The Green Bay Packers have a history of Undrafted Rookie Free Agents making their final roster out of camp. One of the most notable is former CB Sam Shields who made the roster in 2010 and went on to become one of the best in the league at his position during his 7-year career with the Packers. This year could mark another chapter in that book with Running Back Tyler Goodson making a strong statement in camp so far.
The Packers are already pretty solid at the Running Back position with Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon being two of the offense’s premiere playmakers, but after them, who’s next? The Packers have two 2nd year backs that you would think would be the main competitors in camp, Kylin Hill and Patrick Taylor. But with Hill still recovering from an ACL injury suffered last season, and Patrick Taylor a bit banged up so far in camp, the Undrafted Rookies like Tyler Goodson are getting a lot of valuable face time.
The Running Game
Tyler Goodson is definitely making the most of his extra time so far. He’s displayed a lot of quickness in his runs recognizing the open space, as well has putting on a show a few times while losing defenders. Goodson’s initial burst to the line has helped set his average in camp at medium gains, as well as awarded him with several long runs into the secondary. Notably on Wednesday, Goodson’s moves earned some “Ooh’s and Aah’s” from the offense as he put a nice little shake and cut on Shemar Jean-Charles. Last year at Iowa, Goodson ran for 1,151 yards and six touchdowns despite most teams being fully aware of the Hawkeye’s rushing tendencies. But running the ball isn’t the only area where Tyler Goodson is catching eyes.
The Passing Game
In a previous article, I wrote about how All-Purpose yards have made the Packers Running Backs their top offensive weapons. I think Tyler Goodson might have read it. So far in camp he has been turning heads with his pass-catching abilities, securing the ball and turning it up field. Not only has he been catching balls in the flat, but he’s also been on the receiving end of a few deep balls. On Wednesday, Jordan Love channeled his inner-Aaron Rodgers during the 2-minute drills extending the play and finding Goodson on a deep ball in the Endzone for a 23-yard touchdown. The pass was fired right to the side of the endzone, and Goodson hauled it in for the touchdown as time ran out. With the four-time MVP, Rodgers being a stickler on his receivers extending plays, this could win Goodson some favor when roster debates are had in a few weeks.
As Preseason begins tonight in San Francisco, Tyler Goodson will definitely be a player to watch as he continues his push for a spot on the Green Bay Packers final 53. Training Camp practices are one thing, hopefully Goodson can turn it on in a real game situation as well.
Greg Meinholz is a 24/7/365 Packers fan. When he’s not spending time with his family, he can be found meditating in his Packers shrine with a good beer. You can follow him on twitter at @gmeinholz.
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