Romeo Doubs (Photo by Tork Mason/USA Today Sports Images)

Five Breakout Candidates for Packers in 2023

Watch out for these players to make an enormous impact for the Green Bay Packers in 2023.

Author:
Jacob Westendorf
Publish date:
Jul 19, 2023 5:49 PM EDT

In this story:

GREEN BAY, Wis. – With training camp slated to start next week, every roster across the NFL is being analyzed. The Green Bay Packers are no different.

There are known commodities, or players that are expected to play well.

Jaire Alexander was a player that really broke out during his second season with the team. Now, he’s one of their core players. Rashan Gary was a breakout player in 2021. Both were examples of players who showed signs, whether in previous seasons or training camp, that they were ready for bigger roles.

In the past, the team was hoping their breakout players would help put them over the top and into the Super Bowl. This year’s team is different. Call it a rebuild, call it a reset, but the breakout candidates for 2023 are players looking to become core pieces for the next Packers championship window.

Here are five guys who could become just that.

Zach Tom

The do-it-all super-sub that played every position but center as a rookie, Tom was the team’s preferred right tackle by the end of last season, replacing a banged-up Yosh Nijman for each of the final couple games.

Tom will battle Nijman during training camp to become the team’s starting right tackle. Or, maybe he’ll compete at center or right guard.

“That’s a great question,” offensive line coach Luke Butkus said before the start of OTAs when asked about Tom’s best position. “Zach, he is versatile. We all saw that last year. He’s going to have an opportunity to play a couple different spots this year, and we’re excited for it. How do we find out? By repetition. Football’s a game of repetition. He’ll take a lot of reps at tackle, he’ll take a lot of reps at guard and maybe at center, as well.”

Tom filled in admirably for left tackle David Bakhtiari when he was sidelined last year. He played everywhere except center, and he did it well. The position he didn’t play could be the one that he’s at his best. General manager Brian Gutekunst said he thought as much when he drafted him.

Overall, Tom played the most snaps at left tackle with 295, followed by 96 at left guard, 84 at right tackle and 14 at right guard.

He gave up one sack (as a left guard against Buffalo) and 12 pressures in 296 pass blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus. PFF’s grading deemed Tom a close-to-average run blocker. That part of his game should improve with an offseason in an NFL strength and conditioning program.

His role may be unclear for now, but that won’t be the case for long. Tom is an ascending player on the offensive line that needs some stability beyond 2023.

Christian Watson

Another obvious candidate. Watson arguably broke out during the second half of last season.

After battling injuries and inconsistency during the first half of his rookie season, Watson blossomed into what could be the next great player in the lineage of Packers second-round receivers.

When Watson was on the field, he wasn’t asked to do a lot as a receiver. His first career touchdown came on a jet-motion play that had usually been reserved for players on the back end of the roster like Tyler Ervin.

Watson’s speed and ability with the ball in his hands was enticing, but he was behind the 8-ball after missing most of training camp due to injuries.

The switch flipped on a brisk November day against the Dallas Cowboys.

Watson caught the first of three touchdowns on third-and-1 to knot the score at 7. Watson did a backflip in the end zone, and it was as if the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders.

Watson took off from there.

Of his 611 receiving yards, 523 came during the final eight games.

Watson showed his big-play ability regardless of who was at quarterback and became the team’s go-to receiver by the end of the year.

Aaron Rodgers had Donald Driver and Greg Jennings at his disposal when he took over for Brett Favre in 2008.

The common thought is that the Packers don’t have a player like that at the moment.

While there isn’t a player as established as Driver or Jennings were in 2008, underlying numbers suggest the Packers could have a budding star waiting to grow with Love.

According to Pro Football Focus, Watson when targeted gave his quarterbacks a 123.0 passer rating. That was the highest mark in the league among receivers who were targeted at least 60 times.

The metrics are all there. The team got a glimpse of his tantalizing talent.

Barring an injury, Watson should be able to get off to a much better start in 2023.

“Certainly, you can feel his speed out there,” coach Matt LaFleur said during the offseason program. “Just where he is at, in terms of his knowledge of the offense, is night and day. He is a real leader in that room. He does an outstanding job.”

The hope from the team is that, by the end of the year, his speed is felt routinely by opposing defenses watching him sprint into the end zone.

Keisean Nixon

How can a first-team All-Pro player be a breakout candidate?

