4. Blake Martinez, ILB
Inside linebacker Blake Martinez was all over the field on Sunday, tallying 13 tackles (10 solo) in a nice defensive performance. Martinez was the heartbeat of the defense, orchestrating pre-snap adjustments and rallying to the ball immediately after it was snapped on several occasions. He also excelled in coverage and was only targeted once all game, per Pro Football Focus’ recap.
Entering a contract year, much of the talk surrounding Martinez entering the 2019 season was that he didn’t possess all the traits to be one of the NFL’s highest-paid linebackers, and thus the Packers shouldn’t extend his contract after the season. But after a brilliant start to the year, it appears Martinez is ready for a breakout campaign.
The Packers are extremely thin at the inside linebacker position, especially after hybrid linebacker Raven Greene exited Sunday’s game with an ankle injury. Oren Burks (pectoral) should be back in a few weeks, but in the meantime, Martinez will have to continue holding down the middle of the field.
If Martinez continues to play like he did against the Vikings, we could see him make his first Pro Bowl. He currently has 20 tackles (15 solo) on the season. The Packers defense appears to be one of the best in the NFL after just two weeks, and Martinez is a big reason why.