Tag: Kitan Oladapo

Packers rookies MarShawn Lloyd, Kitan Oladapo to make training camp debuts on Tuesday

Coach Matt LaFleur confirmed running back MarShawn Lloyd and safety Kitan Oladapo would each be making their training camp debuts on Tuesday.

The Green Bay Packers will get two rookie draft picks back from injury during Tuesday’s practice, the seventh of training camp. Coach Matt LaFleur confirmed running back MarShawn Lloyd and safety Kitan Oladapo would each be making their training camp debuts on Tuesday.

“You’ll see Lloyd out there today for (individual drills). Not in the team periods yet. Him and KT (Oladapo),” LaFleur said.

Lloyd suffered a hip injury after reporting early to training camp with the rookie class. Oladapo had a toe injury — suffered during the NFL Scouting Combine — that required surgery. Practicing on Tuesday means Oladapo will be coming off the non-football injury list.

Lloyd, a third-round pick out of USC, will return to compete for snaps behind starter Josh Jacobs at running back. Oladapo, a fifth-round pick out of Oregon State, will get a chance to start competing with rookies Javon Bullard and Evan Williams — two early standouts at training camp — for reps at safety.

Both Lloyd and Oladapo missed six training camp practices, including a pair of padded practices. Oladapo is further behind given he missed the entire offseason workout program.

The two rookies will be eased back into action. The Packers generally have players work individual drills before being worked back into live 11-on-11 work.

Javon Bullard’s versatility could define the Packers’ new safety group

The Packers have three new safeties who can play all over the field, and rookie Javon Bullard’s versatility might be the most impressive.

If you’re going to be a high-ticket safety in today’s NFL, you have two realistic choices: You can either cover the deep third at an Ed Reed or Earl Thomas level, or you’d better be able to play multiple positions to an exceedingly high standard.

The 2023 Green Bay Packers had neither of those types of players in their defense, which is why they were as aggressive as any team at redefining their safety group this offseason. First, they gave former New York Giants star Xavier McKinney a four-year, $67 million contract with $23 million guaranteed. Then, they selected three more safeties in the draft — Georgia’s Javon Bullard with the 58th overall pick in the second round, Oregon’s Evan Williams with the 111th overall pick in the fourth round, and Oregon State’s Kitan Oladapo with the 169th overall pick in the fifth round.

All of those safeties are capable of playing multiple positions, which makes them valuable additions for new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. But when it comes to effective season-to-season plug-and-play deployment, it’s tough to beat what Bullard was able to do in Kirby Smart’s defenses in 2022 and 2023.

In 2022, Bullard was primarily a slot defender — he lined up there on 510 of his snaps, with 64 snaps in the box, 20 in the slot, and just 12 at free safety.

In 2023, Bullard’s profile flipped completely. That’s when he played 362 snaps in the deep third, 144 in the slot, 80 in the box, and just three on the line. Smart needed Bullard to dominate at a key position he’d rarely played before, and that’s exactly when Bullard did. Last season, he allowed 14 catches on 26 targets for 119 yards, 68 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, two interceptions, five pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 34.0. Among FBS safeties playing at least 50% of their defenses’ snaps, that ranked sixth-lowest.

On both single-high and two-deep reps, Bullard immediately displayed many of the traits you want in that type of player — from the understanding of route concepts, to the range to work from the middle of the field to the boundary.

Bullard wasn’t just great deep; he was also just fine in the slot to safety transition.

Hafley tried hard to recruit Bullard when Hafley was Boston College’s head coach (as did new Packers passing game coordinator Derrick Ansley when Ansley was at Tennessee), but it’s safe to say that Hafley is more than happy to have Bullard now.

“Just loved his tape,” Hafley said of Bullard after the pick was made and rookie minicamp was underway. “Loved the way he played. He’s a physical guy. He can run, he can cover, he can play deep, he can play in the slot, he can blitz. He’s bigger when you see him.

