The Green Bay Packers head to Cleveland for their preseason opener against the Browns on Saturday afternoon. Matt LaFleur’s team looks juvenile, sturdy and talented heading into 2024, but the depth chart is far from set, especially at several key positions. While all the work on the practice field and in the meetings is significant in determining winners and losers in various competitions, performances during live preseason games may be the most significant factor in judging them.
Here are the key position battles to watch as the Packers open their preseason schedule on Saturday in Cleveland:
Kicker
It’s certainly possible that the Packers would be in the NFC title game in January if the team’s kicking situation were more stable and reliable. Since that night in San Francisco, the Packers have hosted a fair kicking competition with five different kickers. Now it’s time to see which kicker rises to the occasion. The Packers likely would like Anders Carlson to take a substantial step in his development and eventually become more consistent and reliable, but he’s had his ups and downs this summer. Greg Joseph, a veteran with his own consistency issues, was the better kicker on the field in the preseason. Rookie Alex Hale, who arrived Wednesday, is a wild card. —Zach Kruse
Security
Things we know: Xavier McKinney will start and lead, and Javon Bullard and Evan Williams will play a lot of snaps. The competition here centers on how snaps are allocated alongside McKinney. Both Bullard and Williams can move around and wear different hats. Will the Packers give Bullard a chance in the slot? And will Williams be able to continue playing? Anthony Johnson Jr., who started games for the Packers as a rookie, could also have an impact on this competition.-Zach Kruse
Reserve quarterback
The preseason will be a testing ground for many of the position battles, but I’m particularly interested in how the backup quarterback job pans out. Sean Clifford seems to have the upper hand at the moment, as he continues to lead the second-unit offense in practice. He also had a solid performance on Family Night, highlighted by an impressive drive during the two-minute drill. But you can’t overlook how often Clifford has put the ball in danger this training camp or the moments where Michael Pratt has shown his impressive arm talent. Clifford will likely call the majority of the plays in Saturday’s preseason opener, but that could change from week to week depending on how each quarterback performs. The Packers want someone who can lead the offense and also give them a chance to win behind Jordan Love. Ideally, Green Bay would probably want to put whoever doesn’t win the job on the practice squad, but there’s a risk that such a player could sign with another team if he shows consistent flashes during the preseason. If the team decides not to sign three quarterbacks, it will have to accept the loss of Clifford or Pratt. — Brandon Carville
Right defender
Jordan Morgan’s shoulder injury is likely to keep him out of action on Saturday, but right-back is still a position to watch. Sean Rhyan is likely to be the next player to show he’s ready for a bigger role. Rhyan had a false start early in 11-on-11 play at training on Thursday and was pulled from the front line. Rookie Jacob Monk, who replaced Rhyan at training on Thursday, will likely get a chance to show he can handle the play at right-back. —Zach Kruse
Attacker
What happens if Rasheed Walker or Zach Tom get bitten by the injury bug? As it stands, there’s a black hole at the offensive quarterback position behind Walker and Tom. In an ideal world, Jordan Morgan would kick outside right guard and fill the role. All eyes will be on Andre Dillard, Caleb Jones and Kadeem Telfort, who will all be fighting to line up on the right side to get on the field if something happens to Walker or Tom. It’s not out of the question that Sean Rhyan, who started 31 games at left quarterback during his time at UCLA, could also throw his hat in the ring if the Packers think he can be the team’s long-term swing quarterback. — Brennen Rupp
No. 2, point guard
Who will replace Josh Jacobs? Veteran AJ Dillon seems to be the favorite, but MarShawn Lloyd, a third-round pick, and Emanuel Wilson, last preseason’s leading rusher, will have plenty of opportunities to show off their skills. Dillon has looked more explosive this summer, but he needs to show it in a live setting. Lloyd and Wilson are both substantial defenders who can move and break up tackles. Pass protection and catching passes will be significant factors for the juvenile linebackers this preseason. —Zach Kruse
