Seven Questions to Consider Before Training Camp Starts

1. Who will win the RB3 job?

While it’s entirely possible the Packers keep four running backs on the roster like they did in 2020 with Aaron Jones, Jamaal Williams, AJ Dillon, and Tyler Ervin, that feels less likely this coming season with so many roster spots potentially being dedicated to wide receivers and tight ends. So that begs the question, who steals the third spot behind Jones and Dillon? Will it be Patrick Taylor, the undrafted player out of Memphis who spent his rookie season rehabbing from injury, or 2021 seventh-round draft pick Kylin Hill out of Mississippi State? (Second year pro Dexter Williams is also in the mix, but he seems to have the longest shot given that he’s already had opportunities to latch onto the roster.)

2. How many quarterbacks will be on the active roster?

This of course depends on the status of one Aaron Charles Rodgers, and it seems like we won’t know anything about his decision until veterans are due to report at training camp one week from today on July 27. The Packers carried three quarterbacks in 2020 with Tim Boyle serving as the game day backup and Jordan Love a healthy scratch for the season. In 2021, however, it’s likely if Rodgers is under center that Love will be his backup and the Packers will only have two quarterbacks on the active roster with one on the practice squad. If Rodgers does not report and Love is QB1 for the Packers, then it seems more probable that Green Bay carries three quarterbacks on the active roster, and Blake Bortles seems to make the most sense as Love’s backup given his veteran status. The other two quarterbacks currently on the team are fan favorite Kurt Benkert and Jake Dolegala out of Central Connecticut State. 

3. How many wide receivers will the Packers keep?

Last year, the Packers went into the season with five wide receivers on the active roster. This year, however, there are even more players battling for what could be the same number of spots. Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard, and rookie third-round draft pick Amari Rodgers are four roster locks at this point, but then that leaves seven players vying for either one or two remaining roster spots. Those seven players are veteran free agent Devin Funchess who opted out of last season, Equanimeous St. Brown, Reggie Begelton, Chris Blair, Bailey Gaither, Malik Taylor, DeAndre Thompkins, and Juwann Winfree. Funchess and St. Brown should have the inside track to whatever spots remain, but this position will have some of the stiffest competition come training camp. 

4. Who will start at corner opposite Jaire Alexander? 

At this point of the offseason, despite the selection of Georgia cornerback Eric Stokes in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Kevin King still feels like the starter across from second-team All-Pro Jaire Alexander on the boundary. While King had an up-and-down 2020 season after a promising 2019 campaign where he led the defense with five interceptions, he’s a reliable veteran who gives Green Bay the ability to let Stokes develop naturally. Even with a high draft selection, first-round corners don’t always have impressive rookie seasons. Jeff Okudah from the Detroit Lions is a prime example of a rookie being thrust into the spotlight and dealing with growing pains. While it’s possible Stokes will surpass King on the roster midway through the season and claim a starting role, letting him develop slowly without the added pressure of being an every-snap corner will go a long way towards his long term success, and the success of the defense under new coordinator Joe Barry. 

5. What will the starting offensive line look like?

This question is a two-parter of sorts, since perhaps the larger question is “will David Bakhtiari be ready for Week 1 against the Saints?” If he is ready to return, then the left side of the offensive line is all but solidified. If his status remains a question, then there are plenty of candidates to fill in at left tackle, whether that’s Billy Turner, Elgton Jenkins, or a surprise option like Ben Braden. Moving any existing starter to left tackle, however, creates new roster holes to fill. Rookie second-round pick Josh Myers is the early frontrunner to be Green Bay’s center, and that should continue into training camp. The right side of the offensive line is where there are more questions, as Lucas Patrick, Jon Runyan Jr., and Royce Newman have all taken snaps at right guard. The Packers kept nine linemen on the active roster to start the 2020 season, and it’s likely they do the same in 2021. There are currently 16 on the 90-man roster, so almost half of the unit will be cut before the season starts. 

6. Who could be Green Bay’s next undrafted contributor? 

Every year the Packers seem to sign at least one or two undrafted players to the active roster out of training camp. With names like Allen Lazard, Robert Tonyan, and Krys Barnes as recent examples of undrafted success stories (or Tramon Williams and Sam Shields going back further), it’s easy to see why undrafted players select Green Bay as a landing spot. Patrick Taylor could fit the mold here as an undrafted running back, though he isn’t a rookie. Kabion Ento is also a good choice at cornerback, though he did make the active roster initially out of camp last season before being added to injured reserve. Some rookie names to keep an eye on are Jack Heflin, defensive lineman out of Iowa in a position group that isn’t incredibly deep, versatile inside linebacker/safety hybrid Christian Uphoff out of Illinois State, and special teams returner/wide receiver Bailey Gaither out of San Jose State. 

7. Who will wear the communication helmet in Joe Barry’s defense? 

Last year to start the season, Christian Kirksey was the every-down linebacker and undrafted rookie Krys Barnes shocked many when he started Week 1 against the Vikings opposite Kirksey. Towards the end of the season, the roles swapped as Barnes filled in as the every-down linebacker and Kirksey played more of a Will linebacker role. With Kirksey being released this offseason, the thought was that Barnes would continue wearing the communication helmet and players like Kamal Martin and Ty Summers would rotate around him depending on the defensive alignment. Then the Packers brought in veteran De’Vondre Campbell after the draft, and things got muddy. While Barnes still could start the year as the signal caller for Joe Barry, Campbell has played 79% of snaps or more on defense since 2017. It seems unlikely he’d come to Green Bay solely as a rotational piece. Barry uses his inside linebackers in a number of different ways, and it’s also possible both of them will rotate on and off the field enough that the communication helmet could go to someone who’s an every-down player, like safety Adrian Amos.