Tag: devonte wyatt

Packers rookie DT Devonte Wyatt deserves more playing time

While buried on the depth chart, it’s time for first-round pick Devonte Wyatt to get more snaps for the Packers defense.

The Green Bay Packers used two first-round picks in April to pluck a pair of prospects from a dominant University of Georgia defense. The Packers have gotten a good look at linebacker Quay Walker, who has started every game this season and logged nearly 400 snaps. However, the same can’t be said for defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt, who has played only 14 percent of the snaps on defense this season.

Despite Wyatt’s sparing playing time as a rookie, the signs for a player with tremendous upside are there. Take Week 3 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, for example. Yes, it was only in seven snaps, but Wyatt was the team’s top-graded defender by Pro Football Focus, which included a near sack on Tom Brady.

Then again this past week, Wyatt came close to his first career sack, this time against Jared Goff using an impressive club-rip move.

These types of eyebrow-raising plays are not uncommon for Wyatt. They may not always result in a sack or tackle, but they do a good job demonstrating the talent of a first-round selection.

Usually, first-round picks have little trouble getting onto the field as a rookie, and Wyatt seemed to be one of the most pro-ready players in the draft at 24 years of age. However, he is lucky to see double-digit snaps in any given week.

Part of the reason is the team’s depth on the defensive line. Kenny Clark is an All-Pro talent and an every-down player. The team also added veteran Jarran Reed during the offseason to assist Clark with a bulk of the snaps.

But guys like Dean Lowry and TJ Slaton are seemingly stealing snaps from Wyatt’s plate. Green Bay has been hesitant to limit Lowry’s role after signing him to a three-year deal worth over $20 million in 2019. Lowry is an average pass rusher with a knack for getting pummeled in the run game and whose time with the team should end when his contract expires at the end of the season.

Slaton is in a similar predicament to Wyatt. The splash plays are scattered, but as a fifth-round pick, he doesn’t have Wyatt’s athleticism. Remember, Wyatt is the same guy who ran a 4.77 at the NFL Scouting Combine while measuring in at 6-3, 304 pouns. A guy his size shouldn’t move the way he does and should separate him from the other defensive lineman on Green Bay’s roster.

Perhaps the Packers’ reluctance to unleash Wyatt traces back to the summer. The rookie struggled during training camp before showing flashes in the preseason. Now those flashes are happening in meaningful games, but Wyatt is stuck at fifth on the depth chart in favor of guys with limited upside.

Sometimes, the best way for a young player to learn is to throw him into the water and let him sink or swim. In Wyatt’s case, he has outlasted the shallow end and is ready to paddle into deeper water.

[lawrence-related id=86997,86999,86992]

2022 NFL schedule: Game-by-game predictions for the Eagles after the bye

We’re predicting the outcome of the Philadelphia Eagles’ final 11 games after the Week 7 bye

The Eagles’ 2022 regular season NFL schedule was revealed back in May, and the team set out to improve on their 9-8 record from last season.

Philadelphia added Haason Reddick and Kyzir White during free agency and then, on draft night, swapped six picks for the chance to draft Jordan Davis and acquire wide receiver A.J. Brown from the Titans via a trade.

The schedule was considered favorable even though the Eagles entered the season facing four playoff teams from 2021, three from the NFC, along with the Titans, Cardinals, Cowboys, and Packers in high-profile matchups.

Last offseason, we predicted a 10-7 finish, and if not for Nick Sirianni benching his starters in the season finale, we would have prevailed.

We initially predicted a 12-5 finish to the regular season with a much-improved roster and star power on defense.

With Philadelphia undefeated heading into Week 8 and coming out of the bye, we are predicting the Eagles’ final 11 games of the 2022 NFL regular season.

Breaking down the Eagles remaining schedule after the bye week

Here’s a game-by-game breakdown of the Philadelphia Eagles remaining 11 games of the 2022 NFL regular season after the bye week

Philadelphia is hours away from returning to the NovaCare Complex to prepare for a Week 8 matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The schedule is favorable even though the Eagles will face four playoff teams from 2021, three from the NFC, including remaining contests against the Titans, Giants, Cowboys, and Packers in high-profile matchups.

