Packers: Three players already on roster who can make a difference

3. Oren Burks

I’ve been high on Oren Burks since the Packers drafted him in the third round of the 2018 draft. I thought Burks was the perfect blend of size (6-foot-3, 233 pounds) and speed (4.59 40-yard dash) for the Packers defense.

Burks also was a former safety so coverage was nothing new for him. He should’ve been the perfect complement for Blake Martinez.

Here we are two seasons later and injuries, combined with lack of confidence in him, have plagued his career and kept him limited to special teams.

Now he is at a crossroads in his career with a perfect opportunity to become a difference-maker in the defense. Burks has to make a move in year three or find himself out of a job.

The Packers are sure to add a player or two in the draft and free agency, but Burks will have a leg up on anyone having played under Mike Pettine the past two years.

Both of Burks’ injuries were to the upper body so there’s no reason to think he would have lost any speed. If he can put his injuries behind him and find his way on defense, Burks could be the missing ingredient the defense has been missing.

It almost seems to be a foregone conclusion Blake Martinez will be gone. If someone already on the roster can replace his productivity and provide a boost in the pass defense, it would be a big boon for the team.