Green Bay Packers: 5 Cut candidates fighting for a spot at training camp

Green Bay Packers roster cut candidate No. 2: Oren Burks, LB

Another position where the Packers have experienced some ongoing issues is at linebacker. And many fans would likely point to the lack of availability and performance from Oren Burks as part of the reason for that.

Green Bay selected Burks in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft (No. 88 overall) with hopes that he could be the future of the linebacker position. In 14 games as a rookie, the Vanderbilt product appeared to be delivering on some of that as he displayed plenty of upside in his 122 snaps on defense with strong play on special teams as well.

Unfortunately, due to a number of minor injuries that have limited him coupled with ineffective play when he’s gotten on the field, Burks has remained a role player at best. In 28 games over the past two seasons, he’s played only 153 defensive snaps and hasn’t looked like anything special when on the field.

The one thing that could save Burks’ roster spot is the fact that he’s become a heavy special teams contributor, playing 78 percent of the snaps with that unit in the 2020 season. But with Krys Barnes emerging as a UDFA last season alongside Kamal Martin now also entering year two, Burks looks as if he could end up being the odd man out at linebacker.