The divisional opponents are set, and Philadelphia will face off against the NFC North and the AFC South as part of the rotation of games down the stretch.

Here’s a preview of the Eagles’ remaining schedule.

Jalen Carter seems determined to prove that he’s still Georgia’s best defender

Georgia DI Jalen Carter might have been the best player on 2021’s historic defense. Carter seems ready to be even better in 2022.

The Georgia Bulldogs’ 2021 defense was historically great, and that reflected in Georgia’s draft status on that side of the ball in 2022. Edge-rusher Travon Walker went first overall to the Jaguars. DI Jordan Davis went to the Eagles with the 13th pick, linebacker Quay Walker went to the Packers 22nd overall, DI Devonte Wyatt also went to Green Bay, this time with the 28th pick, and safety Lewis Cine finished out the first round, going to the Vikings with the 32nd pick.

Five defensive players from one school in one first round? That’s the most ever. Linebackers Nakobe Dean (Eagles) and Channing Tindall (Dolphins) each went in the third round, so if you want to know how great that defense was, and those players were… there’s your answer.

Still, when you ask people familiar with Georgia’s defense, many will tell you that the best player on that defense in 2021 is still on the Bulldogs’ roster. That would be DI Jalen Carter, who’s eligible for the 2023 draft. Last season, Carter totaled four sacks, six quarterback hits, and 24 quarterback hurries. But as we have detailed, you can’t analyze Georgia’s defenders based on pressure numbers; you’ll miss the forest for the trees. You have to watch the tape, and in Georgia’s 2022 opener against the Oregon Ducks on Saturday afternoon, Carter already looked in playoff form. On this tackle for loss, Carter (No. 88) took Oregon’s Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu — all six-foot-6 and 330 pounds of him — and threw him aside like the proverbial sack of potatoes.

The six-foot-3,m 310-pound Carter had a knack for plays like this last season. Here, Georgia Tech’s right tackle tried to keep up with Carter on the edge, and one simple swipe move later, it was all over.

And on this play against Kentucky… well, I’m not sure how the right guard was supposed to deal with Carter’s ungodly combination of quickness across the blocker’s face and speed to the pocket, but it wasn’t this.

And if you’re going to run a simple slide against Carter, as UAB did here, you’re basically bringing a spork to a gunfight.

We’ll get a lot more into Carter’s pass-rushing abilities as time goes on — he seems like a lead-pipe top-three pick if this keeps up, and I had him going second overall to the Texans in my most recent mock draft, behind only Alabama EDGE Will Anderson Jr. to the Falcons first overall. This is just a reminder to Georgia’s opponents that unless you get off the ball very quickly, and you bring all kinds of help to deal with him, Jalen Carter is going to ruin your offense.

Loaded everywhere, Packers defense has elite players at each level

The Packers defense is as good, at least on paper, as it’s ever been in the Aaron Rodgers era.

On paper, the Green Bay Packers have one of the most talented defensive units in the NFL. It’s arguably the most talented defensive group of the Aaron Rodgers era. 

“I like our defense on paper for sure,” Rodgers said. “It’s one of the best defenses on paper that we’ve had.”

Green Bay’s defense has elite playmakers at every level of the defense.

Pro Bowler Kenny Clark is one of the best interior defensive linemen in the league. 

For the first time in his career, Clark finally has a talented supporting cast. This offseason Green Bay’s general manager, Brian Gutekunst signed veteran defensive lineman Jarran Reed and drafted Devonte Wyatt in the first round. 

From a talent standpoint, Wyatt is hands down the most skilled defensive lineman that Clark has played with since Green Bay selected the former UCLA Bruin in the first round in 2016. 

“He can be really good on first and second down,” Green Bay defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery said. “He’s an inside guy that has some unique traits as a pass-rusher…He’s got twitch…Really, really good defensive line traits.”

Aside from the two newcomers, the Packers return Dean Lowry and T.J. Slaton to round out the defensive line unit. Lowry enjoyed a career year last season. Lowry recorded a career-high five sacks, while Slaton flashed potential in limited playing time during his rookie season. 

Rashan Gary is primed to enjoy a monster season. The 2019 first-round pick recorded 9.5 sacks and consistently got after the quarterback (87 pressures) last season.

