The Green Bay Packers have certainly been one of the most consistent teams throughout the last decade in the NFL. Their All-Star quarterback, Aaron Rodgers, has only once managed to get his hands on the Super Bowl as he led his team past the competition in 2010 when they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the final game of the season.
Since then, the Packers lost four consecutive Conference Championship matches. It seems that something is missing from the puzzle, and they will need to do something as soon as possible as Rodgers has four more years on his contract.
The Packers are +900 favorites to win the Super Bowl which puts them in 4th place behind the Buffalo Bills, Philadelphia Eagles, and the Kansas City Chiefs.
Tyler Goodson’s college career
The team made several additions to their roster as they would need to go through a rebuilding process. They selected one of the top Iowan prospects, Tyler Goodson, as an undrafted free agent on May 2, 2022.
According to ClutchBet, Tyler does not make the list of best NFL players from Iowa yet, but that would probably be on his mind. The 21-year-old running back seemed to be an attractive catch for the Packers as he posted some decent stats for the University of Iowa throughout his NCAA career.
In 2020, the young prospect from Iowa made the First-team All-Big Ten averaging 5.3 yards per carry and catching 15 passes in eight appearances. During the following year, Goodson finished off with 1,151 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 256 carries in his junior season. He also caught 31 passes for 247 yards on the receiving end.
Tyler Goodson took part during the offseason rushing for 107 yards and one touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs. The 21-year-old running back impressed Matt LaFleur, but he ended up being among the final cuts for the team.
The Packers picked Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon ahead of him. Moreover, his biggest competitor for the position, Patrick Taylor, is still considered to be a more preferable pick as he was later signed onto the roster. Taylor has experience with the Packers as he played in nine games in 2021 rushing for 89 yards and a touchdown.
Goodson’s weaknesses
Despite his strong offense, Goodson has been considered to be lacking some basic defensive skills. The running back was unable to live up to the expectations on special teams throughout the offseason. In his final appearance against the Kansas City Chiefs, Goodson muffed a kickoff in the end-zone and was tackled at the eight-yard line.
His lack of awareness is what made the difference as he was eventually sent to the practice squad. Goodson will need to develop some of his skills as he will need to further work on protecting the quarterback.
One year with the practice team will certainly give him the much-needed experience which will add value to his game. Goodson is still a 21-year-old prospect who has the future ahead of him and it’s only a matter of time before he booked his spot on the official roster.
Promising future
Even though the team seems to be packed with running backs as they can also rely on Kylin Hill who is currently recovering from a torn ACL from last year.
Goodson might seek career development somewhere else as he might not get enough chances early on with the Packers.
The 21-year-old running back surely has a high potential and regularly runs through arms’ tackles in the open field. Moreover, Goodson is a versatile running back who relies much on his acceleration and speed.
His on-field vision can be improved as this might be the only thing stopping him from using his foot quickness and initial burst to their potential.
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