Green Bay Packers GM Brian Gutekunst could have easily used his first- and second-round picks on some combination of a wide receiver and inside linebacker during April’s draft.
At linebacker, LSU’s Patrick Queen and Texas Tech’s Jordyn Brooks were both on the board when the Packers traded up to pick No. 26. So were receivers Michael Pittman, Tee Higgins and a number of other pass-catchers drafted in the early-to-mid second round. No one would have blamed Gutekunst for addressing either position early in the draft. The Packers had obvious roster holes at both spots.
Instead, the Packers GM grabbed quarterback Jordan Love, the potential successor to Aaron Rodgers, and then used his second-round pick on running back A.J. Dillon.
The Packers didn’t end up drafting a wide receiver. The addition at inside linebacker didn’t come until the fifth round.
With both positions left mostly untended this offseason, two players returning from significant injuries in 2019 must now help the Packers solve the remaining issues at receiver and inside linebacker. Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Oren Burks, injury-free and entering crucial third seasons in 2020, hold the keys.
The Packers must have a reliable deep threat at receiver. All great offenses need one. A deep threat at the position creates chunk plays, stresses defenses in important ways and makes life easier for others in the passing game. Although somewhat limited as an all-around receiver, Valdes-Scantling has the speed and athletic profile of a true field-stretching weapon, and he’s flashed the ability to create big plays down the field during two up-and-down seasons to start his NFL career. He has 15 career catches over 20 yards and nine over 40, including five over 40 in 2019.
While productive during his first seven games, a combination of knee and ankle injuries – and specifically the ankle – submarined the second half of Valdes-Scantling’s second season. He lost confidence in the ankle but tried to tough it out despite limitations. His production disappeared. By the postseason, he couldn’t even manage to get on the field.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Valdes-Scantling didn’t sound like a player needing to be rebuilt from the ground up. He needed to get healthy, continue developing as a professional receiver and eventually get another chance in 2020. The Packers are giving him that chance, and they’re now really counting on him to be a playmaker.
The receiver group could be elevated in a truly valuable way if Valdes-Scantling contributes as a consistent deep threat. If not, the whole passing game could stagnate, and the receiver position could handicap the offense in ways nearly identical to 2019.
Something similar could be said about the linebacker position.
Christian Kirksey, a six-year vet, may prove to be an upgrade over Blake Martinez. But can the Packers get better at the linebacker spot next to Kirksey?
Burks has the best chance to provide an answer. A starter to open training camp each of the last two summers, Burks has also suffered unfortunate injuries each of the last two summers. He has the size and athleticism to help solve the Packers’ on-going riddle at linebacker, but he must stay healthy and improve in a meaningful in just about every area of playing the position to truly give the Packers an upgrade. Eyes, instincts, play speed. All of it. He knows it, and he’s rightfully excited to be back on the field and in a position to prove he can play a bigger role.
Early in camp, Burks is operating as a starter next to Kirksey. He’s healthy. He’s bigger and stronger. And he has a golden opportunity to revive his professional career.
Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine probably didn’t trust him to be on the field against the run after he tore his pec muscle last August. And his preference for a true safety at linebacker against the pass robbed Burks of more opportunities.
In an ideal world, Burks would be the player capable of being on the field at linebacker regardless of the down or situation. He can really run, and his background as a collegiate safety should give him a fighting chance in the passing game. The Packers must get better against the run and defending the middle of the field. Kirksey and Burks, as a combo, could help both areas.
If Burks isn’t the answer, the Packers might have to go searching for another veteran as the regular season nears. The
The Packers really used the 2020 draft to build the foundation for the future. Taking Love and Dillon early was a courageous combination of moves from Gutekunst, especially considering how easy it was to point to positions like receiver and inside linebacker as obvious weak points on his roster.
The offseason is over. The Packers are now counting on internal options – and especially two young, former draft picks coming off of significant injuries – to elevate the two position groups in 2020.
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