Micah Parsons is out until at least Week 6, throwing a massive wrench into the Packers’ plans, and that means one thing for their defense: opportunity. We’re talking about Barryn Sorrell, the guy who’s gotta step up on that D-line now. With Parsons, one of their absolute brightest stars, sidelined, Green Bay is gonna need rotational guys to seriously contribute if they wanna even sniff a Super Bowl run this year, let alone get their NFC North title back. The top of their depth chart is exciting, but it’s these backups who will truly make the difference.
Green Bay’s Special Teams Was A Disaster, Skyy Moore Is The Fix
Look, the Packers’ return units last season? Straight-up embarrassing, man. We’re talking outside the bottom ten in average kickoff return distance, which is bad enough on its own. But seriously, get this: they were one of only three teams in the *entire league* with zero returns over 40 yards. Think about that for a second. ZERO! And punt returns? Absolute bottom of the barrel, a pathetic 5.6 yards on average. That’s just not gonna cut it for a team talking Super Bowl contender, not in this league, no way.
Enter Skyy Moore. This dude is a proven return specialist, coming over from the San Francisco 49ers where he put up a solid 11.64 yards per punt return last year and even took a kickoff 98 yards to the house! He’s not gonna be their WR1, we know that, but if his special teams contributions are what they should be, and he’s apparently showing solid one-on-one reps in practice, he’s gonna be a valuable piece of that roster. They desperately need him to be the spark that finally gets their special teams unit outta the basement.
Is This MarShawn Lloyd’s Season To Finally Go Off?
Then there’s MarShawn Lloyd. Man, this guy’s story has been all kinds of frustrating so far. A former third-round pick out of USC, taken on Day 2 of the 2024 draft, and he’s been absolutely plagued by injuries his first two NFL seasons. We’re talking nagging hamstring issues, an ankle problem that landed him on injured reserve as a rookie, and then, get this, an emergency appendectomy right after he got activated off IR that same season! He’s only appeared in one game total, rushing six times for just 15 yards in his entire two-year career. Brutal, right?
But now? Lloyd’s showing up to Packers training camp looking healthy, and he’s reminding everyone of that burst and speed he brought from college. He even showed it off in their 5th training camp practice. That’s exactly the play style you want for a change-of-pace back, a real weapon. If he can just stay on the field, and that’s a HUGE ‘if,’ the Packers could really utilize his speed in a bunch of different ways. Could this finally be his year to deliver on that potential and actually contribute?
So yeah, while everyone’s hyped about their big names like Tucker Kraft and Jordan Love, these are the guys the Packers truly need to step up. With Micah Parsons out, Sorrell’s gotta answer the bell. Moore needs to fix those abysmal special teams. And Lloyd? He needs to prove he can stay healthy and contribute. These depth pieces will decide if they’re legit contenders or just another team with a few bright stars. This season is gonna be wild, and these guys are on the spot right now.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
Leave a Reply