Packers: Players that need more playing time in final weeks

Now that wins and losses don’t really matter, there are a number of younger players that need to see more playing time in these final two weeks.

Unfortunately, 2018 didn’t go according to plan but there is still a lot of young potential on this Green Bay Packers‘ roster.

With the playoffs out of the picture, it is time to give these players more meaningful reps and begin looking ahead to 2019.

Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St. Brown

These two have gone hand in hand all season long and due to injuries have seen their fair share of playing time. Early in the season it was MVS making some big plays, but in recent weeks EQ has been targeted more.

However there is still a lack of trust between these two rookies and Aaron Rodgers. In the final weeks Green Bay needs to make them the focal points of the passing game, which will give them some more meaningful reps with Rodgers and help continue to build that trust.

Robert Tonyan

In the preseason and regular season we have seen the potential that Robert Tonyan has, including a 54-yard touchdown catch in Seattle. But the converted wide receiver still has a lot to learn.

As a former receiver, Tonyan is a good pass catcher and route runner but struggles in blocking situations. With Marcedes Lewis and Lance Kendricks both being free agents after this season, Tonyan’s role in 2019 could increase.

With Jimmy Graham‘s broken thumb there is no need for him to continue playing and Tonyan can provide another big receiving target over the middle in this offense.

DeShone Kizer

Although he has almost a full season under his belt as an NFL starter, the Packers are still unsure of what they have in DeShone Kizer.

In Cleveland, Kizer was thrown to the wolves and had no real chance of succeeding. But Kizer has been in the Packers’ system for almost a full year now and GM Brian Gutekunst needs to get an idea of what he has in his backup quarterback.

Also if Kizer is starting, it means that Aaron Rodgers is on the bench and not risking an injury in a meaningless game that could affect his offseason and potentially 2019 season.

J’Mon Moore

MVS and EQ have gotten all the attention this season, but J’Mon Moore was actually the first receiver drafted in 2018 by the Packers.

Even with the injuries to Randall Cobb and Geronimo Allison, Moore has seen the field on just 6.25 percent of offensive plays. And during that time, Moore has just one reception for 10 yards all the way back in Week 6.

Green Bay drafted Moore in the fourth round for a reason, let’s give him some live reps to get a better idea of where he currently stands.

Jake Kumerow

During training camp and the preseason, Jake Kumerow quickly became a fan favorite out of Division III UW-Whitewater. He was able to show off his play-making ability in the preseason but was sidelined much of the year with a shoulder injury.

Kumerow returned three weeks ago but has hauled in just two receptions during that time and has seen limited playing time. He can be another threat at wide receiver and brings that big-play potential.

Give the people what they want!

Oren Burks

A highly athletic linebacker that has the ability to cover sideline-to-sideline but is still young and learning. Oren Burks mostly played safety while at Vanderbilt before converting to linebacker.

His abilities as a linebacker are still raw and a big issue is that he gets lost in coverage and appears to be unsure of his responsibilities. This is a big reason that he hasn’t seen the field very much.

However, he has great potential to be a difference maker and now is the time to take some live reps.

Reggie Gilbert

Reggie Gilbert put together a fantastic preseason but for the most part during the regular season he has been M.I.A.

The Packers are lacking productive edge rushers and even with Nick Perry‘s injury, Gilbert played just 40 percent of the snaps this season. Moving forward Green Bay needs to know if they can rely on Gilbert to play meaningful minutes.

Natrell Jamerson

The rookie has spent most of the season with the Houston Texans and appeared in 10 games, recording seven tackles and breaking up one pass before he was claimed by the Green Bay Packers in early December.

A former safety at the University of Wisconsin, Natrell Jamerson is listed as a cornerback with the Packers. At the combine, he ran a 4.4-second 40-yard dash and had a vertical jump of 35.5 inches.

As we’ve seen numerous times, Green Bay can never have too much depth in the secondary so let’s see what we have in Natrell Jamerson.

Fadol Brown

The undrafted defensive tackle was let go by the Oakland Raiders and claimed by Green Bay at the same time Natrell Jamerson was.

Fadol Brown has appeared in 10 games this season and has fared quite well, tallying 20 total tackles, two quarterback hits and a pass deflection. Against Chicago, Brown made three tackles in just his second game as a Packer.

Outside of Kenny Clark and Mike Daniels, the Packers need to find consistent help at the defensive lineman position.

Kendall Donnerson

The rookie edge rusher sat on Green Bay’s practice squad for the first 13 weeks of the season before being promoted on December 4.

Similar to other players that Gutekunst has brought in, Kendall Donnerson is highly athletic. He ran a 4.48-second 40-yard dash, has a 40-inch vertical and ran 7.03 in the three-cone drill. In his four preseason games, Donnerson recorded seven tackles and two quarterback hurries.

Although his skill set is still developing, Donnerson’s athleticism makes him difficult to slow down and he operates well in space if asked to drop back into coverage.

Most likely Green Bay will address the edge rushing position this offseason, but let’s see if there is the potential for Donnerson to play a bigger role next season.

With Green Bay being out of playoff contention, it is time to see what the young guys can do and begin planning for the 2019 season.