“Rashan is a tone-setter,” Matt LaFleur said. “He’s relentless. He plays with a great motor and energy and I think it rubs off on everybody. He makes everyone around him better.”

Across from Gary, is Preston Smith, who enjoyed a bounce-back season in 2021. After posting four sacks in 2020, Smith recorded nine sacks last season. 

De’Vondre Campbell earned all-pro honors during his first season in Green Bay in 2021. Campbell will be joined in the middle by first-round selection, Quay Walker. 

In the secondary, the Packers have the best cornerback trio in the league. Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, and Rasul Douglas give Barry a trio of cornerbacks capable of locking up the opposing team’s top receiving weapons. 

“All three of those guys in my mind are elite players,” LaFleur said. “They’re super versatile. Whether they’re in the slot or outside, I think they have the skill set to do it all.”

Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage form a formidable duo in the back end of the secondary for Barry. 

Amos is the model of consistency. Since signing with the Packers in 2019, Amos has yet to miss a game and has recorded 84 or more tackles and eight or more pass deflections each season. This past season, Amos recorded a career-high 93 tackles to go along with eight pass deflections and two interceptions.

Is this the year that Savage puts it all together? The former first-round pick enjoyed a stellar sophomore season in 2020 after he recorded 32 tackles, four interceptions, and seven pass deflections during the final six games of the regular season.

After a disappointing season in 2021, can Savage replicate the success he enjoyed down the stretch in 2020? If he can, the Packers could have the best secondary in the league.

“I feel like we’re loaded everywhere,” Clark said. “We got great defensive backs. We got a great front. Great linebackers. We’re fast. We can do a little bit of everything…I think we’re a stout defense on all levels.”

[lawrence-related id=82517,82515,82504]

2022 NFL schedule: Game-by-game predictions for the Eagles

Predicting the Philadelphia Eagles’ 2022 season, from Week 1 to Week 18

The Eagles 2022 regular season NFL schedule was revealed back in May and the team is set up to improve on their 9-8 record from last season.

Philadelphia added Haason Reddick and Kyzir White during free agency, and then on draft night, swapped six picks for the chance to draft Jordan Davis and acquire wide receiver A.J. Browns from the Titans via a trade.

The schedule is favorable despite the fact that the Eagles will face four playoff teams from 2021, three from the NFC, along with the Titans, Cardinals, Cowboys, and Packers in high-profile matchups.

The divisional opponents are set and Philadelphia will face off against the NFC North and the AFC South as part of the rotation of games.

Last offseason, we predicted a 10-7 finish, and if not for Nick Sirianni benching his starters in the season finale, we would have prevailed.

With a much-improved roster and star power on defense, we’re predicting a 12-5 finish to the regular season.

How Devonte Wyatt could provide instant impact for Packers in 2022

Breaking down how first-round pick Devonte Wyatt can provide instant impact for the Packers in 2022.

The Green Bay Packers added some depth to their defensive line this offseason, led by the selection of Devonte Wyatt in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.  

Wyatt was the second of two Georgia Bulldogs taken by Green Bay in Round 1, joining inside linebacker Quay Walker. Together, Wyatt and Walker will hope to carry over their impact from one of the best defenses in college football history to a Super Bowl contender in the Packers.  

We already highlighted what impact Walker could provide in year one. Now we are taking a look at Wyatt.   

Wyatt played four seasons at Georgia and started two. He burst onto the scene in his final season, finishing with 39 tackles, seven tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles in 14 starts. Wyatt followed his impressive senior year with an impressive showing at the NFL Scouting Combine. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.77 seconds, despite weighing 304 pounds.   

The Packers favored Wyatt’s upside and athleticism even though he is a tad older at 24 years of age. On the bright side, maybe his experience can lead to a strong impact as a rookie.   

Wyatt showed drastic improvements as a run defender and pass rusher in 2021, proving he can be an effective player in Green Bay right away. He is super agile for his size, and his explosiveness enables him to beat interior lineman and remain disruptive.   

But even though Wyatt has the skillset to be a three-down player in 2022, that may not be realistic. Kenny Clark was a first-round pick by the Packers in 2016 and only played 32 percent of the snaps during his rookie season. Wyatt could see a similar workload seeing that he was a rotational lineman in college. In 2021, he played only 42 percent of the snaps for Georgia’s defense.  