“He’s a sharp guy. His ability to learn and process in those two days [of rookie minicamp] was impressive. You get a guy who can play that fast and can take what he learned in the meeting room and bring it out to the field, and he’s got a chance.”

Ansley agreed.

“Javon was a corner originally coming out of high school, very versatile. He was really tough then and he’s tough now. He’s just got a phenomenal skill set. He can do a lot of different things. He’s smart, can pick it up quickly, very instinctive, and when he gets to the point of contact, he gets there with a chip on his shoulder.”

So now, the Packers have three field-roaming safeties where before, it could be credibly argued that they were short just that many before. And Bullard could be the leader of the group over time. Doing what he’s already done — completely reversing coverage archetypes from one season to another for one of the best college defenses of the last few decades — tends to indicate an impressive NFL future.

Contract details for Packers fifth-round S Kitan Oladapo

The Green Bay Packers announced that they signed fifth-round pick S Kitan Oladapo and Over the Cap has the contract details.

The Green Bay Packers have officially signed fifth-round pick Kitan Oladapo. Over the Cap now has the details on what Oladapo’s rookie deal will look like.

Oladapo earned a standard four-year rookie contract that totals $4.274 million with a signing bonus of $254,276.

Oladapo will receive the full signing bonus up front, but from a salary cap perspective, that $254,276 can be pro-rated over the life of the contract. Or, in short, the cap hit in 2024 from that bonus is just $63,569.

That pro-rated signing bonus amount plus a base salary of $795,000 makes up Oladapo’s cap hit for this season, which totals $858,569.

Moving forward, beyond 2024, a $63,569 cap hit from the pro-rated signing bonus will be on the Packers’ books all four years of the contract, along with Oladapo’s base salary increasing each year as well.

In 2025, Oladapo’s base salary will be $960,000. In 2026 it increases to $1.075 million, and then $1.190 million in 2027.

Here is a look at what Oladapo’s cap hit will be each season:

2024: $858,569
2025: $1.023 million
2026: $1.138 million
2027: $1.253 million

Similarly to fellow draft picks Javon Bullard and Evan Williams, the Packers like the fast, physical play-style that Oladapo brings to the defense, along with his versatility.

However, unlike Bullard and Williams, the Packers see Oladapo as more of a traditional safety, who is able to play both free and strong safety positions, as GM Brian Gutekunst put it. Gutekunst also added that Oladapo could line up as the big nickel Sam linebacker as well.

“I’m comfortable anywhere on the field,” said Oladapo. “Whatever the team needs me to do: be in the box, be in the post, blitz, guard tight ends, guard slots. I can do it all. I feel comfortable just having my two feet on the grass.”

As a rookie, Oladapo’s biggest impact this season could end up coming on the special teams unit.

Oladapo is still recovering from a recent surgery on his toe, an injury he sustained at the NFL Combine. His hope is to be back on the field for training camp.

The Xs and Os with Greg Cosell: Best defensive scheme fits from the 2024 NFL draft

From the Cardinals’ new secondary to cornerback talent for the Eagles and Lions, Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar get into the best scheme fits from the 2024 NFL draft.

When teams select players in the draft, they’re not just basing those picks on the prospects’ athletic attributes — they’re also looking at how those prospects fit in the structures of their schemes.

In this week’s “Xs and Os with Greg Cosell and Doug Farrar,” Greg (of NFL Films and ESPN’s NFL Matchup) and Doug (of Touchdown Wire and the USA Today Sports Media Group) discuss their favorite defensive scheme firs from the 2024 NFL draft. Greg and Doug already discussed their favorite offensive scheme fits in this draft, and you can find that right here.

