Year after year, the Green Bay Packers sign an undrafted free agent who eventually makes an impact, however minimal, on Sundays.
It goes back to the Tramon Williams and Sam Shields of the world, that if you are an undrafted free agent, you should want to go to Green Bay. Since 2005, the Packers have had at least one undrafted free agent make the initial 53-man roster every year, except for the 2024 season.
This year, the Packers once again signed a strong crop of undrafted free agents, and it’s a safe bet that at least one of them will make the initial 53-man roster.
Today, let’s state the case for RJ Maryland making the initial 53-man roster for the Packers.
The son of Russell Maryland, the former No. 1 overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the 1991 NFL Draft, RJ was a four-star recruit out of Texas and played his college ball at SMU. During his first season on campus, Maryland hauled in 28 receptions for 296 yards and six touchdowns. In 2023, Maryland recorded 34 receptions for 518 yards and seven touchdowns. Maryland was on track to put together a stellar season in 2024, recording 24 receptions for 359 yards and four touchdowns in seven games before tearing his ACL. During his final season with the Mustangs, Maryland recorded 27 receptions for 322 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He finished as the program’s all-time leader in receiving yards by a tight end.
A former track athlete, Maryland clocked a 4.51 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine, which was the second fastest time among tight ends. Only Kenyon Sadiq, who got drafted in the first round, ran a faster time. His track-like speed was all over his 2024 tape before he suffered a torn ACL. He could bring an explosive element to a team’s passing attack as a No. 3 option at tight end. With his size (6-4) and speed, he has the elements to be a seam buster and attack teams vertically.
Maryland has natural hands and with his size and arms, he can expand the catch radius. As a route runner, there are times when he looks like a wide receiver with how effortlessly he moves.
There is a reason why Maryland went undrafted. First and foremost, his size isn’t going to have many teams pounding the table for him to be blocking in-line. At 236 pounds, he doesn’t have the strength to be an effective in-line blocker.
As for his route running, there are times when he lacks urgency and purpose. When it’s something where he can showcase his speed, he gets off the line in a hurry and moves with intention. It’s more of the intermediate stuff where you want to see him snap off a route. It’s just not as crisp and polished on a down-to-down basis.
There is also a lack of special teams experience. You want your No. 3 or even No. 4 tight end to be somebody you can plug in on special teams. Maryland played 85 snaps on special teams during his career.
Going into the draft, it would not have shocked people if the Packers drafted a tight end. Instead, they signed a pair of undrafted free agents with the hope that one of them sticks.
Maryland is a dynamic pass catcher with the speed to stretch the seam. With Luke Musgrave set to be a free agent at the end of the season, Maryland could be the vertical threat in the tight end room to pair with the psycho that is Tucker Kraft.
The SMU product lacks size and special teams experience. Despite those ‘flaws’, he could carve out a role as a pass-catching weapon in a room that could use another body. It would not be shocking if Maryland made roster decisions difficult at tight end this summer in Green Bay.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Could Packers’ speedy UDFA tight end threaten for 53-man roster spot?
Reporting by Brennen Rupp, Packers Wire / Packers Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
