This is year 1 for the new version of the Green Bay Packers. General manager Brian Gutekunst made 13 draft picks, and there are really 13 rookies on the 53-man roster — Lew Nichols was cut and Grant DuBose is on the practice squad, but they compensated that signing by keeping undrafted free agents Emanuel Wilson and Malik Heath.

The Packers like to be patient with their young players, but this is a different season. After moving on from Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay has the second least expensive team in football. Therefore, there aren’t many other options if not testing what they have.

So, case by case, let’s see how the Packers rookies have played.

Lukas Van Ness

Snap percentage: 34.86% on defense, 19.51% on special teams
PFF grade: 65.9
Stats: 7 pressures, 1 sack, 10 tackles, 3 tackles for loss

Overall performance: The Packers are really intentional about their draft and development process. They had the exact same plan for Rashan Gary. Van Ness is a rotational edge rusher at this point, behind Gary and Preston Smith, and he has played more than Gary did as a rookie. The young player has been a full-time edge after playing more than 50% of his snaps on the interior for Iowa.

Van Ness has been a solid run defender, but he still has a lot of work to do to be a more effective and diverse pass rusher. So far, bullrush has been his calling card, but he has to refine other areas of his game.

Luke Musgrave

Snap percentage: 71.46% on offense, 26.83% on special teams
PFF grade: 60.4
Stats: 35 targets, 27 receptions, 249 yards, 1 TD, 77.1 catch %

Overall performance: Besides quarterback, tight end is the most difficult position to make a transition from college to the NFL. That happens because they have to know every area of the offense: run block, pass protection, routes. So it's really hard for rookie tight ends to make an immediate impact. Luke Musgrave, therefore, has had his ups and downs, but it's clear how much the Packers trust him, which includes designed plays to get him involved. Musgrave has played eight games, with seven starts, and he's already 114 yards away from Bubba Franks and the record for receiving yards from a rookie tight end in Packers history.

Jayden Reed

Snap percentage: 57.28% on offense, 10.73% on special teams
PFF grade: 64.3
Stats: 40 targets, 23 receptions, 333 yards, 3 TDs, 57.5 catch %, 2 runs, 19 rushing yards

Overall performance: Reed has been surprisingly productive for a rookie slot receiver. Through eight games, he leads the Packers in receiving yards. Even in yards per game, he's just one yard behind Christian Watson, so the rookie has had real production. Reed is also the Packers wide receiver with the most yards after the catch (98) and second in first downs and targets. As a rookie, there are clear signs that Reed can be a long-term piece of the Packers offense.

Tucker Kraft

Snap percentage: 27.56% on offense, 38.05% on special teams
PFF grade: 45.3
Stats: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 5 yards

Overall performance: The Packers have had a really bad track record in the third round, and Kraft hasn’t given them any indications that he will break the curse. However, it’s too early to tell. Kraft has been mainly a blocker and a special teamer, and all the points about being hard to transition from college to the NFL apply to Kraft as well — and he doesn’t have the same opportunity as Musgrave.

Colby Wooden

Snap percentage: 30.09% on defense, 1.95% on special teams
PFF grade: 65.9
Stats: 11 tackles, 1 tackle for loss, 9 pressures

Overall performance: Wooden was drafted earlier than Brooks, but is behind on the depth chart. For the most part, he’s a good penetrator, but lacks physicality to help against the run.

Sean Clifford

Snap percentage: .98% on offense
PFF grade: 37.5
Stats: 0 attempts, 1 fumble

Overall performance: Clifford has played only five snaps. The bad news is he had a fumble, but it’s too early to tell anything about him. The backup had a promising preseason, even though it was clear that he has a tendency to force some balls and throw interceptions.

Dontayvion Wicks

Snap percentage: 43.31% on offense, .49% on special teams
PFF grade: 67.8
Stats: 23 targets, 14 receptions, 189 yards, 1 TD, 60.9 catch %, 1 rush, 1 rushing yard, 1 fumble

Overall performance: Wicks doesn’t have a big offensive role, but he has been impressive when given the chance. The fifth-rounder is the Packers best WR at creating separation, but he hasn’t been targeted as frequently as this metric would indicate. Against the Rams, he had a fumble. Nonetheless, Wicks is an interesting developmental receiver.

Karl Brooks

Snap percentage: 37.06% on defense, 22.93% on special teams
PFF grade: 53.0
Stats: 2 sacks, 4 passes defended, 9 tackles, 3 tackles for loss, 11 pressures

Overall performance: Brooks has a similar profile to Wooden, being better at penetrating and pass rushing. He’s been prolific doing so, with nine pressures and two sacks. That’s why he has outplayed Wooden, drafted two rounds earlier. For a sixth-round pick in a class that wasn’t known for its defensive line quality, Brooks has been a surprisingly impactful piece.

Anders Carlson

Snap percentage: 31.22% on special teams
PFF grade: 57.4
Stats: 11/13 FG, 15/15 XP

Overall performance: Carlson had a rough training camp and preseason, but he has been decent throughout the regular season. He had converted every kick over their first five games, but has missed two field goals in the last three games — including an important one against the Denver Broncos, a two-point loss for the Packers. The jury is still out on him, and the Packers always treated Carlson as a long-term project.

Carrington Valentine

Snap percentage: 36.15% on defense, 29.27% on special teams
PFF grade: 64.0
Stats: 3 passes defended, 15 tackles, 68.8 passer rating allowed when targeted

Overall performance: Valentine had up and down moments to start the season, but he seemed to have grown to the occasion after the Packers traded Rasul Douglas. He started against the Rams in week 9, and didn’t allow a single completion even being targeted seven times. Until the end of the season, he will have many more opportunities to grow.

Anthony Johnson Jr.

Snap percentage: 12.11% on defense, 8.78% on special teams
PFF grade: 65.2
Stats: 1 interception, 1 tackle

Overall performance: If you analyze the Packers contracts, Anthony Johnson and Zayne Anderson are the only safeties under contract for 2024. Anderson is a depth piece, but Johnson has a real shot to be a defensive starter eventually. His first experience as much happened against the Rams, because both Darnell Savage and Rudy Ford were injured. Johnson had a solid performance and an interception. It’s too early and Johnson is a developmental project after moving from cornerback to safety, but it’s a high-reward proposition.

Emanuel Wilson

Snap percentage: 5.31% on offense, .98% om special teams
PFF grade: 79.0
Stats: 11 rushes, 73 yards (6.6 yards per carry), 3 receptions, 14 yards

Overall performance: Wilson is seen in Green Bay as a potential future impactful player, and that’s why they kept him on the 53-man roster even when Patrick Taylor was the natural RB3. Wilson still has to develop his game, something natural for an undrafted player, in areas like pass protection and blitz pickup. But he’s clearly a talented runner, and his average per carry shows as much.

Malik Heath

Snap percentage: 11.22% on offense, 8.29% on special teams
PFF grade: 45.0
Stats: 5 targets, 0 receptions

Overall performance: When a young player doesn’t have many chances, he has to make the most out of it. Heath did that in training camp and preseason, but hasn’t done anything close to it during the regular season. The undrafted rookie appeared in four games and was targeted five times, but didn’t record any receptions. Drops have been an issue, and it’s getting hard to find a role for him.

Drafted players out of the team:
Lew Nichols III
Grant Dubose (practice squad)

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