  • The Arizona Cardinals’ secondary with cornerbacks Elijah Jones and Max Melton, and safety Dadrian Taylor-Demerson;
  • The Detroit Lions’ cornerback group with Terrion Arnold and Ennis Rakestraw Jr.;
  • The Philadelphia Eagles’ secondary with cornerback Quinyon Mitchell and defensive back Cooper DeJean;
  • The Dallas Cowboys’ defensive line with DL Marshawn Kneeland;
  • The Buffalo Bills’ secondary with safety Cole Bishop;
  • The Green Bay Packers’ safeties with Javon Bullard and Kitan Oladapo;
  • The San Francisco 49ers’ secondary with Renardo Green and Malik Mustapha.

You can watch this week’s “Xs and Os” right here:

You can also listen and subscribe to the “Xs and Os” podcast on Spotify…

…and on Apple Podcasts.

Packers rookie S Kitan Oladapo will have to stay up to speed without practice reps

Packers rookie safety Kitan Oladapo will have to stay up to speed without any practice reps as he learns a new defense.

Green Bay Packers rookie safety Kitan Oladapo will have the challenge of staying up to speed while being sidelined with a toe injury.

While participating in the on-field drills at the NFL Combine, Oladapo suffered a broken toe. He had surgery on it a few weeks before the draft and the hope is that he will be good to go for training camp in August.

However, in the meantime, while Oladapo will still be involved in the team meetings, he’s not going to have the opportunity to apply what he’s learning in the practice field.

“Just staying in the training room, getting the swelling down, getting my range of motion back,” said Oladapo. “And then just staying locked in, mental reps on the sideline, and then meet with the coaches after, make sure I get the game plan.”

Not that Oladapo will have the same fate as Grant DuBose – Oladapo’s path to contributing as a rookie is much more clear – but we saw just last offseason how an injury during this time of the year derailed any sort of roster push DuBose was hoping to make. He didn’t return to the practice field until mid-August, and was playing catch up at that point.

At a minimum, Oladapo figures to be a core special teams player for the Packers. Defensively, while versatile like Javon Bullard and Evan Williams, Oladapo fills more of the traditional safety role, as GM Brian Gutekunst described it, able to fill both the “free and strong safety role,” who can also line up as the “big nickel Sam linebacker.”

“As we can move him around more,” said defensive backs coach Ryan Downard, “the walk throughs are going to become vital because these guys, you teach them what you can but until you go out and do it and walk through it, that’s to me where the real learning takes place.

“You can sit in a classroom and learn something but until you either have to teach it back or you take them out there physically let them walk through it, that’s I think where the growth takes place.”

Downard added that Oladapo’s intelligence and football IQ will help him stay up to speed throughout this process. Downard liked what he saw from him during rookie minicamp and made sure to fire questions Oladapo’s way to keep him engaged.

The addition of Oladapo – along with Bullard and Williams – provides that interchangability that GM Brian Gutekunst was looking for at the position. Increased versatility at the position opens up the playbook for Jeff Hafley from a game-planning perspective and makes it more difficult for opposing offenses pre-snap, not knowing who will have what responsibility.

Another element that these three players bring is speed and physicality. Along with finding the right players from a schematic standpoint, there is a certain play-style that the Packers want to have under Hafley.

“I’m comfortable anywhere on the field,” said Oladapo. “Whatever the team needs me to do: be in the box, be in the post, blitz, guard tight ends, guard slots. I can do it all. I feel comfortable just having my two feet on the grass.”

How the Packers’ three new safeties will change their defense radically for the better

With Xavier McKinney, Javon Bullard, and Kitan Oladapo on board, the Packers’ safety group will change the defense for the better… radically.

While NFL teams like the Lions and Eagles chose to overhaul their cornerbacks this offseason, the Packers went safety first under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. First, there was the signing of former Giants star Xavier McKinney to a four-year, $67 million contract with $23 million guaranteed. Then in the draft, the Packers got Georgia’s Javon Bullard with the 58th overall pick in the second round. Then, the addition of Oregon State’s Kitan Oladapo with the 169th pick in the fifth round.

