GREEN BAY, WI (WSAU) – As cut day continues to ravage the NFL, three fan-favorite undrafted rookies have made the Packers 53-man roster.
Running back Emmunal Wilson, wide receiver Malik Heath, and outside linebacker Brenton Cox Jr. made waves around Green Bay and the league during the Packers three preseason games and earned their spots on the team’s active roster for Week 1 against Chicago.
Wilson, a rookie out of Fort Valley State who went undrafted, topped the NFL in preseason rushing yards. He ran the ball 38 times for 223 yards and two touchdowns, including an 80-yard run for a TD in the first preseason game against the Bengals. According to PFF, Wilson also topped all running backs in the preseason in forced missed tackles (11) and rushes of 10 yards or more (5).
Heath, meanwhile, finished with a team-high 146 receiving yards on 12 receptions over the course of three preseason games, including eight catches that led to a first down. He also showed his value as a run blocker, which could help him take over Allen Lazard’s old role in Green Bay at some point this season.
It appears that undrafted free-agent Malik Heath has made the #Packers 53-man roster, per his Instagram. pic.twitter.com/QxPnK2NVC7
— Kyle Malzhan (@KyleMalzhan) August 29, 2023
In three preseason games, Cox, an undrafted free agent who was dismissed from the football programs at Georgia and Florida before joining the NFL, led the Packers in pressures (seven, including six hurries), batted down two passes (one of which resulted in an interception), and produced a tackle for loss. He will join fellow rookie Lukas Van Ness in learning from veteran pass rushers like Preston Smith this season.
