Green Bay Packers v. Chiefs: 6 Positional battles to watch

As the Green Bay Packers prepare for their final preseason game, these are six positional battles to keep your eyes on during the game.

We are just over a week from the Green Bay Packers’ first regular-season game against the Chicago Bears, but before we get to that point, there is still one more preseason game to be played against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Although the fourth preseason game is when we typically see the least amount of starters, with roster cuts looming there is still plenty to watch for – especially when it comes to a few specific positional battles.

At this point a majority of the Green Bay Packers roster is set in stone, however, there are still a few questions around playing time for a few players as well as some roster spots up for grabs.

So as you kick back and enjoy the game, be sure to focus on these six positional battles in particular.

Quarterback

This positional battle will draw the most attention as Tim Boyle and DeShone Kizer hope to win the backup spot behind Aaron Rodgers. While each quarterback has had their struggles, Boyle has put together the far better preseason.

Boyle is a combined 31/50 for 338 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions. And according to Pro Football Focus, he is the highest-rated offensive player on the Packers this preseason.

Meanwhile Kizer has struggled, completing 17/31 passes for 196 yards, with a touchdown and an interception. We haven’t seen that growth that we had hoped for as he still looks indecisive in the pocket and lacks consistency.

As of now, this looks to be Boyle’s job for the taking but with a preseason game left, there still is an opportunity for Kizer to show that he deserves the job.

Wide Receiver

The wide receiver position seems fairly set but with an injury to Equanimeous St. Brown in the last game, it added a new wrinkle to the competition. With the Green Bay Packers likely to keep six receivers on the roster, that leaves Darrius Shepherd and Allen Lazard fighting for the final spot.

Both players have been complete surprises this preseason and have shown that they can play in the NFL. Shepherd gives the Packers a more traditional slot receiver and can be a weapon in the return game. While Lazard has made some big plays with his ability to rack up yards after the catch and has been praised for his reliability.

At the moment, I give the edge to Shepherd but we have to see how things play out in this final game.

Offensive Line

Depending on whether the Green Bay Packers decide to keep 9 or 10 offensive linemen will dictate whether one or both of these players make the final 53. As of now, I would say that eight of the spots on the offensive front are accounted for in Bryan Bulaga, Billy Turner, Corey Linsley, Elgton Jenkins, David Bakhtiari, Lane Taylor, Alex Light, and Lucas Patrick.

That leaves Cole Madison and Justin McCray battling for potentially one roster spot. Madison has been a favorite of GM Brian Gutekunst and has had a number of positive moments this preseason. However, after a year off the rust has shown as well and he has been called for a number of holding penalties.

McCray had a really rough 2018 season but we have seen improvements in Training Camp. Is he moving in the right direction, or is the version of him that we saw last season just who he is? Another name we could throw into the mix is Yosh Nijman who has the most potential of the three but he still has a very raw skill set.

Running Back

The race for the third running back spot is coming down to the wire between Dexter Williams and Tra Carson. Currently, Carson still sits ahead of Williams on the depth chart, primarily because Matt LaFleur just trusts him more.

Ultimately that is what this decision will come down to – potential verse reliability. Williams is by far the more athletic and talented back but has really struggled in the passing game and with pass-blocking. While Carson doesn’t have the same explosiveness, he is in the right position and has rarely made a mental mistake.

Green Bay will have to choose what they value more in a third running back on the depth chart.

Cornerback

Once again this comes down to how many players the Green Bay Packers decide to keep at the position. In my opinion, given that the secondary inexplicably becomes decimated with injuries every year, they should keep seven corners which would mean both of these players make the team.

Of course, the players that I’m referring to are Chandon Sullivan and Ka’dar Hollman. Sullivan in his three preseason games has 13 total tackles, an interception, five pass deflections and has shown that he can be a valuable special teams player as well.

While Hollman caught the eye right away of Mike Pettine during OTAs with his ability in press-man coverage, which is an important part of the defense. With injuries to Kevin King and Josh Jackson for much of Training Camp, we saw Hollman working primarily with the first and second-team defenses and consistently winning his matchups.

Unfortunately, an injury has left Hollman sidelined recently but I would still give him the edge if the Packers do keep just six cornerbacks. However, as I said, let’s make it easy and keep both players.

Inside Linebacker

I don’t believe that any of the current options at inside linebacker are going to be playing significant time next to Blake Martinez this season.

We just learned that Oren Burks expects to only be out a few weeks, and Curtis Bolton was seen walking around the Packers’ locker room without crutches and with no noticeable limp. And even while these two are out, we will likely see a lot of Raven Greene filling in at inside linebacker.

With that said, Green Bay is lacking depth at the position, so I will be focusing on Ty Summers, James Crawford, and Brady Sheldon to see how they are developing within the defense.