He caught attention in the offseason as an exciting UDFA, spending most of his time on the practice squad, but the Packers elevated him to the active roster for 14 games.
Unfortunately, Shepherd didn’t make much of an impact in those games. In 2019, he had two catches for minus-nine yards, which was unfortunate, and he caught one pass for six yards in 2020. The Packers also used him as a kick returner, taking nine kickoffs for 147 yards in 2019 and 11 for 227 yards in 2020.
Green Bay waived Shepherd in December 2020 and bounced around the NFL before succeeding with the (then XFL) Battlehawks in 2020. Shephard started in eight games and caught 36 passes for 363 yards and four touchdowns.
But he really shined as a returner. Shepherd took 27 kicks for 701 yards, including an 80-yard career long. For his efforts, he was named the 2023 XFL Special Teams Player Of the Year.
You know what team was terrible at special teams and lacked a good kick returner before Keisean Nixon‘s breakout?
The Green Bay Packers!
Shepherd didn’t make a big impact in Green Bay, but sometimes it takes getting into the right situation to grow into a valuable player. That’s why the spring leagues are so important for player development and growth. This version of Shepherd could be a savvy addition to the Packers.
However, there are two obstacles to making this happen: Keisean Nixon’s emergence and the depth in Green Bay’s wide receiver room.
Nixon has been an All-Pro returner the past two seasons, thanks to his willingness to go for the big play every time he touches the ball. In a world where most teams accept the fair catch, Nixon runs the ball back whenever he can.
He also just signed a long-term deal with Green Bay, so they surely aren’t looking to replace him anytime soon.
On the other hand, Nixon’s three-year, $18 million deal and Jeff Hafley and Matt LaFleur’s recent comments imply that the contract is mostly for defense. Both coaches said they were impressed by Nixon in the back half of last season and believe he could be a good slot corner in Hafley’s defense.
We’ll see if this holds true based on how the Packers approach the draft. If they don’t invest in the nickel position, they clearly want Nixon for that role. They could target another primary return specialist if they view Nixon as a defensive starter.
What Shepherd brings over Nixon as a returner is experience with the UFL’s kickoff rules, which the NFL is adapting for the 2024 season. The new rules mean that pure straight-line speed is less important than shiftiness and juking. There’s already speculation that a different breed of returner will succeed in these new rules. If the Packers want a new kickoff returner, someone who fits this mold and has experience would be perfect. Shepherd’s 2.41 RAS isn’t ideal, but he’s a proven expert under these rules.
However, finding a roster spot for Shepherd would be difficult, thanks to the stacked young receiver room. The Packers have an established top-four group with Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks. Malik Heath and Bo Melton are solid depth pieces. The only way Green Bay would want to add to the room is to bring in someone with a skillset they lack. It would be hard for Shepherd to find a role on offense over his peers.
But if the Packers can justify one of those receiver spots to a special teams player, Shepherd is a great fit. And we know the Packers need good special teamers after last year’s group disappointment.
It wouldn’t be easy for Shepherd to find his way back on Green Bay’s roster, but his special teams experience over the past two seasons in St. Louis makes him hard to ignore. If nothing else, the former Packer deserves a look during training camp. With his success as a return specialist and experience under Matt LaFleur, Shepherd is one of the top UFL options to bring in for a closer look.
