Green Bay Packers defensive back Raven Greene should get a second shot at a breakout season in 2020.
The undrafted free agent from James Madison had his 2019 season ended after just six quarters, the result of a significant ankle injury suffered early during the second half of the Packers’ win over the Minnesota Vikings in Week 2.
Backup quarterback Tim Boyle told Jimmy Christensen of Packer Report that he thinks Greene will be the defense’s breakout player in 2020.
“I said this last year and unfortunately he got hurt, but Raven Greene,” Boyle said. “He is a talented player, super smart, knows where to be, and is just one of those guys that has a knack for the ball. He is very instinctual. Hopefully, he is back and ready to go. I think he’s going to have a big year on the defensive side.”
Greene played 70 snaps on defense the first two weeks, mostly as Mike Pettine’s top hybrid safety-linebacker. He produced seven tackles and broke up a pass while giving the Packers defense a smart and capable player in the box against the run and an athletic defender of running backs and tight ends in the passing game.
The subpackage role, an increasingly important one for Pettine, remains wide open as training camp nears. Greene, who actually returned from injured reserve but wasn’t active for the NFC title game, should be fully healthy and ready to compete for playing time.
While the Packers didn’t make a major addition on defense, returning Greene is like returning a de facto starter.
Boyle’s mentioning of Greene’s understanding and instincts in the defense help provide the reasoning for why Greene will likely be the favorite to win the job. Versatile players must be smart players, and making plays from the linebacker spot requires the right blend of toughness and instincts.
If he wins the job as the go-to hybrid defender, Greene could easily play 500 or more snaps on defense in 2020, creating an opportunity for Boyle’s prediction to come true.