Green Bay Packers: 5 Early standouts at training camp
By Joe Kipp
4. Danny Vitale, FB
After observing seven practices of the Matt LaFleur-led Packers, it’s become very clear the new head coach wants to utilize a fullback in his offense. Enter Danny Vitale, who’s shown the versatility to be an all-around fullback as both a pass catcher and blocker. Vitale was added to the Packers active roster in December of last year.
A bit undersized for the fullback position (6-0, 240 pounds), Vitale still has the athleticism needed to be a threat out of the backfield. And despite not being 250-260 pounds like a prototypical fullback, Vitale isn’t lacking any strength — in fact, he could be mistaken for a bodybuilder (no, seriously).
The Packers have used Vitale in both pass protection and run blocking, but he’s impressed most in the passing game. His athleticism allows him to be a major threat with the ball in his hands. Vitale figures to be used similarly to how San Francisco 49ers’ head coach Kyle Shanahan utilizes Kyle Juszczyk. LaFleur spent time with Shanahan in Washington and Atlanta earlier in his career and runs a similar style offense.
One thing that’s been abundantly clear to me through the first few days of camp... it’d be a massive upset if Danny Vitale isn’t on the 53. Not only that but he would seem to be in line for a major role within this offense.
— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) July 28, 2019
The Packers didn’t have a fullback on the roster in 2018 after the team decided to part ways with veteran Aaron Ripkowski. The fullback position isn’t new to Green Bay, though, as fan favorites William Henderson and John Kuhn played valuable roles during their time with the team. Could Vitale be the Packers’ next great fullback?