Green Bay Packers 2022 Pre-Training Camp Ramblings

With Green Bay Packers training camp beginning in just a few days, I am back with my pre-camp ramblings—discussing just about anything and everything on my mind ahead of training camp and the preseason. 

– As Aaron Rodgers said during minicamp, he prefers “production over potential,” so at least through the early portion of the season, I would expect him to lean heavily on the veteran receivers— Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins, and Randall Cobb — over the rookies.

– Speaking of pass catchers, when we talk about the Packers’ passing game, we can’t forget to mention the running backs and tight ends. Aaron Jones has finished second on the team in targets each year under Matt LaFleur, while AJ Dillon had 37 targets of his own last season. Robert Tonyan had 58 targets during his last healthy season, and we know Josiah Deguara and Marcedes Lewis will have opportunities as well. 

– Hopefully, this ends up being a moot point, but the Packers have major question marks at the offensive tackle position—one of the most important in the game. Among the Packers’ healthy tackle options, Yosh Nijman has the most experience with 605 career snaps, per PFF. 

– During OTAs and minicamp, Cole Van Lanen and Royce Newman took the bulk of the right tackle snaps with the starters, for what it’s worth. 

– Getting both Jones and Dillon on the field together more often this season should be a priority. Green Bay went from using two running backs together on 16% of their snaps in 2020 to just 2% last year, according to Sharp Football. It’s a small sample size — just seven snaps — but as Pete Dougherty would write following the Packers’ late-season matchup with Minnesota, the offense averaged 7.4 yards per play that game when both Jones and Dillon were on the field. At the end of the day, get the ball in the hands of your playmakers. 

– With Jones and Dillon potentially taking on larger roles, I expect whoever is RB3 to have more opportunities than what they did a season ago in an effort to keep those two fresh. Prior to the 2020 draft, LaFleur discussed the importance of having a third back to lean on.

– Once Tonyan is fully healthy, I do think keeping five tight ends is in play. We know that Tonyan, Lewis, and Deguara will be on the roster, while Tyler Davis — who has quite a bit of hype around him — and Dominique Dafney could each be special teams standouts under Rich Bisaccia. 

– Versatility is the hallmark of this offensive line unit. So as LaFleur searches for the best five, I would anticipate quite few offensive line combinations this summer. 

– Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs could help provide some juice to the return units. Watson was an All-American kick returner at North Dakota State, while Doubs averaged over 12 yards per punt return over his career. 

– There appears to be an added — and needed — emphasis on special teams this offseason. There was the hiring of Bisaccia, special teams specific free-agent additions in Keisean Nixon and Pat O’Donnell, several draft picks who can contribute right away, and starters taking some special teams snaps during offseason programs. We will see how it translates on the field. 

– The Packers have a second kicker in camp, but this is Mason Crosby’s job. For one, it’s not abnormal to have a second kicker on the roster at this point; plus, the issues Crosby had last season don’t all fall on him—the blocking, snaps, and holds were all very inconsistent. Not to mention that there are obvious risks in relying on a rookie kicker throughout the season. 

– This Packers defense could be among the best in the NFL. However, the depth at several positions is a big unknown. Edge rusher, safety, and cornerback are all positions with little experience behind the starters. 

– Whoever ends up being the third and fourth edge rushers this season, the Packers need more from them than what they got a season ago. It’s a heavily rotated position with Rashan Gary and Preston Smith both on the field for about 68% of the defensive snaps in 2021, and there was a severe lack of impact plays when they were on the sidelines. 

– The addition of Quay Walker will allow the Packers to stay in their base defense more often. Last season, Green Bay had a bit of a tell based on their personnel. When Henry Black was on the field, the Packers were likely playing the pass. And when Krys Barnes was out there, they were probably playing the run. But now, that will be much more difficult for offenses to decipher. 

– The defense could make some long days for the offense this summer. As already mentioned, the defense could be a top unit in the league, while the offense has several question marks and will go through a learning curve. Hopefully, facing a defense of this caliber each day benefits the Packers’ offense in the long run. 

– In addition to the personnel, the defense could make a big jump this year because of it being the second year in Joe Barry’s system. Players will be more familiar with their responsibilities, and Barry can go deeper into the playbook. We’ve seen other defenses around the league recently take a step forward in their second year with a defensive coordinator, and the Packers’ offense took a huge step forward in Year 2 under LaFleur. 

– This is easily the deepest interior defensive line rotation that the Packers have had in a while. It will be interesting to see how the snap counts among each player is broken down. This should also mean a little extra rest for Kenny Clark, which is a good thing. 

– Jaire Alexander will, in all likelihood, take more slot snaps than he has in the past, but that isn’t the only place he will play. Depending on where the opponent’s top receiver is, Alexander will more often than not be lined up across from him. So in those instances, who will be in the slot? My guess is that it will be a shared role, with perhaps Douglas lining up there against bigger pass catchers and Stokes against quicker pass-catching options. Nixon and Jean-Charles could even see some playing time as well. 

– Just as Alexander had to lineup against Davante Adams as a rookie, along with Stokes doing the same last year, Alexander has already said that he is going to challenge Christian Watson this summer. This will hopefully shorten his learning curve and make him better in the long run. 

– Late last season, we saw a glimpse of what Lazard can do in a larger role. During the last five games, he caught 21 of 28 passes at almost 14 yards per catch with five touchdowns. Among all receivers during that span, he ranked 25th in receptions, 19th in yards, and 22nd in yards per route run, per PFF.

– Both Lazard and Cobb have been reliable targets on third downs and in the red zone. The big question for each of them is, can they remain effective with more opportunities and attention from defenses?

– Right away, Christian Watson can make an impact as a deep threat and as a gadget player—getting the ball to him quickly in space where he can use his speed. Hopefully, as the season progresses, he can become a reliable option in high-leverage situations. 

– Special teams play will be a key factor in determining several back-end of the roster spots.