Packers 2016 Recap: CB Makinton Dorleant

2016 Stats

• 4 games played
• 1 tackle
• Pro Football Focus: 74.6/100

Expectations going into the season: Low
Expectations were: Met

Analysis: Dorleant survives up and down 2016

One anecdote pretty much sums up Makinton Dorelant’s 2016 season: somehow, as an undrafted free agent, he was placed on season-ending injured reserve twice in the span of four months.

Dorleant’s physical gifts are of obvious intrigue to the Packers, and his 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash, 39-inch vertical leap, and great numbers in agility drills are a big reason he earned an invite to training camp in the first place.

But Dorleant managed to translate those physical attributes into production in the exhibition season, and did enough during the preseason to earn himself a spot with the Packers… on injured reserve.

The Packers love to use injured reserve for a “redshirt” season with a couple rookies per year, and although you wouldn’t think a hamstring injury would have justified Dorleant’s trip to injured reserve, that’s where he ended up.

Late in the season, though, the Packers showed exactly why they made the move, activating Dorleant when a need arose at cornerback late in the season.

Dorleant graded well enough in the four games he played, but in the season finale at Detroit he was injured again, and finished the season on injured reserve, painfully bringing his year full circle.

The same speed and athleticism that brought Dorleant to Green Bay in the first place will probably earn him another look next season. Even if it doesn’t, the fact that he survived the 2016 season as an undrafted player faced with two serious injuries is a testament to the kind of player Dorleant already is.