6 Green Bay Packers Positional Battles to Watch this Summer
By Paul Bretl
Positional battles. They take place every summer during Green Bay Packers training camp and the preseason, whether it be for playing time or for a roster spot.
While nothing is going to be determined over the next several weeks at OTAs, it does give the coaching staff their first in-depth look at some of these roster battles taking place.
Ultimately, nothing will be fully determined until we get through the final preseason game, but as the summer programs and practices unfold, I have six positional battles to keep your eyes on.
Green Bay Packers Offensive Line Position
Prior to the draft, competition along the offensive line was lacking in a major way. However, that is no longer the case. In fact, the only player I would sharpie into a position for Week 1 is David Bakhtiari at left tackle.
Both Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur would mention that they believe Sean Rhyan can play tackle at the NFL level. Gutey would echo similar sentiments when discussing Zach Tom as well–so at some point this summer, we will likely see both taking snaps at right tackle, and providing some competition for Yosh Nijman.
Rhyan and Tom both have the ability to play each guard position and either could end up pushing Runyan or Newman for playing time. On top of that, Tom has experience as a center at Wake Forest as well–and many draft analysts believe that is where he will be best suited in the NFL. With Tom taking snaps at center, Josh Myers would likely slide over to guard in those instances.
As LaFleur is quick to point out, it’s all about putting the best five on the football field, and with the versatility that this group possesses, he is going to be able to mix and match with a variety of offensive line combinations over the summer.
My guess is that until Jenkins returns, Bakhtiari will be at left tackle, Runyan at left guard, Myers at center with the left guard, and tackle spots up for grabs between Newman, Tom, Rhyan, and Nijman. When it comes to Rasheed Walker, development is still needed–although he is someone else who perhaps could take some snaps inside.