Football is back, baby! The Green Bay Packers kicked off training camp on Monday and are ready to return to the action. Green Bay will grind over the next six weeks as they prepare via training camp, joint practices, and preseason games to get ready for what they hope is another surprisingly successful season.
The Packers will have to deal with a different atmosphere in training camp. One year ago, they were underdogs trying to rebuild following Aaron Rodgers' departure. The expectations were low, as they were the youngest team in the NFL.
Although they're still one of the youngest teams, the expectations couldn't be any different. Green Bay not only made the playoffs last year, but they won a game in dominant fashion before barely falling short against the San Francisco 49ers. There's no reason they can't take the next step this season.
However, several players will need to step up their game to do that. These five players are on the hot seat entering training camp and must prove their value to the team.
The Packers let Jon Runyan walk in free agency, probably, because they have at least some level of confidence in Sean Rhyan. Drafted in the third round in 2022, he's trying to shake the draft-bust curse that has plagued Green Bay for decades.
He was off to a slow start, but made progress last season. He even rotated snaps with Runyan toward the end of the season. The Packers hope he can carry that momentum into this season and earn a starting job. That won't be easy, as he'll have to fend off Zach Tom and/or Jordan Morgan to do so. It's now or never for Rhyan, as maintaining a starting job will only get more difficult after this season.
Like Rhyan, earning a starting gig will only get more difficult for Anthony Johnson Jr. after this season, so he needs to capitalize on the moment.
The Packers have seen a seismic shift at safety this offseason. Gone are the three players who played the most snaps at the position in 2023: Darnell Savage Jr., Rudy Ford, and Jonathan Owens. In their steed is prized free agent signing Xavier McKinney as well as three draft picks: second-rounder Javon Bullard, fourth-rounder Evan Williams, and fifth-rounder Kitan Oladapo.
McKinney will play every snap he's healthy for at one of the safety spots, leaving the other four to fight for the opposite job. Johnson was impressive as a 2023 seventh-round pick, but Bullard and Williams should be better than the competition he faced last season. He'll need to step up his game or risk being buried on the bench and the depth chart for the foreseeable future.
AJ Dillon risks falling to third on the depth chart (and maybe even being cut) if he doesn't come ready to play in training camp. Green Bay signed Josh Jacobs in free agency to replace Aaron Jones and drafted MarShawn Lloyd in the third round. Green Bay's coaching staff has already said Lloyd will play more than Dillon did during his rookie year, when he sat on the bench behind Jones and Jamaal Williams.
Dillon's lacked explosiveness and shiftiness. That, combined with his inability to overpower defenders like his size says he should, has resulted in him struggling with the rock in his hands. Green Bay needs some more explosiveness from their backup running back. We'll see if Dillon can be that guy.
This one's obvious. Anders Carlson was on the hot seat his entire rookie season, and that only got hotter when he finished the 2023 NFL season in a slump, including missing a big kick in their playoff loss to the 49ers.
The Packers have kept three kickers on their roster since the offseason began and are carrying all three into training camp. However, Carlson's biggest competition will come from veteran Greg Joseph. The two figure to go head-to-head throughout training camp and preseason, with the competition not being decided until the last minute.
There's no doubting Carlson's leg. He's proven he can drill kicks from distance. It's his accuracy and consistency that have plagued him. He needs to make his bunnies more often if he wants to take the next step in his development. If not, who knows where he'll end up next.
Eric Stokes is ready to put the past two years behind him like they never happened and pick up after his promising rookie campaign. It was a nightmare in 2022 and 2023 for Stokes, who battled injuries and inconsistent play during that time.
With Jaire Alexander holding down a starting spot on the outside, Stokes will battle Carrington Valentine for the other job. Stokes is clearly the superior athlete with better size, strength, and speed than Valentine. That should give him a leg up for the job.
However, he can't overlook Valentine, who has already proven to be a grinder in the NFL. Despite being drafted in the seventh round last year, Valentine worked his way up the depth chart and proved he should be on the field. He'll carry that mentality into training camp, where he'll refuse to back down.
Stokes can't plan on the starting job to be handed to him. He must go out there and take it for himself. Is he up for the challenge?
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This article was originally published on dairylandexpress.com as 5 Green Bay Packers on the Hot Seat Entering Training Camp.
2024-07-26T20:02:04Z dg43tfdfdgfd