The Green Bay Packers ended a shocking first two days of the 2020 NFL draft by selecting Cincinnati tight end Josiah Deguara with the 94th overall pick.
The Packers will exit Day 2 with a developmental quarterback, a running back and a tight end/H-back hybrid. No receiver. No offensive tackle. No linebacker. No defensive lineman. No defensive back. No one saw this coming.
The picks keep getting more shocking.
Projections are just guesses, but Deguara was projected by Dane Brugler of The Athletic and Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus as a sixth-round pick. Lance Zierlein of NFL.com sees his best NFL position at H-back. Deguara is a good athlete for a fullback but possibly too small to be a full-time tight end. He caught 92 passes in 46 career games.
How does he fit?
Matt LaFleur’s offense likes to use versatile tight ends who can move around the formation, provide some pre-snap disguise and stress defenses in coverage with pass-catching threats at non-traditional positions. A specific role was carved out for Danny Vitale in 2019, but it was never fully realized, and now Deguara – who is more versatile – provides a second chance to get it right. Vitale departed in free agency.
Cincinnati used Deguara at inline tight end, in the slot and in the backfield.
The Packers will now move forward with Deguara and Jace Sternberger, both third-round picks, as the future at tight end. Time will tell if it’s a strong combo. If he can block effectively from multiple positions and unlock more production in the passing game with his athleticism, Deguara could be a valuable role player.
It’s still hard to believe the Packers used a top-100 pick on a player potentially heading for an H-back role, especially after watching 17 receivers in a loaded receiver class come off the board in the first three rounds.
The Packers are clearly banking on Deguara developing into a high-volume role player who can win in the passing game from multiple positions on the field in LaFleur’s offense.