3 Packers players set for a strong year after a great preseason performance

The Green Bay Packers finished their preseason schedule with a 30-7 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday, and now all the talk around the team is about cuts and the initial 53-man roster . But at the end of the day, the players who will really define the Packers 2024 season are obviously roster locks.

So not to lose sight of who the more impactful players are. This preseason, starters didn't play much on offense, it was just a drive against the Cleveland Browns. The defense played slightly more, but not much either. So, let's try to find out which players can have a big impact based on what they did in exhibition games.

3 players set for a big year after a strong preseason:

Evan Williams

Williams was widely seen as a reach in the fourth round, but the Packers are probably extremely happy with the early returns from him. With a 79.1 PFF grade, he was 14th among safeties in the entire NFL — and second among rookie safeties in the league, just behind Arizona Cardinals' Dadrion Taylor-Demerson.

Williams' strong performances included a 77.9 coverage grade and 84.7 (!) tackling grade, which certainly fits well into what defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley wants to do with a strong presence of safeties in the box.

The rookie played 24 snaps as a free safety and 12 in the box, plus six in the slot and one as a boundary corner. Javon Bullard is still expected to start alongside Xavier McKinney, but don't be surprised if Evan Williams ends up with a big role as a rookie, be it moving Bullard to the slot (or the bench), or even with the Packers playing big nickel with three safeties more frequently.

Emanuel Wilson

The Packers signed Josh Jacobs to replace Aaron Jones, re-signed AJ Dillon, and drafted MarShawn Lloyd. So you wouldn't expect Emanuel Wilson, a former undrafted player, to have a big impact on the team. But things change fast in the NFL. Wilson had a strong preseason performance, just like he did in 2023, while Dillon (stinger) and Lloyd (hamstring) suffered injuries.

It's still unclear if Dillon and Lloyd will start the regular season on injured reserve, but Emanuel Wilson has a real shot to be the primary backup running back behind Josh Jacobs. And even if Dillon is active, there's a strong case to be made that Wilson is more efficient at this point.

Moreover, Emanuel Wilson is a good fit as a complementary back to what Jacobs does and does not do well. The second-year player is the best Packers' player running outside the tackles because of his speed and lateral agility — and this is probably the only area in which Aaron Jones is clearly better than Jacobs.

Dontayvion Wicks

Ok, it's funny that Dontayvion Wicks made this list because he had exactly one preseason snap in 2024. But he literally made the most out of it, with a 65-yard touchdown reception in the only drive the Packers' offensive starters played.

The huge touchdown obviously is a big factor here, but the fact that Wicks didn't play any snaps beyond that is also telling. Matt LaFleur clearly sees Wicks as a starter, even though the depth chart would indicate Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Jayden Reed are ahead of him.

Wicks is an extremely talented route runner, and Jordan Love has said he expects big things out of the second-year receiver in 2024.

Related: Green Bay Packers' 53-man roster prediction after the preseason finale