Five things worth watching as Packers play out 2018 string

5. Young talents

The Packers, like most NFL teams, have a handful of young, unproven, talented players on their roster. Usually, these players’ inexperience and rawness means that they are hard-pressed to find the field.

But with McCarthy gone and the playoffs a mere pipe dream, one would hope that Philbin might use these next four games to see more of these players. Here’s a few of the names I’m most excited to watch more of:

Montravius Adams: In his second year after being a third-round pick, Adams has seen precious little playing time. He battled injuries in his rookie year and a bloated depth chart this year. But with Wilkerson and Mike Daniels on injured reserve, Adams has an opportunity to shine. He recorded his first career sack against Miami in Week 10.

Robert Tonyan: Tonyan is an excellent athlete who played receiver at Indiana State. He flashed on a 54-yard touchdown bomb from Aaron Rodgers in Seattle, but has seen just 23 snaps all season long. He certainly deserves a further look, as Graham, Kendricks, and Lewis are all known entities.

Oren Burks: Burks has played sparingly since being exposed on the opening drive against New England in Week 9. He’s probably a year of study, practicing, and weightlifting away from being a reliable player. But getting some live action in coverage on third downs in these last four games could only help his development.

Kendall Donnerson: Donnerson, a rookie seventh-round pick, is an athletic marvel who flashed occasionally in preseason and training camp. He was recently elevated to the active roster. Given Nick Perry’s status on injured reserve and Reggie Gilbert’s highly disappointing season, it makes sense for Donnerson to receive even a few snaps a game for the rest of the year.