Green Bay Packers vs Oakland Raiders: 5 matchups to watch

3. Josh Jones vs Kentrell Brice

The battle between Josh Jones and Kentrell Brice continues on, yet Jones seems to have made up no ground on Brice. Brice’s natural feel for the safety position continues to give him the edge over Jones. Jones’ athleticism has him currently poised as the third safety, along with the backup linebacker behind Oren Burks and Blake Martinez. This week will likely be Jones’ last opportunity to usurp Brice. If their play holds steady, it could be less exciting than some other battles.

Brice is heading into the final year of the three-year contract he signed as a rookie. He has the opportunity to make himself the long-term starter with good production this season. His major enemy in his career has been his health, and it appeared earlier this preseason that he might have gotten bit by the bug again. The Raiders don’t have an elite tight end option, but Brice can be a good cover safety this week against former Packer Jared Cook.

Jones has failed to live up to the hype that he started generating near the end of last season. His athleticism and size make him a great fit in the modern NFL, but he needs to work on his coverage ability. Hard hitting safeties continue to fall by the wayside as offenses continue to spread out. If Jones is unable to develop that coverage ability, he is going quickly play his way out of the league.