Packers nab former Giants DB Xavier McKinney to be the face of their pass defense

Necessary changes for a defense that ranked 27th in 2023, and 25th the year before, under Joe Barry. Moreover, all three players are fairly interchangeable in the defense. This is especially true of Bullard, who transitioned from a slot/box defender in 2022 to a free safety in 2023, and did it all without a hitch. Last season, Bullard allowed 14 catches on 26 targets for 119 yards, 68 yards after the catch, no touchdowns, two interceptions, five pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of

“I think probably his ability to maybe play more nickel than some of those guys,” assistant director of college scouting Patrick Moore said of Bullard’s attributes. “We felt like him at the second level, playing that slot and playing a little bit more nickel, with the ability to play safety as well was probably a strength. Just really we have a good feel for him and who he is and what he’s going to bring to our defense intangible-wise, too. That’s just where we had him stacked.”

“As far as my role, man, just being — really doing whatever the team needed me to do, man,” Bullard told reporters after he was drafted. “It was some cases where as far as my sophomore year at nickel, there were some cases where I was more involved in the run game and more involved in blitz packages and things like that and also more involved in man to man coverage, being able to cover slot receivers and things like that. As far as safety, we lost a great player in Chris Smith to the NFL, as well, so like I said, just being that versatile Swiss Army knife that the team needs, whatever they ask me to do, I will definitely do that and I try to do it at a high level.”

Bullard has already proven all of that.

Oladapo’s responsibilities didn’t change much over his last three seasons at Oregon State — he was about equally in the box, the slot, and the deep third. Last season, he gave up 21 completions on 36 targets for 212 yards, 58 yards after the catch, one touchdown, two interceptions, seven pass breakups, and an opponent passer rating of 61.3.

“He’s a little different body type than the other two [McKinney and Bullard], said Jon-Eric Sullivan, vice president of player personnel, of Oladapo. “He’s a big, 6-2, 216-pound kid. Long arms. Aggressive — when he hits you, you go down. He’s a very good athlete at that size. He can pedal, he can flip, he can turn. He’s versatile, more of a true safety but he can play that big nickel or will linebacker if you need him too. The playstyle. Very smart. Captain as well. One, good football player, and two, the kind of person we want to infuse in this locker room.”

Hafley has already said that he wants his cornerbacks to play more aggressively than they did under Barry, which is a pretty low bar. One thing we know for sure is that Hafley’s safeties will be athletic, smart, versatile, and deployed in all kinds of places opponents may not expect.

Green Bay Packers 2024 fifth-round pick: S Kitan Oladapo

The Packers selected Oregon State safety Kitan Oladapo in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The Green Bay Packers selected safety Kitan Oladapo in the fifth round (No. 169 overall) of the 2024 NFL draft.

Height: 6-2
Weight: 216
Age: 23
From: Happy Valley, OR

College profile

Breakdown: Big, physical safety built for defending the run and playing robber as a strong safety/in the box type. Led all drafted safeties in run defense grade last season, per PFF. The Packers think he has big nickel linebacker potential. Has the body type and athleticism to be a force on special teams. Likely a rotational player early in his career but could eventually emerge as an ideal complement for Xavier McKinney. Had surgery on toe and will miss offseason workout program.

Dane Brugler’s scouting report: “A three-year starter at Oregon State, Oladapo was a versatile safety in defensive coordinator Trent Bray’s hybrid 3 -3-5 stack. A former walk-on at cornerback, he transitioned to safety in Corvallis and earned All-Pac-12 honors each of the last three seasons. Oladapo confidently reads run/pass and aggressively drives downhill with competitive urgency to make impactful tackles. His average twitch and build-up speed out of transitions will be more noticeable versus NFL receivers, but his route awareness helps keep him stay connected in coverage. Overall, Oladapo doesn’t have ideal top-end speed or rangy ball skills for deep coverage, but he is a good-sized athlete who trusts his sightlines and enjoys making noise in the run game. He projects best as a down safety who can also earn his paycheck on special teams.”

