Green Bay Packers: 5 Underrated X-factors for Super Bowl run
By Joe Kipp
3. Kamal Martin, Linebacker
The Packers found a player in Kamal Martin, the rookie linebacker taken in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. Martin has impressed in limited playing time this season. It’s actually surprising he hasn’t seen more playing time, quite frankly. Granted, he missed the Packers’ first five games, but he’s been the team’s best linebacker this season.
The Packers signed Christian Kirksey this past offseason as a potential replacement for Blake Martinez, but that experiment hasn’t panned out so far. Kirksey missed five games due to injury but hasn’t been what the Packers thought they might be getting when they signed him. He’s been a huge liability in pass coverage and is too slow off the ball in the running game.
Martin is much more athletic than Kirksey and has shown the aggressiveness needed to take on blocks in the running game. He’s also extremely effective as a pass-rusher, particularly when it comes to shooting the gap on blitzes. In coverage, he’s miles ahead, as well.
As the regular season wanes on, it’ll be interesting to see if Green Bay gradually starts to give Martin more playing time. Martin has only played on 144 defensive snaps this season, but don’t be surprised if he begins to see the field more, especially as the Packers get closer to the playoffs. He could be a huge factor in Green Bay’s stretch run.