The 90 to 1 Green Bay Packers roster countdown: No. 26 – Oren Burks

Oren Burks went from barely playing as a rookie to a starter this season.

The Green Bay Packers, and their 90 players on the roster, are in the midst of their first training camp under coach Matt LaFleur. In an annual tradition from my 11 years at Packer Report, I rank the players in order of importance from No. 90 to No. 1. This isn’t just a listing of the team’s best players. Our rankings take into account talent, importance of the position, depth at the position, salary and draft history. More than the ranking, we hope you learn something about each player. (Note: The start of this series can be found with my former employer.)

No. 26: ILB Oren Burks ($836,689 cap)

With Jake Ryan suffering a torn ACL during training camp last summer, Burks – a third-round pick who the Packers traded up to select – was thrown into the fray. After missing the first two games with a shoulder injury, Burks played 81 snaps in his first four games.

Burks, however, was banished to the bench for the second half of the season. Even while starting the Week 17 game against Detroit, Burks played a paltry 18 snaps during the final eight games. For defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, it was practically anybody but Burks when filling out his personnel packages. Safeties fresh off the street got snaps while Burks was stuck on the sideline.

“We’ve been working with him on his sight lines, where to put his eyes, and to move more efficiently in the core,” inside linebackers coach Kirk Olivadotti said during OTAs. “That’s been the big thing we’ve been focusing on with him. He’s done a very good job with trying to be efficient with his feet, efficient with his angles, and putting his eyes in the right spot because when he does that, he can move around and be a pretty good player.”

It’s Burks or bust this season, with Ryan’s departure and the release of Antonio Morrison leaving the cupboard lacking in experience. Burks opened his career at Vanderbilt as a safety. His length, coverage history and intelligence give him a chance.

“I think Oren’s made the biggest improvement out of anyone I’ve seen,” standout starter Blake Martinez said. “It’s just been awesome to see and it’s just going to keep growing from there and once we get pads on those plays will become a reality in that aspect. It’s not going to be projected anymore and I think he’ll show up.”

He has … at times.

“He’s a really talented player but I still think there’s a lot of room for growth right there,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “He’s had some really good plays and then there’s some plays where you need better. I think the thing with him is consistency. Because he’s got the talent, he’s a great kid, he works his tail off, he’s a smart guy. It’s just bringing it every day.”