The Green Bay Packers are loaded with high-upside young talent. It is a double-edged sword as the inexperience of the roster as a whole could be detrimental on the field in the early going. However, if things pan out, the team will be in a great spot long-term.
A few of those young players will be playing prominent roles during the 2023 season for the first time in their careers. One player who will have the spotlight on them is 2022 first-round pick, defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt.
Wyatt had some major expectations on him as a rookie, as any first-round pick does, but he didn’t receive much of a chance to showcase his talent. He appeared in 16 games but only played 23 percent of the defensive snaps.
That number will at least double, if not triple, in Year 2. With veterans Dean Lowry and Jarran Reed departing in free agency, there is a major void in the Packers’ lineup alongside Kenny Clark that needs to be filled; those two players accounted for over 1,000 snaps.
Wyatt is one of the players that will be counted on to fill that void, which is why Matt Schneidman of The Athletic selected the Georgia product as the Packers’ breakout candidate of 2023.
There was a reason that the team used one of their two first-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft on Wyatt, with the other being used on his Bulldog teammate, linebacker Quay Walker. There will be some pressure on him to perform, as the Packers need to find some improvements in the trenches.
In 2022, they were among the worst run defenses in the NFL, giving up 5.0 yards per carry and 2,372 yards on the ground in total. Wyatt is one of the players tasked with helping turn the team around in that regard and he certainly has the talent to do so.
If the Packers are going to remain competitive in 2023, they need their defense to play well. Wyatt is one of the players they will be counting on to produce in a big role.