The battle for the last wide receiver spot on the Green Bay Packers roster has turned into a barnburner during training camp. Undrafted rookies Malik Heath and Bo Melton have both been garnering the attention of the coaching staff, making a good impression.
They got off to a head start on fellow rookie Grant DuBose, who started training camp on the NFI list. That put him behind the eight ball as Heath and Melton have both been playing well. But, the seventh-round pick out of Charlotte has been doing his best to make up for lost time.
DuBose has been on the field for a little over a week and taking part in 11-on-11 drills for even less time. But, he has started making an impact when on the field, looking to catch up in the race with Heath and Melton.
A lot of Dubose’s time has been spent with the third-team offense, but he has been steadily moving up. Earlier this week he matched up with rising cornerback Carrington Valentine, winning the last of their three reps against each other. He received some opportunities with the second-team offense and did not disappoint, reeling in a few more receptions.
“I feel like they went well,” said DuBose on Monday when asked about his performance in practice. “Had a couple mistakes, but overall felt like I competed at a high level for both practices that I had. That’s all you can control right now. I just wanted to come out here and play fast, and play confident. But overall, I’ve had a solid two days of practices.”
Training camp was the first time that DuBose was able to get on the field with the Packers. He missed the entire spring because of a back injury. Head coach Matt LaFleur hinted that those missed reps could be costly for a young player as falling behind is very easy.
But, it has not taken long for DuBose to get up to speed. He is starting to get into a rhythm, which is leading to faster and more confident play on the practice field.
“It’s just a little bit faster,” said DuBose about being on the practice field. “You’re getting the play call, breaking the huddle, getting out there, getting lined up, and once you get aligned, it’s about locking in on your assignment. I wouldn’t say a learning curve, but it’s happening a lot more faster.”
A big reason that DuBose hasn’t been overwhelmed in his return to the field was the work that he was putting in while sidelined. Despite not being able to physically play, he was putting in mental reps, staying engaged and soaking up as much information as possible.
“Just a lot of mental reps,” said DuBose. “Just trying to stay locked in while I’m on the sideline with play calls, and watching my position group, and just learning from them. I wasn’t out there doing it physically, but I was learning from other guys’ mistakes.”
DuBose is one of the players to keep an eye on in the coming weeks. The joint practices and preseason game against the New England Patriots will be another opportunity for him to put some good film on tape and improve his chances of making the roster.
With only one spot likely up for grabs, he is going to have to showcase something to separate from Heath and Melton. Both of them have had positive performances as well, as this is a training camp battle that could go down to the very last day before a decision is made.
