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The same word keeps coming up over and over again when Green Bay Packers coach Matt LaFleur is asked about rookie Josiah Deguara.
Versatility.
Once again on Thursday, LaFleur touted Deguara’s ability to line up just about anywhere in the formation and help the Packers as a blocker or receiver.
“I just think the versatility he showed as a player,” LaFleur said when asked about why he thought Deguara would be a good fit as an H-back or tight end. “You could definitely see his ability to run routes. We just thought he’d be a good movable piece whether we have him in the backfield or on the line of scrimmage or you could even put him in some positions where he’s pretty much a wide receiver. We just like the versatility he brings.”
The Packers surprised many by taking Deguara with the 94th overall pick in the third round of the 2020 draft.
Clearly, LaFleur believes he has a player who can line up at several different spots and help expand the team’s ability to be deceptive before the snap. He often talks about the “illusion of complexity,” or the idea that an otherwise simple offensive concept can look complex by disguising intentions during the pre-snap phase with versatile players who can do multiple things in the run and pass game.
LaFleur said something similar about Deguara right after the draft.
“I love Josiah,” LaFleur said in April. “He is extremely versatile. The thing he brings to our offense is, we can be in the same personnel grouping and we can line him up on the line of scrimmage or in a wing alignment or in the backfield. I think that adds stress on the defense. When you watch Josiah, you see such a gritty, tough player.”
At Cincinnati, Deguara caught 92 career passes, the most in school history as a tight end. He also featured heavily in the team’s many blocking schemes, both as an H-back and as a traditional inline tight end.
The trick now for the Packers will be getting Deguara up speed in time to contribute in a versatile role as a rookie. Playing tight end as a first-year player in the NFL is a difficult task, and the difficulty will be multiplied if he needs to learn to play several positions. But his ability to line up in the backfield, in the slot or just off the ball will give LaFleur and the Packers options for how to best use him as he learns the offense and gets comfortable as a professional player. Just last year, third-round pick Jace Sternberger played an H-back-like role in a few games after he returned from injured reserve.
LaFleur said earlier this month that Deguara is a “pretty smart guy” who is picking up everything well during the walkthrough periods.
The real stuff starts Saturday when the Packers officially start practice. Deguara will get his first chance to show off the trait that drew LaFleur and the Packers to him during the draft process.
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