When the Green Bay Packers selected two linebackers on day two of the 2024 NFL Draft, experts assumed that at least one of them would start as rookies. But as we enter the third week of training camp, neither rookie is playing with the first string despite playing well. The main reason is an unsung veteran who continues to excel in practice and is playing with the first-string defense.

This Packers Veteran Continues to Hold Off Highly Touted Rookies: The Background

The 2024 NFL season will be the eighth year in the league for inside linebacker Eric Wilson. This will also be Wilson’s third season with the Packers. In 30 total games with the Packers, the former University of Cincinnati star has yet to start a game. However, he has been a standout on Rich Bisaccia’s special teams units.

Wilson does have starting NFL experience. In his seven previous seasons, he has started a total of 27 games. Fifteen of those came in 2020 with the Minnesota Vikings.

Last season, when injuries struck both De’Vondre Campbell and Quay Walker, the teams starting inside linebackers, Wilson filled in and played 121 snaps on defense. He played well when filling in, but few people expected Wilson to compete for a starting job in training camp this season.

The Depth Chart Entering Training Camp

Packers head coach Matt LaFleur typically wants rookies to earn their starting spots in the lineup. When training camp opens, he has returning veterans ahead of rookies on the depth chart. The same was true of Wilson, who was listed ahead of rookies Edgerrin Cooper and Ty’Ron Hopper and remains with the first string.

The Packers have switched from a three-man front under Joe Barry to a four-man front under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. So, Wilson started training camp as a first-string linebacker alongside Walker and Isaiah McDuffie.

Experts expected Cooper, a second-round pick, to pass Wilson and possibly McDuffie in the battle to be a starting linebacker. Remember, while the Pack will play a four-man front, they will likely have only two linebackers on the field for most plays and five defensive backs.

This Packers Veteran Continues to Hold Off Highly Touted Rookies: Training Camp

Since training camp started, Cooper has played well, but Wilson has played so well he has not relinquished the starting job.

Hafley has noticed the strong play of Wilson. “You see him show up on special teams, punching the ball out, which I showed to the defense the other day,” Hafley said. “You see him showing up on defense, punching the ball out. He can play multiple positions because he’s a very smart player and he’s reliable, and he’s a guy that you can trust that’s going to go 100 miles an hour and know exactly what to do and he’s going to try to finish. So, I’m very pleased with him. I’m a big fan.”

Wilson himself is determined that he will not lose his starting spot without a fight. He explained his success thus far in camp. “I pride myself on knowing the playbook, flying around, getting to the ball,” he said. “I think it’s something for the rookies to learn about, to be a good role model for any rookie, whether that’s on defense, offense, to be that person that they can see show up each and every day and work hard.”

He also explained why the linebackers had played so well as a unit in camp. “I think we’re all different in certain ways, but we all have a nose for the ball,” Wilson said. “I think we communicate very well. It’s just a matter of being on the same page. I think we have good communication on and off the field that helps us be better on the field and kind of corral the guys. On defense, we’re really communicators. We’ve got to talk with the front line, we’ve got to make sure it’s all coordinated. I think we work well together.”

This Packers Veteran Continues to Hold Off Highly Touted Rookies: The Outlook

Cooper has enjoyed a strong training camp. But he hasn’t been able to supplant Wilson. Most people still expect it to happen before the Packers open the season in Brazil against the Eagles in a month.

Wilson is doing all he can to keep himself in the lineup. His secret to success? He enjoys the game. “It’s fun,” Wilson said. “I love the game. I love being here. Even in year eight, I approach the game as if I’m a rookie and a beginner. I love the Xs and Os of it. I love being out there and I love helping my team win.”

Even if he doesn’t start, Wilson will continue to contribute on special teams and add depth. But he won’t give up his starting job without a fight.