Four players Packers must make room for on 53-man roster
Isaiah McDuffie
At the start of the summer, few were giving Isaiah McDuffie much of a shot to make the roster.
The Packers have an All-Pro in De’Vondre Campbell, used a first-round pick on Quay Walker, and also have Krys Barnes, a starter over the past two seasons.
Then there was Ty Summers, whose special teams abilities made him a strong candidate to make the roster.
But McDuffie had other ideas. After a quiet rookie season, McDuffie has stepped up in a big way this summer. Both with his play on defense and special teams, McDuffie has been impressive and deserves a spot on the 53.
Man Isaiah McDuffie is just playing so much faster. Arguably the biggest improvement of any player from 2021 training camp to 2022 training camp.
— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) August 20, 2022
McDuffie made 16 tackles and one tackle for loss over three preseason games.
Matt LaFleur said that McDuffie has been “flying around” on defense and special teams, and this has been evident in the preseason. The second-year linebacker always seems to be near the ball making a tackle.
Opportunities were always going to be limited on defense given Green Bay’s great inside linebacker depth, barring injuries.
No matter how well he played on defense, if McDuffie couldn’t play on special teams, it would hurt his chances of making the 53. But he has proven himself in this phase of the game, too, and will be a key special teams player for the Packers this season.