The Green Bay Packers’ backups took the field against the Minnesota Vikings’ starters over the weekend in preparation for the playoffs, and the result was about as rough as expected.
Despite the outcome however, several players were able to flash, showcasing the futures that they may have in Titletown.
Now that the regular season is officially behind us, let’s recap some of Sunday’s highlights.
Emergency Reinforcements
For the second time this season, a former Cowboys’ All-Pro has made his debut in the Green and Gold, and while the expectations for Trevon Diggs aren’t nearly as lofty, his presence could be crucial in the playoffs.
The Green Bay Packers’ cornerback room has been exposed as of late, mostly thanks to Micah Parsons’ absence, and with late-season injuries to Nate Hobbs, Kamal Hadden, and most recently, Bo Melton, the group has become incredibly thin.
That created the perfect storm for a desperate wavier claim, and the Packers’ signing of Diggs is exactly that.
Prior to joining the team, Diggs had been struggling mightily so far this season, allowing a perfect passer rating when targeted while giving up four touchdowns.
He also had zero pass breakups or interceptions, which seemed to indicate that he was a far cry from the player he once was.
On Sunday, Diggs looked to prove otherwise, and for all intents and purposes, he was successful in his first test.
In limited snaps, Diggs was able to hold his own against talented Vikings receivers, and while the sample size doesn’t mean much, it is somewhat encouraging.
Diggs was the Packers’ highest rated defensive player via PFF with a high quality 81.5 grade, and he only allowed a 45.2 passer rating.
In addition, he added three tackles, looking better against the run than most of the Packers’ cornerback options have all year.
That doesn’t mean that Green Bay will be able to turn Diggs’ career around, but they’ve done it before, notably with Rasul Douglas, and the player is undoubtedly talented.
Head coach Matt LaFleur didn’t rule out the chance that Diggs could start against the Bears in the wildcard round, and if there’s anything that could provide an infusion to the spiraling room, it’s fresh blood, and more specifically, a ball hawk’s.
Several of the teams that Green Bay could face on their road to the Super Bowl have game-breaking receiver talent, and the Packers may have just found a way to reshape their ailing defense at the risk of no guaranteed money right before the playoffs begin.
Super Futures
Although there wasn’t much to cheer for offensively against the Vikings, there were some additional bright spots on defense, namely, Barryn Sorrell and Collin Oliver.
Both rushers were selected by the Green Bay Packers in the 2025 draft, and with Rashan Gary’s lack of production in the second half of the season, there’s likely be plenty of opportunity when their sophomore campaigns roll around.
Sorrell got to record his first NFL start on Sunday, stuffing the stat sheet with eight total tackles, one sack, and a fumble recovery, and the stat line was only a building block on top of the other promising performances that he’s had in his limited snap share.
In 2026, I anticipate that the former Texas product will move up significantly in the Packers’ defensive rotation, and if he continues to develop, I wouldn’t be surprised to see him first off the bench around this time next year, especially if he can remain solid against the run.
Oliver, on the other hand, finally made his Packers debut, playing for the first time since he injured his hamstring in training camp.
On just fifteen pass rushes, Oliver was able to produce four pressures, which was good enough for second-best on the team, and his burst off the ball was noticeable.
With an entire offseason of reps, Oliver could develop into the twitchy speed rushing threat that Green Bay needs to better compliment its other talent.
As the Green Bay Packers’ pass rush has struggled since Micah Parsons’ injury, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley may have to consider some snaps in the playoffs for both of these young and explosive players.
At the very least, the Packers’ edge room will be far more bolstered than it has been in years, and if either of these selections can hit, the Green Bay defense would benefit significantly.
A Road Less Traveled
As many expected, the Green Bay Packers will be headed to Chicago this week to take on the Bears for the third time in six games.
Given the current state of the roster, there’s no better matchup that the Packers could’ve asked for in first round of the playoffs.
Green Bay will be only the fourth team in NFL history to enter the postseason on a four game losing streak, and overall morale is certainly much lower than one would hope for this time of year.
The team should be hungry to avenge its embarrassing division flounder, and outside of that endgame collapse, the Packers have mostly dominated their rivals thus far.
In what will be just the third playoff matchup in these teams’ storied history, the Packers will get their chance.
With only one more game guaranteed, I’ll leave you with this:
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