Being asked to do more is a good first step.

Keisean Nixon broke out for the Packers in a big way in 2022. He went from special teams contributor to superstar in a matter of weeks.

All he needed was the opportunity. Given full-time return duties after Amari Rodgers finally fumbled away the job, Nixon wound up leading the NFL in kickoff-return yards. Highlighted by a 105-yard touchdown vs. the Vikings, his five returns of 50-plus yards were three more than any other player.

Where the breakout potential comes from is on defense, with Nixon entering camp as the team’s No. 1 slot corner.

Last season, he totaled only 290 snaps on defense but, whenever he was asked to play there, he played well.

His first extended action was against Tampa Bay Buccaneers legend Tom Brady in Week 3. That might be a daunting task for some, but Nixon was up to the task. He forced a fumble and nearly came down with an interception in a game the Packers won 14-12.

At 5-foot-10 and 201 pounds, Nixon has a sturdy build but doesn’t lack the lateral quickness required to survive in that area of the field. In fact, his size and physicality could be an advantage as a run defender.

The Packers place a high value on the cornerback position. They drafted Eric Stokes and Jaire Alexander in the first round. They paid Rasul Douglas.

Evolving from game-changing kick returner to a key cog on the defense could keep Nixon in Green Bay for a long time.

Devonte Wyatt

Of all the players on this list, Wyatt might be the one the Packers most need to break out. They are relying on a youth movement on the defensive line while replacing two starters.

Wyatt was drafted to be an interior penetrator next to Kenny Clark with the ability to be disruptive against the run and pass.

Wyatt didn’t get as much time on the field as he hoped as a rookie. He played less than a quarter of the team’s defensive snaps and didn’t really find his way into the rotation until Dean Lowry was injured late in the season.

Wyatt’s ability as a pass rusher is what got him drafted in the first round. It’s something the Packers are in desperate need of after finishing last in the NFL in third-down sacks last year.

Wyatt came on strong to end his rookie season. He had eight total pressures and 1.5 sacks in just 111 pass-rushing snaps. He had five pressures in the team’s final four games.

The key for Wyatt will be to channel that momentum into a strong start.

“It takes time,” defensive line coach Jerry Montgomery said at the start of OTAs. “Not everybody walks in Day 1 and figures it out. Almost no one does. So, it was cool to see him progress throughout the year, build more confidence and be able to play fast. That’s what it’s all about. To get him to play fast and not have that fear of failure. Not being afraid to make a mistake.”

Romeo Doubs

Brett Favre had Antonio Freeman and Robert Brooks.

Aaron Rodgers had Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb.

The Packers hope Jordan Love will have Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs.

Doubs was the rookie that made the biggest impact early in 2022.

Perhaps the biggest sign of Doubs’ progression came when he was on the same page as Aaron Rodgers in a home game against Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots. Trailing 24-17 midway through the fourth quarter, Rodgers looked to the right side of the formation and gave Doubs a signal.

Doubs ran his route and made an adjustment as the ball was in the air the way Davante Adams and Nelson did during their elite seasons.

It was a sign of Rodgers trusting the rookie in a big spot.

Doubs was this close to a game-winning touchdown in the same game. Rodgers threw deep down the right sideline looking for a kill shot. It looked like Doubs had caught it, but replays revealed the ball slipped through his hands as he went to the ground.

You don’t get extra credit for almost making plays in the NFL, but it was another good sign.

Doubs missed five games due to a knee injury sustained on a suspect hit at Detroit before returning for a Monday night game against the Los Angeles Rams. Doubs announced his presence with a bang by catching all five targets for 55 yards.

It was the first time Doubs and Watson had played together since Watson’s breakout performance against the Cowboys.

While Watson’s season ended with a bang, Doubs went out with a whimper.

He was held without a catch on two targets in the team’s season-ending loss to the Detroit Lions.

Doubs is coming off a strong offseason. He has built a connection with Love through their work with personal coach Steve Calhoun in California. He was Love’s favorite target during offseason practices that were open to the media.

He’s drawn the praise from LaFleur, as well. LaFleur said at the NFL owners meetings that he did not think there was a route Doubs was unable to run.

In theory, Doubs’ ability to attack the intermediate parts of the field complements Watson’s ability to stretch the field.

Doubs needs to maintain consistency throughout the season to help form that duo the team envisions he and Watson to be.