Packers take advantage of NFL's missed opportunity with Malik Heath
The NFL Draft is a crapshoot. Everyone knows that. So it shouldn't come as a major surprise if late-round picks or even undrafted free agents end up carving out nice careers in the NFL once it's all said and done. What should come as a surprise, however, is when players like Green Bay Packers undrafted […]
The NFL Draft is a crapshoot. Everyone knows that.
So it shouldn't come as a major surprise if late-round picks or even undrafted free agents end up carving out nice careers in the NFL once it's all said and done. What should come as a surprise, however, is when players like Green Bay Packers undrafted rookie Malik Heath show out to the point where they not only make the 53-man roster, but they do so with expectations of making an impact in Year 1.
This can be backed up by the fact that Heath was running with Packers quarterback Jordan Love and the 1s against the Seattle Seahawks. The "promotion" was earned by Heath, who was the team's leading receiver during the preseason. Romeo Doubs' hamstring probably also had something to do with it, but at the same time, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur could've plugged in the more experienced Samori Toure or he could've started the game in 12-personnel or gone 12 heavy while Love and co. were in the game.
He chose Heath, instead.
[Heath's] another example of a guy who just took advantage of every opportunity he had," Gutekunst told reporters Wednesday. "We've talked about this before in this room, and we certainly talk about it all the time about you can't control the opportunities you're going to get but you can control what you do with them. And that usually leads to more opportunities. And I think practice after practice, [in] preseason games -just every step of the way- he was making the most of his opportunities."
Heath went undrafted because of off-field issues during his time at Ole Miss. And while the Packers were one of the 32 teams that passed on him in the draft, it's clear they redeemed themselves during the UDFA signing period and capitalized on the rest of the league overlooking the talented receiver.
"Malik is a guy that should have been drafted," said Gutekunst. "He wasn't for some other reasons, but I think the talent that he had; that was never a factor. We knew he had that in him and then just being able to put it on display each and every day – that wasn't necessarily surprising, but it was impressive."
Heath led the Rebels in receptions (60), receiving yards (971), and tied now-second-round-pick Jonathan Mingo for the team lead in receiving touchdowns (5) last year. He finished the preseason with a team-best 12 receptions for 146-yards, which nearly doubled the next-best reception total (7) and did in fact double the next-best yardage total (73).
He joins a crowded but young and dynamic receiver room. Things are obviously going to crank up quite a few notches now that the regular season is on deck, but if Heath can continue the trajectory we saw over the last few weeks, then it's safe to say he should be expected to make some plays in 2023
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Featured image via Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