Lance Zierlein’s scouting report: “Oladapo possesses classic strong safety traits and play attributes, which should help evaluators define him more easily. He has very good size, with the play strength and toughness to tackle near the box and enough cover skills to line up over tight ends in man. While he can play some split safety, he can be a little inconsistent in big space, so playing forward is his best bet. There is room for improvement as a tackler, but he generally pursues with leverage and takes his role as last line of defense to heart. He has “make it” size and attributes. He’s likely to come in as a backup with special teams duties but has a pretty good shot of becoming an eventual starter.”

They said it: “He’s a little different body type than the other two. He’s a big, 6-2, 216-pound kid. Long arms. Aggressive, when he hits you, you go down. He’s a very good athlete at that size. He can pedal, he can flip, he can turn. He’s versatile, more of a true safety but he can play that big nickel or will linebacker if you need him too. The playstyle. Very smart. Captain as well. One, good football player, and two, the kind of person we want to infuse in this locker room.” — Jon-Eric Sullivan, vice president of player personnel

New uniform

RAS card

Highlights

Packers rookie S Kitan Oladapo still recovering from surgery on broken toe

Green Bay Packers rookie safety Kitan Oladapo, a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, is still recovering from surgery to fix a broken toe and is not participating during the team’s rookie minicamp this weekend. 

Green Bay Packers rookie safety Kitan Oladapo, a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft, is still recovering from surgery to fix a broken toe and is not participating during the team’s rookie minicamp this weekend.

Oladapo said he expects to be healthy by the start of training camp.

“Broke my toe at the combine and had surgery on it a couple of weeks ago,” Oladapo said. “So, I’m in the boot and hopefully I’ll be good by camp, in August.”

Oladapo said his big toe was injured during an on-field drill at the combine in Indianapolis. He worked through the injury at his pro day, participating in position drills, and then had surgery recently.

“Teams knew I was battling through an injury,” Oladapo said. “I went out there and did the best I can.”

Oladapo said he had surgery a week before the draft.

The former Oregon State star played in 46 games and made 39 starts in college. Assumed to be a potential Day 2 pick, Oladapo fell to No. 169 overall in the fifth round, and it’s certainly possible the injury — and recovery timeline — was part of the reason why.

Once healthy, Oladapo should get an opportunity to compete for snaps as a safety next to Xavier McKinney. The Packers also drafted Javon Bullard and Evan Williams, but Oladapo is more of a traditional safety type with nickel linebacker potential.

The injury is an unfortunate thing for a durable collegiate player who was on the field for all 39 games for Oregon State during his final three seasons.

One other factoid from Oladapo: The rookie said he was a Packer fan growing up. He mentioned Aaron Rodgers, Brett Favre, Jordy Nelson and Clay Matthews and Sterling Sharpe among his favorite former players.

Packers select Oregon State S Kitan Oladapo at No. 169 overall in 2024 NFL draft

The Green Bay Packers selected Oregon State safety Kitan Oladapo at No. 169 overall in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The Green Bay Packers selected Oregon State safety Kitan Oladapo at No. 169 overall in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft.

Oladapo (6-2, 216) started 39 games over six seasons at Oregon State. He produced 248 tackles, 15.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, 27 pass breakups, three interceptions and two forced fumbles and was a three-time All-Pac 12 pick.

Olapado ran the 40-yard dash in 4.58 seconds, hit 36″ in the vertical leap and covered 9-9 in the broad jump. His Relative Athletic Score is 8.18 out of 10.0.

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Oladapo was a team captain in 2023. He participated at the Senior Bowl.

Oladapo joins Javon Bullard and Evan Williams as the three safety types selected by the Packers in the 2024 draft.

Unpacking Future Packers: No. 29, Oregon State S Kitan Oladapo

Up next in the Unpacking Future Packers draft preview series is Oregon State safety Kitan Oladapo.

The Unpacking Future Packers Countdown is a countdown of 100 prospects that could be selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2024 NFL draft.

