The Packers’ current roster consists of 22 rookies – nine concept picks and 13 non-designed perspectives. There are also 10 first-year players who have spent time in professional football but have not had an additional NFL season, as did former practice team members.
They all have a limited window to make their case for a roster spot or to hang out on the extended practice team.
Some of the Packers picks from a year ago who held limited roles will seek to make an equally strong first impression when practices begin as well.
LaFleur talks about returning Dexter Williams, a sixth-round pick from Notre Dame a year ago, and linebacker Ty Summers, a seventh-round pick from TCU, as players who saw a more prominent place on the team.
Williams, who enters the camp as likely the fourth runner behind Aaron Jones, Jamaal Williams and rookie second-round pick AJ Dillon, appeared in just four games as a rookie and was a game-day inactive otherwise. He has “worked really, really hard in every video I saw of him in the conditioning phases,” LaFleur said.
Summers became a core specialty team in 2019, recording nine coverage tasks (including playoffs), and will be part of the competition that includes Oren Burks, Curtis Bolton and rookie fifth-round pick Kamal Martin for a front-line lineup at linebacker in next to veteran Christian Kirksey.
LaFleur called Summers “a consistent performer” in the third phase who should benefit from being a second-year defender in the system.
However, everything is only a projection, until practices go full force.
“I think the real test,” LaFleur said, “is when things start to go fast on the field.”
