Matt LaFleur didn’t need long to see the impressive talent of first-round pick Devonte Wyatt, who the Green Bay Packers selected at No. 28 overall in the 2022 draft.
Two days of rookie minicamp provided a strong first impression of the Packers’ new defensive lineman.
“He sure looked good in some of the pass-rush things we were doing. I love his intensity, his focus. You can tell he’s been coached hard,” LaFleur said Saturday. “There’s a reason he was a first-round pick. You can see it.”
Rookies don’t wear pads and live on-field work is limited during minicamp, complicating the evaluation of players along the line of scrimmage, but there’s no reason to think Wyatt can’t carry over his strong start to the rest of the offseason workout program and training camp.
Wyatt, a physically ready player at 24 years old, was a dominant interior presence for Georgia’s historic defense. He’s also an elite athlete at his size, with a profile almost identical to Quinnen Williams. And his excellent work at the Senior Bowl highlighted Wyatt’s disruptive potential at the next level.
The Packers love Wyatt’s lateral quickness against the run, and his explosive first step could make him a valuable interior pass-rusher. It’s early, but LaFleur is already impressed with what he’s seen of Wyatt in the passing game. He’ll be tough to keep off the field as a rookie if he can consistently win one-on-one opportunities as a rusher.
Don’t be surprised if Wyatt is an important player right away for the Packers defense. He has the three-down skill set of a Week 1 starter, and the Packers don’t currently have an obvious starter in the base defense next to Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry.
