Green Bay Packers: 6 Early Positional Battles to Watch this Summer
By Paul Bretl
Cornerback 2
Candidates: Kevin King and Eric Stokes
This is going to be the big camp battle that I’m sure draws most of the attention. Given how the Green Bay Packers operate, I don’t think it should be assumed that Eric Stokes will be CB2 come Week 1. While Kevin King has had his ups and downs, he is an experienced player, which does matter and if Green Bay doesn’t feel that Stokes is ready for that role to start the season, they have King to lean on.
When it comes to Stokes’ playing time, I could see him taking a similar path as Jaire Alexander. Alexander was on the field often during his first few games in 2018, but he didn’t become a full-time starter until Week 7 of his rookie year when he returned from an injury.
With Matt LaFleur we know that he is going to put who he feels is the best player in that starting role and if that isn’t Stokes right away, or they choose to ease him in, he of course will still see playing time–this isn’t an all or nothing situation. And with that, it will likely be just a matter of time before that CB2 designation belongs to Stokes.
Safety 3
Candidates: Will Redmond, Vernon Scott, Henry Black, Christian Uphoff
The Green Bay Packers are in good hands with Darnell Savage and Adrian Amos, who may form the best safety duo in football, but with Raven Greene now in Tampa Bay, that third safety spot is available. In this new Joe Barry defense, the safeties will have to be active run defenders in those lightboxes that Barry utilizes, which means being a reliable tackler, and of course, capable in coverage–versatility is going to key.
All four of the players mentioned above have that versatility, but which one will pop this summer? At this point, I feel like we know who Will Redmond is as a player, with him being more of a special teams player. Both Vernon Scott and Henry Black flashed in 2020, but as a former seventh-round pick and UDFA, respectively, there is no guarantee that either takes that Year 2 leap. Meanwhile, Christian Uphoff is a very intriguing 2021 UDFA signee and a darkhorse candidate to make this roster.