Training camp has been going on for over two weeks, but the serious evaluations will begin tonight in San Francisco. While preseason games might not be the same as regular season games, they’re a heck of a lot closer to the real thing than practices.
Plenty can and will change between now and the opener against the Minnesota Vikings on September 11, but here’s a position-by-position analysis of where things currently stand in the always compelling battle for spots on the final 53-man roster.
QUARTERBACK
Aaron Rodgers has been Aaron Rodgers. That won’t always be the case as he approaches 40, but he should be able to hold off Father Time for at least another year. Jordan Love hasn’t looked like a No. 1 pick, but he also hasn’t looked like an undrafted free agent – which was often the case the past two summers. The preseason will be huge for him. I still can’t figure out the purpose of Danny Etling. He’s too old (28) to develop and too inexperienced to count on in a real game.
RUNNING BACK
A.J. Dillon has been outstanding in camp, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him get more carries than Aaron Jones this season. That’s not a knock on the former Pro Bowler from UTEP, who’s also looked good. Shifty Tyler Goodson and powerful Patrick Taylor are in a close fight for the No. 3 job – at least until the more talented Kylin Hill (knee) returns from PUP.
TIGHT END
Until Robert Tonyan returns from PUP, coach Matt LaFleur and offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich will mix and match at this position. Marcedes Lewis, Josiah Deguara, Dominique Dafney, and Tyler Davis are likely to make the 53-man roster, and all four figure to get their share of snaps on game day. Davis, who hasn’t come close to living up to the ridiculous offseason hype, or Dafney could be vulnerable if either Alize Mack or Sal Cannella has a really strong preseason.
WIDE RECEIVER
Second-round pick Christian Watson has yet to practice due to a knee injury, but fourth-round pick Romeo Doubs has more than picked up the slack. The former Nevada star could secure a starting job with a productive preseason. Allen Lazard and Sammy Watkins are currently the top two targets, which is a far cry from the not-so-long-ago days of Jordy Nelson and Davante Adams. Rodgers’ good buddy Randall Cobb and Amari Rodgers should feel pretty safe, leaving Juwann Winfree, Malik Taylor, and ascending seventh-round pick Samori Toure to compete for perhaps one spot.
OFFENSIVE LINE
Right guard Jon Runyan Jr., center Josh Myers, and tackle Yosh Nijman should be locks to start the opener – the only question surrounding Nijman being which side he’ll play. If neither David Bakhtiari nor Elgton Jenkins is available for Week 1, Royce Newman, Jake Hanson, and fourth-round pick Zach Tom will battle it out for the two remaining spots. Third-round pick Sean Rhyan has been disappointing, but he’ll make the 53. Cole Van Lanen would appear to have the inside track if eight are kept at this position, although don’t discount massive Caleb Jones. GM Brian Gutekunst might be wary of exposing the talented but extremely raw undrafted rookie from Indiana to waivers if he holds up OK in the preseason.
DEFENSIVE LINE
This is the deepest and most talented group since the Super Bowl season of 2010. Pro Bowl nose tackle Kenny Clark and ends Dean Lowry and Jarran Reed figure to start in the base defense. First-round pick Devonte Wyatt has flashed early in training camp and has a chance to be a factor on third down. T.J. Slaton‘s work against the run has been much improved in year 2. If a sixth player is kept at this position, seventh-round pick Jonathan Ford and Jack Heflin are the frontrunners, although it would be a mistake to discount Akial Byars and Chris Slayton, who’ve flashed from time to time.
OUTSIDE LINEBACKER
Rashan Gary is having a terrific camp as he inches closer to a huge extension. Preston Smith hasn’t been quite as impressive, but unlike two summers ago, he’s in very good shape. After the two starters, it’ll be a free-for-all for most likely three openings. Because of his ability on special teams, Randy Ramsey – if he can stay healthy – should survive. Since Gutekunst is unlikely to cut a fourth-round pick, Kingsley Enagbare also should be safe. That would leave Tipa Galeai, Jonathan Garvin, and LaDarius Hamilton to compete for one or two openings. All three have had impactful practices.
INSIDE LINEBACKER
The top three are set with All-Pro De’Vondre Campbell, first-round pick Quay Walker, and former starter Krys Barnes. The Packers haven’t been this deep and talented at inside linebacker in decades. There’s no clear-cut No. 4 heading into the preseason, although Isaiah McDuffie is probably running slightly ahead of Ty Summers and Ray Wilborn. There’s also a chance Gutekunst could keep none of the three and just let rookie safety Tariq Carpenter fill that role.
CORNERBACK
Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, and Rasul Douglas are as good as just about any trio in the league, although Stokes has been surprisingly up-and-down in practice. Shemar Jean-Charles has been the No. 4 for most of training camp, but Keisean Nixon, who finally practiced for the first time on Sunday, will challenge him for that spot. Whether either player should be one twisted ankle away from having a key role on defense is debatable. Based on the past couple of weeks, there might not be another NFL-caliber corner on the roster, although speedy journeyman Rico Gafford has flashed enough to stay relevant. Kabion Ento is finally healthy but doesn’t look much improved from three summers ago.
SAFETY
As is the case at corner, depth is the issue here. Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage are one of the better duos in the league, but current backups Vernon Scott, Shawn Davis, and Innis Gaines have very little experience. Of far more concern, all three have been frustratingly inconsistent so far this summer. If somebody doesn’t step up in the next couple of weeks, there’s a decent chance Gutekunst will look to add a proven veteran around the time of final cuts. Former Raider Dallin Leavitt will almost certainly stick on the final roster due to his past strong work on special teams.
SPECIALISTS
The only certainty is punter Pat O’Donnell, who’s been solid all training camp. Mason Crosby will be the kicker as soon as his right knee is OK. Until then, Gabe Brkic will handle that job, although his inconsistency can’t be filling special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia with confidence. The same could be said of long-snapper Jack Coco, who’ll need to improve or face the unhappy prospect of having to look for another line of work come September. The next three weeks will determine the returners since nobody has really stepped up through the first 13 practices. Amari Rodgers, Doubs, and Gafford are among those who’ll get an opportunity to bring back kicks and/or punts during the preseason.
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