The Green Bay Packers entered the offseason with a cosmic void at the safety position. They brought a little light to that dark void when they signed Xavier McKinney in free agency. 

Even after signing one of the best safeties on the open market, the Packers still have a “Help Wanted” ad above their safety room at 1265 Lombardi Avenue.

A player that Brian Gutekunst could target in the 2024 NFL Draft is Kitan Oladapo. The Oregon State safety checks in at No. 29 in the Unpacking Future Packers Countdown.

An Oregon native, Oladapo started one game during the 2020 shortened season and recorded 26 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Oladapo became a full-time starter in 2021 and responded with 69 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception and eight pass deflections. In 2022, Oladapo recorded 80 tackles, four tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and six pass deflections.

During his final season as a Beaver, Oladapo recorded 74 tackles, three tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions and eight pass deflections. 

“Kitan was an important part of the Oregon State defense this past season,” Ryan Harlan, a contributor for BeaversEdge, said. “ A veteran starter who took on a bigger leadership role with the departure of Jaydon Grant, he helped set the secondary pre-snap, helping a lot of young guys understand their assignments that saw time in the secondary due to injuries.”

Oladapo went from a walk-on to captain for the Beavers. His background as a cornerback is noticeable with his ability to move around the secondary. During his time at Corvallis, Oladapo logged 869 snaps at safety and 757 snaps in the slot. 

“Kitan has been used either as a free safety, strong safety, or slot corner for the Beavers during his three years as a starter,” Harlan said. “He can wear multiple hats depending on the coverage and he can play whatever role he is needed to whether that’s blitzing from the box or edge, covering a tight end or slot receiver, and even helping out over the top in a split safety look. He’s got the ability to make plays all over the field in the secondary.”

The Oregon State safety is a long defensive back. Oladapo excels driving downhill against the run and runs the alley with purpose. He does a good job of settling his feet and his length gives him a wide tackle radius. 

“He’s relentless in run support and not afraid of finding contact and taking on receivers as well as linemen in the run game,” Harlan said. “When he comes downhill from his safety spot he closes well on backside pursuits of running backs, who typically redirect when they see him coming towards them. When Kitan hits a running back in the backfield they don’t gain much yardage.”

Oldapo has good field awareness and flashes good range. His background as a former cornerback is evident with his easy change of direction movements. Oladapo takes direct paths from point A to point B when the ball is in the air. He uses his length to impact passing lanes and get his hands on the ball. The former walk-on has the size to body up tight ends and the fluidity to match up with slot wide receivers. 

“Kitan is very good at reading what the offense is giving him and he reacts quickly after the snap,” Harlan said. “He’s an intelligent defender when reading the quarterback’s eyes, driving and accelerating downhill to the ball, getting his hands up quickly to make a play.”

During his time at Oregon State, Oladapo recorded 242 snaps on special teams and could carve out an immediate role at the next level as a core member on special teams. 

Fit with the Packers

Gutekunst wants versatility in the secondary. Oladapo is a player who is capable of wearing multiple hats in the backend. 

If the Packers were to add Oladapo he could battle for snaps playing alongside McKinney, while also giving the Packers a hired gun on special teams. 

“I’d draft Kitan because of his football skills, but his leadership ability and work ethic,” Harlan said. “He’s always been a leader on that defense but where that stood out to me the most was in the bowl game against Notre Dame. Kitan and the rest of the seniors wanted to finish out the season the right way with a season filled with adversity. At one point he was on “one leg” according to interim head coach Kefense Hynson where he was asked if he wanted to go back out there and Kitan wanted to finish the game. He left everything out there on the field and kept making plays once the game was out of reach and never let up despite the adversity. At the next level, I think that will carry over for him quite well and he’ll continue to improve his football skills.”

Instinctive, versatile, physical and special teams experience. That sounds like a player who the Packers could target as they aim to build up their safety room around McKinney.