Green Bay Packers: 3 Under the Radar Breakout Candidates in 2021
By Paul Bretl
Green Bay Packers OL Ben Braden
We knew going into training camp and the preseason that there was going to be competition along the Green Bay Packers offensive line. However, I don’t think many of us — or perhaps even any of us — expected Ben Braden to be in that conversation. But from the sounds of it, he very much is.
Offensive line coach Adam Stenavich met with reporters this past week, and when discussing Braden, he mentioned that he was “excited” to see him in action and that he expects Braden to compete for starting time at both tackle and guard. As you can imagine, this came as quite a surprise.
light. Related Story. Ben Braden Competing for Starting Time this Summer
Braden is 27-years-old, and after going undrafted in 2017 out of Michigan, he has primarily been a practice squad player during his NFL career. In fact, he has just five career offensive snaps under his belt, all of which came in 2020 with the Green Bay Packers. Rarely do we see a player with such little experience at this point in their career make the leap to starter, but he’s on Stenavich’s radar for a reason.
Even with numerous injuries and constant shuffling along the Green Bay offensive line last season, this was still the top offensive line unit in football. If Braden can show that he’s deserving of playing time, then he has the potential to thrive, just as many of his counterparts did a year ago. But step one is showing that he’s ready for that role during training camp and the preseason.
Next. Lucas Patrick a "Surprise" Cut Candidate. dark
As I’m sure you can tell, the theme with the three players discussed in this article is that before they can breakout, they need to show that they’re ready for more action in a regular-season game. But if they’re able to do that, then the potential for them to make their impact on the season is certainly there.