Most Important Packers – 17-20: Three Young Defenders and Musgrave

Part 12 of our 90-to-1 countdown of the Green Bay Packers’ roster features second-year defenders Lukas Van Ness and Carrington Valentine, rookie Javon Bullard and tight end Luke Musgrave

Green Bay Packers defender Lukas Van Ness (90) sacks Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) at Lambeau Field. / Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin /

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers will take a 90-man roster to the field for the first practice of training camp on July 22.

Here is Part 12 of our ranking of the most important players on the Packers’ roster. This isn’t just a listing of the team’s best players. These rankings consider talent, importance of the position, depth at the position, salary and draft history. More than anything, we hope you learn something about each player.

No. 20: DE Lukas Van Ness

Van Ness, last year’s first-round pick, had four sacks during the regular season and added another in the playoffs. By the end of it, Van Ness said he was “light-years ahead” of where he started. That was evident in the numbers. Including a sack against future Hall of Famer Tyron Smith in the playoff win at Dallas, he had four sacks in his final eight games.

In his 19 total games, Pro Football Focus credited him with 22 pressures. After recording a sack and five pressures in his debut at Chicago, Van Ness had two pressures in the next nine games. In the final nine games, he recorded 15 pressures.

“I feel like this business, a lot of people are quick to judge (and) want instant results,” Van Ness said last year. “But in a transition like I had coming from Iowa and playing interior D-line and a lot different techniques, to come into Green Bay and change up my technique and learning a different defense. I had a lot of hurdles to get over and I felt like, especially the last month or two, I’ve been able to put together and play a lot more free.”

There’s a new defensive scheme, which should fit Van Ness’ style well. Last year, he was fourth among the team’s outside linebackers in snaps. This year, he should have a larger role behind starting defensive ends Rashan Gary and Preston Smith.

After being a limited participant in the offseason practices after breaking the tip of his thumb, expectations are high for Year 2.

“I’m excited about Lukas,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “I think a lot of times you see a lot of those guys that are pass-rushers take a huge jump from Year 1 to Year 2. He’s a guy that’s put in a ton of work.”

While there are exceptions, several of last year’s sack leaders did have big jumps in production in their second season. For instance, T.J. Watt went from seven as a rookie to 13 in Year 2, Khalil Mack went from four to 15, Danielle Hunter went from six to 12.5 and Myles Garrett went from seven to 13.5.

No. 19: CB Carrington Valentine

As a seventh-round pick last year, there were almost no expectations for Valentine. After all, he was joining a cornerback group that featured Jaire Alexander, Rasul Douglas and Eric Stokes. Certainly, Valentine wouldn’t have to play.

Well, Valentine did play. A lot. Among the team’s perimeter corners, he played 207 more snaps than anyone else. He started 12 games, and while he didn’t have any interceptions, he led the team with nine passes defensed. According to Pro Football Focus, 75 cornerbacks played at least 400 coverage snaps. Valentine ranked 13th with a completion percentage allowed of 55.6 percent. That ranked third among rookies.

“I learned a lot,” he said during OTAs. “From the start to the middle to the end, I learned who I was as a player. I learned what worked, what didn’t work. So, now I know my identity of who I am and what I’ve got to do to take that next step.”

When the defense was at full strength for the offseason practices, Alexander and Stokes were the No. 1 corners with Valentine working with the second unit. Stokes vs. Valentine will be one of the hottest battles of camp. Based on how Stokes played in 2022 and 2023 vs. how Valentine played in 2023, Valentine probably is the favorite to win the job, no matter what the depth chart says.

Now that Valentine knows his identity, what is it?

“He a dog, honesty,” said Valentine, who will bring a new physique to his second training camp. “That’s who I am. Hard-worker, I’m a competitor. I’m always going to strain. I’m always going talk a little, as well. Just my personality. I don’t really care who you are. I don’t care if you’re All-Pro, Hall of Famer. At the end of the day, you’ve got to beat me. That’s who I am.”

No. 18: TE Luke Musgrave

Even while missing six games with a lacerated spleen, the second-round pick tied Bubba Franks’ franchise rookie record for a tight end with 34 receptions.

