5 Green Bay Packers on the Hot Seat Entering Training Camp

Anders Carlson

This one's obvious. Anders Carlson was on the hot seat his entire rookie season, and that only got hotter when he finished the 2023 NFL season in a slump, including missing a big kick in their playoff loss to the 49ers.

The Packers have kept three kickers on their roster since the offseason began and are carrying all three into training camp. However, Carlson's biggest competition will come from veteran Greg Joseph. The two figure to go head-to-head throughout training camp and preseason, with the competition not being decided until the last minute.

There's no doubting Carlson's leg. He's proven he can drill kicks from distance. It's his accuracy and consistency that have plagued him. He needs to make his bunnies more often if he wants to take the next step in his development. If not, who knows where he'll end up next.

Eric Stokes

Eric Stokes is ready to put the past two years behind him like they never happened and pick up after his promising rookie campaign. It was a nightmare in 2022 and 2023 for Stokes, who battled injuries and inconsistent play during that time.

With Jaire Alexander holding down a starting spot on the outside, Stokes will battle Carrington Valentine for the other job. Stokes is clearly the superior athlete with better size, strength, and speed than Valentine. That should give him a leg up for the job.

However, he can't overlook Valentine, who has already proven to be a grinder in the NFL. Despite being drafted in the seventh round last year, Valentine worked his way up the depth chart and proved he should be on the field. He'll carry that mentality into training camp, where he'll refuse to back down.

Stokes can't plan on the starting job to be handed to him. He must go out there and take it for himself. Is he up for the challenge?

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