On early down reps, Wyatt will most likely be competing with free-agent acquisition Jarran Reed. Reed signed a one-year, $3.25 million deal with Green Bay after five seasons in Seattle and one in Kansas City. Reed has been productive as a pass rusher during his career but is widely known as a run stuffer.  

Wyatt is the more explosive athlete, whereas Reed is much tougher to move. Reed could play more of the snaps in short-yardage situations while Wyatt is on the field when a pass is more likely.   

Obviously, if Wyatt only plays a third of the snaps on defense, it will limit his production. As a rookie, Clark totaled 21 tackles and one tackle for loss in 16 games, including two starts. During his rookie year in Seattle, Reed had 34 tackles and one tackle for loss in 15 games, including six starts. For Wyatt, it’s reasonable to expect anywhere from 20-30 tackles and maybe a couple of tackles for loss. Perhaps these numbers aren’t much to get excited about, but they should hold up well, considering Wyatt will be a rotational player.  

Rushing the passer might be where Wyatt can have a greater impact than Clark and Reed did in their first season. Clark failed to record a single sack while Reed finished with 1.5. According to Pro Football Focus, Clark totaled 15 pressures, and Reed had 14. Wyatt may not light up the stat sheet for sacks, but eclipsing the 15-pressure mark is highly attainable. He is further along as a pass rusher than both Clark and Reed were as rookies. 

Of course, Wyatt’s production in 2022 will be contingent on where he finds himself on the depth chart. Not only will Wyatt be competing for snaps with Reed, but he will also be going up against Dean Lowry and last year’s fifth-round pick TJ Slaton. However, as long as Wyatt can distinguish himself as a first-round pick, he should have no issues getting on the field. From there, the production will take care of itself. 

[lawrence-related id=81190]

[listicle id=80922]

In first-round pick Devonte Wyatt, Packers DL coach gets exactly what he asked for

Packers DL coach Jerry Montgomery wanted a twitchy interior pass-rusher. GM Brian Gutekunst got him Devonte Wyatt. Order delivered.

Green Bay Packers defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery made it known pre-draft that he wanted a twitchy interior pass-rusher added to his group. General manager Brian Gutekunst delivered the order in full when he used a first-round pick on Georgia’s Devonte Wyatt.

“You’d love to add a high-level third-down pass rusher,” Montgomery said in April. “A little bit more twitchy of a guy that can add to the rush from the inside standpoint.”

Wyatt fits the bill. In fact, it’s possible Wyatt was exactly who Montgomery was thinking of when he described what he wanted Gutekunst to get in the draft.

“Loved his college film,” Montgomery said Wednesday. “I love what he brings to the table.”

The Packers took Wyatt at No. 28 overall and were surprised if he was still there six picks after getting linebacker Quay Walker at No. 22.

Montgomery described Wyatt as big and athletic with the right combination of twitch and a high motor.

“From an athletic standpoint and twitch standpoint, he stands out. Big, athletic and plays with a high motor,” Montgomery said. “Even though we teach effort, he’s a guy you don’t have to say much to. I’m excited about that.”

Montgomery and the Packers think Wyatt can be a highly effective player against the run on first and second down while also providing the valuable pass-rushing ability on third down. According to Pro Football Focus, Wyatt ranked third among interior defensive linemen in positively graded play rate against the run and eighth in pass-rush win rate last season.

“He can be really good on first and second down,” Montgomery said. “And he’s an inside guy that has some unique traits as a pass-rusher. Some things you can’t teach, he just naturally has. He’s got twitch…and he’s got a high motor. Just a natural high motor. Really, really good defensive line traits.”

His twitch and athleticism were evident at the NFL Scouting Combine when he ran the 40-yard dash in 4.77 seconds with a 1.6-second 10-yard split at 304 pounds. Montgomery said he saw everything he needed to see in Wyatt’s college tape and on the field at the Senior Bowl.