Franks is one of the better tight ends in Packers history. Musgrave has the potential to be the best. He’s got the height (6-foot-6), speed (4.61 in the 40) and athleticism (36-inch vertical) to be that matchup problem that every offensive coordinator covets and every defensive coordinator fears.

A little of that was evident last year. Musgrave had five catches of 25-plus yards during the regular season. Four of them came during his final two full games before the injury, including a 20-yard touchdown against the Rams and a 36-yard catch at Pittsburgh. Among his six catches in the playoffs was a 38-yard touchdown at Dallas. Considering the significance of the injury, was that touchdown a big deal?

“I don’t know if I didn’t put any too much meaning to it,” he said during minicamp. “I think it was just cool to score a touchdown in the first round of playoffs. It was super cool, super fun.”

No different than his sidekick, Tucker Kraft, what makes Musgrave dangerous is his ability as a blocker. Not that he’s in-his-prime Franks in the run game, but he’s good enough in that phase to not make the offense predictable.

“I think I shine through in the in the pass game a little bit more than I do in the run game,” he said, “but I just want to be the best I can be and help the offense.”

No. 17: S Javon Bullard

By necessity, general manager Brian Gutekunst dropped a nuke on his safety room. Gone are the top three players from last year. In their place are veteran Xavier McKinney and three rookies, including Bullard, the second-round pick who is practically a lock to be a Week 1 starter.

New defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley tried to recruit Bullard to Boston College.

“Just loved his tape. Loved the way he played. Loved the play style. Loved the versatility,” Hafley said before the start of OTAs. “He’s a physical guy. He can run, he can cover, he can play deep, he can play in the slot, he can blitz. He’s bigger when you see him. He’s thick (and) strong.

“The best part about it, and I kind of said the same thing about X is, you don’t really know what you’re getting until you get into the meeting room with them. He’s a sharp guy. His ability to learn and process in those two days (or rookie camp) was impressive. You get a guy who can play that fast and can take what he learned in the meeting room and bring it out to the field and he’s got a chance.”

The Packers hoped they’d have a great safety tandem when they signed Adrian Amos and drafted Darnell Savage in 2019. That didn’t come to fruition. Now, they hope they’ll have a great tandem with McKinney and Bullard.

That’s exactly what NFL analyst Louis Riddick is predicting.

At Georgia, Bullard played mostly in the slot in 2022 and mostly free safety in 2023. According to Pro Football Focus, among safeties with 200-plus coverage snaps in the draft class, Bullard ranked No. 1 in forced-incompletion percentage. Among safeties with 400-plus total snaps, Bullard ranked 19th out of 100 in tackling percentage.

Bullard isn’t tall (5-foot-10 1/2) but he’s not small (198 pounds). With 4.47 speed in the 40, he was a “little stick of dynamite” at Georgia.

“He’ll be good. He’ll fit in. He’ll do whatever the team needs,” Fran Brown, the former defensive coordinator at Georgia and new coach at Syracuse, told Packer Central. “He’s a leader. He gets his hands on the ball. He likes contact. He’s going to want to learn. 

“That’s going to be the good thing about him. He’s going to know what everyone else does. I think by you understanding and knowing what everyone around you is doing, it allows you to play your position a lot easier and a lot faster. It allows you to relax and just play football.”

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Here is Part 3 of our training camp position previews. ⬇️https://t.co/hduCYN0Nn8

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) July 11, 2024

Training camp previews: Quarterbacks | Running backs | Receivers | Tight ends

All-NFC North Team: Quarterbacks | Running backs | Receivers | Tight ends | Offensive line (Saturday)

Best/worst case for rookies: Jordan Morgan | Edgerrin Cooper | Javon Bullard

Hot Reads: Louis Riddick on McKinney and Bullard | Kenny Clark, Rashan Gary in ESPN rankings | ESPN’s playmaker rankings | Four biggest changes | 12 Super Bowl contenders | Josh Jacobs in ESPN rankings | Two months to Packers-Eagles 

Most Important Packers: 21-24 | 25-29 | 30-34 | 35-39 | 40-44 | 45-49 | 50-54 | 55-59 | 60-64 | 65-69 | 70-79 | 80-90