GREEN BAY, Wis. — Emanuel Wilson. Malik Heath. Brenton Cox.
All undrafted players. All made the Packers’ roster of 53. Knowing that rosters are fluid and things in the NFL can change in a blink, here are my thoughts on these guys.
Wilson is a running back who showed enough to earn a roster spot over holdovers Patrick Taylor and Tyler Goodson (waived/injured). Wilson is from Fort Valley State, where he told me he didn’t play special teams. That’s likely to change.
Heath made plays throughout the preseason at wide receiver. He forced himself into the conversation. The Mississippi product was too good to release.
Cox flashed pass rushing skills as an outside linebacker. That’s a priority in the NFL so the former Florida Gator flashed his way on to the roster.
The Packers have now kept at least one undrafted player for 19 straight years. That’s quite a testament to their scouting staff finding the little-known gems in each draft class. How these three fare remains to be seen, but the Packers’ track record with such players is as good as anyone in the NFL.
The Packers kept 11 of their 13 draft picks. This is a young team. Still, last year’s 8-9 record was enough to convince the Packers to turn the page on veterans and start fresh.
That journey starts September 10th in Chicago.