2. Running #3 will be a difficult step.
As they did all the pre-season, rookie rookie Tyler Goodson and pro sophomore Patrick Taylor produced their chances, and it wouldn’t be easy to decide which would take third place behind starters Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon.
Goodson broke 24 yards off the TD in one of the best plays of the entire prep season, finishing with 54 yards of melee (28 lunges, 26 receiving). Unfortunately, he also failed to return the kickoff.
Taylor had 51 total yards (34 rushes, 17 receiving) and might have had a chance to punch TD at the goal line if not for a few penalty kicks that supported the beam.
“This is a difficult decision,” LaFleur said of the pending decision. “These two guys did a really good job. A lot of that will have to do with their performance in special teams.
“I give credit to these two guys. What I’ve seen are guys fighting for those tough yards, coming out in the passing game, finishing tough rounds. We’ll see (in the movie) how they hold up in pro passes.”
3. The first-round draft pick showed Quay Walker that he was ready for the real thing.
Walker was the only player to play early in the defensive season, and in only a few series against the Chiefs, the rookie full-back was all over the field.
He scored five tackles (three solos), performed shows along the two streaks, and displayed all the skills the Packers could have hoped for. LaFleur is excited to see him along with another 6-4 midfielder at De’Vondre Campbell once the season begins.
He impressed Lafleur on the mental side of things, with the coach noting to see him on the sidelines watching the defense from a few dozen meters away, taking mental reps when he’s not there.
“I was asking him why he was so far from defense so late in the game and he said, ‘I can see everything from here,’ and I was like a guy, that’s a great answer,” LaFleur said, noting he does the same thing in call-in plays sometimes. .
“He’s wise beyond his years to be able to get that perspective in this position. That showed a lot of maturity from him.”