The Packers could use his athleticism and pass-rushing ability on the inside. The defense lost Za’Darius Smith and Kingsley Keke in the span of a few months. Both were used effectively as interior pass-rushers on obvious passing downs. In Wyatt, the Packers may have a more versatile and explosive version of Keke, who was productive as an inside rusher but lacked the ability to be a true three-down player.

“Now we have to get him to play the way we need him to play at our level here, but we’re excited about him,” Montgomery said.

[listicle id=80922]

NFL contracts for all of Georgia football’s 2022 draft picks

11 former Georgia Bulldogs have signed their NFL contracts. Here’s a look at each player’s deal.

In April, the Georgia Bulldogs made history when they had 15 players selected in the 2022 NFL draft. That is the new record for a 7-round draft, beating out Ohio State (2004) and LSU (2020), which both previously held the record with 14.

Less than a month later, 11 of Georgia’s drafted players have signed their rookie contracts with their new NFL teams. We are currently still waiting on the news of contract signings from running back Zamir White (Raiders), linebacker Channing Tindall (Dolphins), punter Jake Camarda (Bucs) and cornerback Derion Kendrick (Rams).

We will update this list when news breaks that those guys have signed their contracts, but in the meantime here are contract details for the 11 Georgia Bulldogs who have inked their rookie deals, in order of which they were drafted.

How the Packers’ defense could get Green Bay to Super Bowl LVII

The Packers have methodically built a new defense over the last few years. Now is the time when it might all come together — perhaps with a Super Bowl berth.

On May 16, the Green Bay Packers made Jaire Alexander the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback with a four-year, $84 million contract extension that included a $30 million signing bonus and keeps Alexander in that defense through the 2026 season if everything works out. This was part of a concerted effort by general manager Brian Gutekunst to give his defense marquee players at every level, whether that shorts Aaron Rodgers of offensive weapons or not.

Alexander missed the last three months of the 2021 regular season with a shoulder injury, returning for Green Bay’s divisional round loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but the Packers had a great plan in place in Alexander’s stead. They signed cornerback Rasul Douglas off the Cardinals’ practice squad in early October, and Douglas managed to define his new secondary as he had never before in his career. 2021 first-round cornerback Eric Stokes played well, safeties Darnell Savage and Adrian Amos held things up pretty well at the safety positions, and free agent signing De’Vondre Campbell had a Rasul Douglas-like impact at the inside linebacker position — something the Packers have lacked for the most part since the days of Ray Nitschke.

The Packers doubled down on their defensive intentions in the first round of the 2022 draft. With the 22nd overall pick, acquired from the Las Vegas Raiders in the Davante Adams trade, Green Bay took linebacker Quay Walker, and went after Walker’s Georgia teammate, defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt, with the 28th overall pick. The Packers did take two receivers for Rodgers later in the draft — North Dakota State’s Christian Watson in the second round, and Nevada’s Romeo Doubs in the fourth — but it’s interesting that the predominant mindset for this team, with one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history in a shorter age window, has been mostly about the defensive side of the ball.

“I would say the expectations we have for our whole football team, but specifically our defense, is really high,” Gutekunst said last month after the draft. “I thought they played really well last year and they ended on a very high note, playing at a very high level. We’ve got some guys coming back who will be here for their second year and be important. I like the way that group is growing together. It’s a new season, and they’ve got to put in the work and the time and the chemistry and all the things that go with that, but I think the expectation level for that group is going to be high.”

The thing is, the Packers’ defense was still more vulnerable than the organization would have liked. Green Bay ranked 22nd in Football Outsiders’ Defensive DVOA metric — 16th against the pass, and 28th against the run. Moreover, the Packers had more defensive issues as the season went along; they dropped from 15th to 25th overall from Week 10 through the end of the regular season, 12th to 18th against the pass, and 24th to 28th against the run. Green Bay prevented the San Francisco 49ers from scoring an offensive touchdown in the divisional round in what turned out to be a special teams debacle for the team, but it was clear that more was needed.

If the pieces all come together, it might be defense, not Rodgers and his remaining targets, that could lead the Packers to their sixth Super Bowl, and perhaps their fifth Lombardi Trophy.

Here’s how it could happen, from the front of the defense to the back.

(All advanced metrics courtesy of Football Outsiders, Pro Football Focus, and Sports Info Solutions unless otherwise indicated).