The Green Bay Packers 2022 NFL Draft class will be entering their third season in the league this year. That is usually the point where coaches, scouts, and fans get a good idea of where the players’ careers are headed and how they fit into the team’s plans. This will be a vital season for the players GM Brian Gutekunst drafted in 2022. Many of them find themselves at a crossroads. Here is a look at what the coming season means for each of them:
Key Season for the Packers 2022 Draft Class, Round 1: LB Quay Walker
Quay Walker became an immediate starter after the Packers drafted him. The Georgia alum has led the team in tackles for each of the past two seasons, but he has yet to establish himself as a playmaker on defense.
Walker has good speed, and the Packers hope the change to a four-man front under Jeff Hafley will give Walker the chance to make more big plays. He has recorded four sacks and recovered one fumble in his two NFL seasons thus far. He also made one pick-six last year in the season opener against the Bears.
The Packers hope Walker can take his game to the next level this season and become a difference maker on defense.
Round 1: DL Devonte Wyatt
Devonte Wyatt has started only five games total in his first two NFL seasons. Last season, he was on the field for 50 percent of the Packers defensive snaps, and he recorded a career-high 5.5 sacks and 11 quarterback hits.
Wyatt did a good job of getting to the quarterback in limited snaps. He should gain additional chances in the team’s new defense and has already declared his desire to take his game to another level in 2024.
Wyatt’s career is at a crossroads. The Packers will have to decide whether to pick up Wyatt and Walker’s fifth-year option next offseason. Both players need a strong campaign to receive those offers from the team.
Key Season for the Packers 2022 Draft Class, Round 2: WR Christian Watson
The Packers traded up to select Christian Watson with the first pick in the second round back in 2022. When he’s in the lineup, the former North Dakota State alum demonstrated the ability to stretch a defense, make big plays downfield and create space for teammates. The big issue for him has been staying healthy.
The Packers sent him to a hamstring specialist in Madison to prevent further injuries. If he can stay healthy, the Packers envision Watson as a potential number one receiver. Now he has to show he can do that consistently and put together the numbers the team felt he was capable of when they drafted him.
Round 3: G Sean Rhyan
Former UCLA star Sean Rhyan has yet to start an NFL game in his first two seasons in the league. He had to make an adjustment to guard after playing tackle in college. He took the field for exactly one play as a rookie before being suspended for the final six games of the season due to violating the NFL’s policy on PEDs.
Last season, Rhyan appeared in 12 games and saw more playing time as the season progressed at right guard, filling in some series for an injured Jon Runyan. Now that Runyan has departed via free agency, Rhyan has the inside track to start at right guard but will have to improve his play, especially in pass protection. If he fails to win a starting position in his third season in the league, he will likely be unlikely to become a starter for the Packers barring injury.
Key Season for the Packers 2022 Draft Class, Round 4: WR Romeo Doubs
Romeo Doubs continued his development as an NFL receiver in 2023. He caught a career-high 59 passes for 674 yards and eight touchdowns.
Dobbs isn’t the biggest Packers receiver or the fastest, but he is the most consistent and reliable. He pays attention to detail, works hard, and has established good chemistry with starting quarterback Jordan Love.
Doubs started 16 games last season and will fight for reps in a crowded Packers receiving room. The Nevada product should have a bright future ahead of him and has proven himself capable of being a quality NFL starter. Now he hopes to take his game to the next level.
Round 4: OT Zach Tom
Zach Tom established himself as the Packers right tackle in 2023. He started all 17 games and graded out as the Packers best offensive lineman according to Pro Football Focus. He was strong in pass protection and was by far the team’s best run blocker.
Tom can play any position along the offensive line. His versatility is something the Packers organization prizes. He lacks ideal size for a tackle, but his football smarts, sound technique and footwork make him a quality starter.
If he stays healthy, Tom has a chance to earn Pro Bowl honors for the first time in his career in 2024. There remains a chance he could be moved inside as Matt LaFleur searches for the best five offensive linemen, but he is likely most valuable to the team at tackle.
Key Season for the Packers 2022 Draft Class, Round 5: Edge Kingsley Enagbare
Kingsley Enagbare continued to learn the NFL game in his second season with the Packers in 2023. He recorded two sacks, eight tackles for loss, and a career-best 37 total tackles.
The South Carolina alum started four games while appearing in all 17 as the team’s third edge rusher. Unfortunately, Enagbare suffered what was initially diagnosed as a serious knee injury in the team’s playoff win over Dallas. He surprised a lot of people by being a full participant at OTAs earlier this month.
Enagbare faces competition from 2023 first-round pick, Lukas Van Ness at edge, but he should spend another season as a vital part of the team’s edge rush rotation.
Round 7: S Tariq Carpenter
Tariq Carpenter played 14 games for the Packers in his rookie year but only took 16 snaps on defense. The rest of his time came on special teams.
Last year in training camp, the Packers switched him from safety to linebacker, but he didn’t make the team. He signed with the Steelers and played three games for them before being released a day after being arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman. He is currently a free agent.
Key Season for the Packers 2022 Draft Class, Round 7: DL Jonathan Ford
The Packers drafted Jonathan Ford primarily for his potential contributions on special teams. The Auburn product has spent the last two seasons on the Packers practice squad but has yet to play in a regular season NFL game.
He will have one more chance to make the roster in training camp this season.
Round 7: OT Rasheed Walker
The Packers were surprised Rasheed Walker was still available in the seventh round in 2022. He was considered a potential day one or day two pick before struggling through his final season at Penn State. That caused his draft stock to go down.
After appearing in just one game as a rookie, Walker stepped in and won the starting left tackle job after David Bakhtiari was lost for the season after Week 1. Walker struggled early but by the end of the season, developed into a reliable pass blocker.
Walker will battle with this year’s first-round pick, Jordan Morgan for the starting left tackle spot. He already looks like a seventh-round steal after two seasons and hopes to continue as a starter this season.
Key Season for the Packers 2022 Draft Class, Round 7: WR Samori Toure
Samori Toure played in 11 games in each of his first two NFL seasons and caught a total of 13 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown.
The Packers are deep at receiver and Toure will have to step up his game to make the roster in 2024.
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