Packers: The pressure is on Josiah Deguara in 2022

Green Bay Packers tight end Josiah Deguara has an important summer ahead.

Robert Tonyan is a roster lock, assuming he is fully healthy and doesn’t begin the season on the PUP list. Marcedes Lewis, too, will make the Packers’ 53-man roster.

Deguara will likely also be one of the tight ends on the roster, but he needs to impress this summer to ensure he isn’t overtaken on the depth chart by either Dominique Dafney or Tyler Davis.

Deguara, a third-round pick in 2020, has failed to land a key role on offense in his first two seasons.

Injuries limited him to only two games as a rookie. He played in 16 last season, making two starts, but was mostly a backup.

Deguara’s snap counts increased in the second half of the season out of necessity as Tonyan was lost for the year due to a torn ACL.

However, his receiving numbers were underwhelming. Deguara was targeted just 33 times, making 25 catches for 245 yards and two touchdowns.

Deguara can bring much more than just pass-catching to the Packers’ offense. He is also a willing blocker and many believed he would best suit an H-back role when he was drafted.

His versatility is one of his biggest strengths.

But now is the time for Deguara to put it all together.

It can take a few years for tight ends to develop. It sure did for Tonyan. He had just 14 receptions over three years before his breakout 11-touchdown season in 2020.

Opportunities will certainly be there for Deguara.

This is a Packers offense without Davante Adams. There is uncertainty at wide receiver. They are also returning mostly the same tight end room.

The Packers invested a third-round pick in Deguara in 2020. He was unlucky with injuries his rookie season, which won’t have helped his development.

However, he now enters an important third season. It could be a make-or-break year for the Packers’ tight end.