Green Bay Packers 2018 roster review: Devante Mays
Reviewing Devante Mays’ first year with the Green Bay Packers.
Devante Mays‘ rookie season couldn’t have gone much worse.
But the Green Bay Packers shouldn’t lose faith in their seventh-round selection.
Let’s first take a look back at his first season in the NFL, before looking ahead to 2018. Despite his struggles, the Packers should see what they have in Mays this offseason.
Season in review
Mays was always going to have to be patient before getting an opportunity. Sitting behind Ty Montgomery, Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones on the Week 1 depth chart meant it would likely require an injury or two before he got a chance.
But when you’re a seventh-round pick competing with a trio of talented running backs ahead of you, it’s important to make the most of any opportunity you get.
That’s not what happened for Mays, who fumbled on his very first NFL carry, and then lost the football again during the same game, a 23-0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
Mike McCarthy quickly lost faith in the rookie. And given the high level of play of Williams and Jones down the stretch, Mays wasn’t needed.
He got one carry in the regular season finale at Detroit, rushing for two yards.
In total, Mays played on just 14 snaps during his rookie season, according to Pro Football Reference. He had four carries for just one yard with two fumbles.
Looking ahead to 2018 season
Yes, it was a difficult rookie season for Mays. But no, they shouldn’t give up on him yet. After all, there’s a reason why they drafted him.
The key might be opportunity. It’s difficult to judge someone on four carries. Two costly fumbles held him back, but it might be as simple as improving his ball security. We don’t as of yet know what kind of running back he could be in the NFL.
Fellow rookie Williams made a slow start, too. But when he was forced to take a heavy workload, Williams found rhythm, and that led to confidence. All of a sudden he was the Packers’ most consistent player on offense not named Davante Adams or David Bakhtiari.
Next: Packers: 12 players that need to go this offseason
Mays has a lot to prove in the summer, but the Packers won’t give up on him yet.