The Green Bay Packers were able to escape Week 3 with a victory over the New Orleans Saints, 18-17. It wasn’t an easy game, as Green Bay was held scoreless through the first three quarters of the game before their offense woke up.
Sitting at 2-1, the Packers are in a great spot given the circumstances they have faced. Their offense hasn’t had their projected starting lineup on the field for a single snap this season and the defense, more often than not, has answered the call.
In the matchup against New Orleans, a few players stood out with some excellent performances. Unfortunately, there were also some who stood out for the wrong reasons. Here are three Packers players whose stocks are on the rise and three stocks that are down.
Stock Up No. 1: S Rudy Ford
The highest-graded Packers player on the afternoon was safety Rudy Ford. The safety position has been a topic of discussion for months, but Ford quieted a lot of people with his performance against the Saints.
He received a defensive grade of 88.2, which is the third highest of his career. Ford earned that by recording seven tackles without a miss, getting credited with two stops. He allowed only one of four targets to be completed for a measly four yards, recording a pass breakup as well.
More performances like that and Ford will cement his standing as a starter in the defensive backfield.
Stock Down No. 1: WR Malik Heath
Wide receiver Malik Heath was the talk of training camp, earning a spot on the roster with his stellar play. Some injuries early in the season led to him getting opportunities the first three weeks of the season, but his stock is trending down.
He received an overall grade of 53.3, which was fifth-lowest on the offense. He didn’t record a reception on two targets, running eight routes. But, his stock is trending down because the Packers are getting healthier at wide receiver.
Christian Watson is trending toward making his season debut in Week 4 against the Detroit Lions. That could lead to Heath becoming a weekly inactive as he looks to be behind Dontayvion Wicks and Samori Toure on the pecking order as well.
Stock Up No. 2: OT Rasheed Walker
The Packers’ offensive line has been plagued by injuries in the early going of the season. Left tackle David Bakhtiari has missed the last two games because of a knee injury, which has pushed Rasheed Walker into a prominent role.
The seventh-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft out of Penn State has responded positively. He received a grade of 73.2 against the Saints, which was the second-highest amongst offensive players. He allowed only one hurry, playing at a high level in place of the former All-Pro.
Stock Down No. 2: CB Carrington Valentine
Another young player that was the talk of the offseason was cornerback Carrington Valentine. He was excellent during training camp and the preseason but has not yet been able to replicate that success in the regular season.
Valentine received the second-lowest defensive grade on the team in Week 3 with a 52.7. He surrendered a 27-yard reception to Chris Olave and received very poor marks against the run; his 37.6 run-defense grade was the lowest on the team against the Saints.
Like Heath, his time in the lineup could be coming to an end. With Eric Stokes eligible to return to the lineup after Week 4, Valentine could see his role drastically scaled back in the near future.
Stock Up No. 3: CB Keisean Nixon
There have been a lot of people questioning whether or not the Packers would look to make a change at their slot cornerback spot. Keisean Nixon had been the weak link the first few games of the season, getting picked on as teams didn’t want to challenge Jaire Alexander or Rasul Douglas.
But, with Alexander sidelined in Week 3 because of a back injury, Nixon stepped up in a major way. He received an overall grade of 74.2, breaking up a pass and recording three tackles without a miss. His 80.5 coverage grade was second only to Rudy Ford.
Stock Down No. 3: TE Josiah Deguara
The Packers listed Josiah Deguara as the starting fullback/H-Back on their original depth chart. He was expected to play a major role in the running game as a blocker, taking over the role vacated by Marcedes Lewis.
However, things have not gone according to plan. Deguara has struggled mightily, He received an overall grade of 41.0, which was the lowest on the offense in Week 3. An abysmal run-blocking grade of 39.4 weighed him down.
He was only on the field for 11 snaps as his role is to run block. If he continues struggling to this level, the coaching staff will be calling on someone else to take over his role.
