The Green Bay Packers are set to play their first preseason game of the year on Friday night against the Cincinnati Bengals. It will be interesting to see how the teams fare after taking part in a joint practice against each other earlier this week.
For the Packers, all eyes are going to be on quarterback Jordan Love. Everyone is interested to see how he handles the transition to being the starter, taking the place of Aaron Rodgers. Given the inexperience around him offensively, the unit as a whole will be worth watching.
Alas, that isn’t the only intriguing thing about the Packers heading into their first preseason game. In the opinion of Gordon McGuinness of PFF, it is the youthfulness of the defensive line that will be the focus for Green Bay against Cincinnati.
“The 28th overall selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, Devonte Wyatt flashed some as a rookie but played just 224 snaps in his first year in the league. There have been some positive reports out of training camp, but the Packers really need him to take that second-year leap in 2023. The Packers spent three draft picks on the defensive line this year, too, adding Lukas Van Ness in the first round and Colby Wooden and Karl Brooks on Day 3.”
The defensive line is a group that has been revamped this offseason. The only key holdover from last season is Kenny Clark, as he is looking forward to his new role as a mentor for the youngsters around him. Veterans Dean Lowry and Jarran Reed both departed in free agency, leaving a major void in the trenches.
Devonte Wyatt, a first-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, has been having a strong offseason and is ready for an expanded role. Colby Wooden and Karl Books have impressed with their athleticism and speed, while TJ Slaton is also making a name for himself.
There were a lot of questions about this unit during the spring, but a lot of them have been answered during training camp as they have surpassed expectations. Run defense was a major issue for the Packers in 2022, but they are hoping this infusion of youth will help turn that around in 2023.
Preseason Game 1 against the Bengals will be the first chance for this unit to show what they can do against an opponent in live reps. While the outcome doesn’t count for anything, these reps will be important for the Packers as coaches need as much information as possible to make roster and lineup decisions.
