For anyone who followed the Green Bay Packers throughout the offseason, there weren’t any big surprises on their initial 53-man roster. Anyone who didn’t follow the team certainly was surprised to see so many undrafted free agents make the team.
Green Bay has had at least one undrafted free agent make the team since 2005. This year, it was running back Emanuel Wilson out of D2 Fort Valley State, wide receiver Malik Heath out of Ole Miss and edge rusher, Brenton Cox Jr. out of Florida.
Out of the three, Heath has been tabbed as the undrafted free agent to make the biggest impact on the Packers. In fact, Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report believes that Heath has a chance to be one of the most impactful UDFA in the NFL this season.
“Unlike fellow undrafted rookie wideouts Elijah Cooks and Jake Bobo, who will play behind established receivers with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks, respectively, Heath joins a young wideout group that features six guys who entered the league over the last year.
Wide receiver Christian Watson came on strong in the second half of the 2022 term, but Heath can command a fair number of targets as an emerging playmaker behind him.”
Had it not been for off-the-field issues, Heath and Cox would have likely been drafted. Both were certainly talented enough but got in trouble as Cox was kicked out of the programs at Georgia and Florida. But, everyone passed on them, the Packers took a chance and it paid off.
In the preseason, Heath was the most productive pass catcher on the team. He led the Packers with 12 receptions and 146 yards, continually making plays and forcing his way onto the roster. A majority of that production came with the second team as he was the go-to receiver for rookie fifth-round pick Sean Clifford.
However, Heath got his shot with the first-team offense during the final preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks. He was targeted four times by Jordan Love, catching three of the passes. He caught the attention of Love, who heaped praise on him after the game.
“He’s balled out since he got here,” Love told reporters. “I think the biggest thing since he got here is just how aggressive he catches the ball, he attacks it, his mentality, and once he catches it, he’s trying to get those yards.”
This level of production shouldn’t be too surprising. It was him, not second-round pick Jonathan Mingo, that led Ole Miss last season in the passing game. Heath led the Rebels with 60 receptions for 972 yards.
Coming into the offseason, Heath mentioned multiple times how he wants to be the Packers’ new goon on offense. It is a term of endearment for the franchise, as it was the role Allen Lazard has filled the last few seasons.
It would not be surprising if Heath becomes the fourth wide receiver on the depth chart in due time. He made waves with his performance throughout the offseason and it culminated in a spot in the 53-man roster. Rookie fifth-round pick Dontayvion Wicks and 2022 seventh-round pick Samori Toure could both be surpassed in the coming days and weeks.
