Packers Position Battles Begin | Ticket King Inc.

The Green Bay Packers are set to begin their 2019 Training Camp this week. However, position battles began as soon as offseason activities started after the draft. Let’s take a look at where we stand heading into camp.

Backup Quarterback Battle: Deshone Kizer vs. Tim Boyle- Let’s begin by saying that undrafted free agent rookie Manny Wilkens is not competing for the backup quarterback position. Rather, he is competing to get some other team’s attention, or possibly perform so well he makes the Packers choose between Kizer and Boyle, cutting the loser, and putting Wilkens on the practice squad. But back to Kizer vs. Boyle. As of this moment, Kizer is holding the edge. Boyle has a live arm, as we saw last year in camp, and if he performs well, he could take the job from Kizer.

Right Side of the Offensive Line: (Cole Madison vs. Lane Taylor vs. Jason Spriggs vs. Brian Bulaga vs. Elgton Jenkins) The three to the left, David Bakhtiari, Billy Turner, and Corey Linsley, that’s about as good as it gets in the NFL. The Packers signed Billy Turner to a big free-agent contract this offseason, Corey Linsley is an All-Pro, and I dare you to find me a better offensive lineman on the planet right now than David Bakhtiari. But the right side of this line, it’s anyone’s ball game. From what we are hearing, right now it’s still Taylor and Bulaga, but they are hanging in there by a thread. Some are cheering for Madison and Jenkins. Spriggs is getting one last shot. This is going to be the battle of camp.

Third Wide Receiver Position: (J’Mon Moore vs. Eq. St. Brown vs. Marquez Valdes-Scantling vs. Jake Kumerow) Davante Adams has grown into a monster of an ace receiver and despite his injuries last year, Geronimo Allison is going to be the number two. The third spot is up for grabs. The three draft choices a year ago all had their moments, and nobody had a better camp in the league a year ago than Kumerow. As of this moment, St. Brown holds the edge, slightly, over MVS.

First Defensive Lineman Off the Bench:
(Rashan Gary vs. Montravius Adams vs. Kinglsey Keke vs. Tyler Lancaster) Two of the three starting defensive lineman are going to be Dean Lowry, who was recently signed to a contract extension, and Kenny Clark. We know this for a fact, and they are all both outstanding talents. In a shocking move, the Packers cut lose former All-Pro Mike Daniels, who was aging, and coming off a major injury. This was done to save cap space, possibly to extend Blake Martinez and/or Kenny Clark. But who will be the third starter? Adams begins this battle at the top by default. However, the rookie Keke has looked good and Lancaster wants it bad. Don’t forget about the first-round draft choice Rashan Gary, who will split time between rushing as a defensive lineman on passing downs and playing outside linebacker on rushing downs."

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The average fan may not realize this, but NFL position battles begin long before Training Camp every year. With that said, here are some position battles to watch regarding the Packers this summer.

Who will be the backup quarterback? When called upon in 2018, DeShone Kizer looked lost. However, it’s a new system and Kizer is a year older. He will have to compete this summer with Tim Boyle, who looked decent last August during the preseason. Manny Wilkens is a long shot to even make the Packers practice squad.

How will the tight ends stack up? By default, Jimmy Graham begins the summer number one of the depth chart. But that could change. We know what Marcedes Lewis is, however second-year former undrafted free agent Robert Tonyan and rookie Jace Sternberger could very well end up one and two on the depth chart by season’s end.

What about the right side of the offensive line? Right now we know that the left tackle will be David Bakhtiari and the center will be Corey Linsley. They are two of the best in the business. We can also assume Billy Turner will be the left guard. The right guard and tackle are anyone’s guess. They have a host of players competing for both spots, too many to name.

Who will be the third wide receiver? Last season, the Packers made a trio of high-ceiling selections in the draft by picking up St. Brown, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and J’Mon Moore. Brown and Scantling emerged early in 2018, and Moore suffered through a rough rookie season. However, it is way too early to give up on Moore, so all three are in play for the slot receiver in 2019.

Who will be the other defensive end? We know that Kenny Clark will be the nose tackle and Mike Daniels will be one of the defensive ends. Montravius Adams begins the summer as the other defensive end, but that could change. James Looney, Dean Lowry, and rookie Kinglsey Keke are all competing with Adams for that spot.