The Green Bay Packers take on the New Orleans Saints at Lambeau Field on Friday in their second preseason game.
Here is one player from each position group to keep your eyes on as things unfold.
Quarterback: Jordan Love
Jordan Love is coming off an up-and-down performance against San Francisco. We had heard throughout training camp how his confidence had improved, and we saw that pre-snap as well as with several passes that he zipped to the receiver at the top of his drop.
However, accuracy and decision-making were still issues. What we want to continue to see from Love is progression, and against New Orleans, that means cleaning things up a bit in these areas.
Running back: Tyler Goodson
Prior to the 49ers game, I’m not sure any of us knew where the running back battle stood, but in terms of playing time, it would appear that Tyler Goodson is the front-runner for the third running back role until Kylin Hill is available.
Goodson led the running back group in snaps and carries while averaging 3.1 yards per rush, although the run-blocking from the offensive line was an issue. Let’s see if he is in the driver’s seat again or if it’s another back against New Orleans.
Wide receiver: Juwann Winfree
Matt LaFleur has never rostered more than six receivers during his tenure as head coach, and right now, there are six locks at the position. Juwann Winfree has positioned himself well to be that seventh receiver, having caught the attention of Aaron Rodgers and continued to build that trust with him while also contributing on special teams.
In the preseason opener, Winfree caught all three of his targets for 27 yards. He will need to continue building upon his previous performances and have that playmaking carry over from practice to the game.
Tight end: Tyler Davis
If there was any doubt about whether or not Tyler Davis was going to make the team, that likely went away with the Packers releasing Dominique Dafney. With Robert Tonyan back, Davis’ role on offense will shrink, but he is going to be a core special teams player.
LaFleur, Rich Bisaccia, and Brian Gutekunst all talked up Davis this summer, but he very much struggled in his first preseason game, both as a pass-catcher and a blocker. Let’s hope that improves this week.
Offensive line: Zach Tom
If Elgton Jenkins is ready to go for Week 1, the Packers’ offensive line gained some much-needed stability. The only position now up for grabs may be right guard with Yosh Nijman at left tackle, followed by Jon Runyan, Josh Myers, and then Jenkins.
Zach Tom has primarily played both tackle positions in practice, but he briefly took some snaps at left guard for Runyan earlier this week. Could he be competing with Royce Newman and Jake Hanson for the starting right guard position? Would the Packers try Tom at left guard and move Runyan to right guard?
Let’s see where Tom lines up and what unit(s) he is playing with on Friday.
Interior defensive line: Devonte Wyatt
It was a relatively quiet start to training camp for Devonte Wyatt, who is currently the fifth man in the Packers’ defensive line rotation. He would, however, impress during Family Night practice, winning in a variety of ways, including with a spin move, speed, as well as with power.
Unfortunately, following that performance, Wyatt missed some practice time and the preseason opener with a concussion. Friday will be his first live game action.
Edge rusher: Kobe Jones
The battle for the rotational roles at edge rusher still seems wide open, but a new name emerging for a roster spot is Kobe Jones, who is a 2021 UDFA and was signed earlier this offseason.
Andy Herman of Packer report would write that Jones is “quietly having a great camp,” and he would impress in the team’s first joint practice with the Saints. Jones played the fifth most defensive snaps against the Niners and logged a sack.
Linebacker: Ray Wilborn
It sure feels like Isaiah McDuffie has firm control of that fourth linebacker role, but the Packers are giving Ray Wilborn every opportunity to perform.
Wilborn played the second most special teams snaps and 30 defensive snaps against the 49ers – the most at the linebacker position – but had a rough showing, allowing two receptions for 27 yards and a touchdown, along with being called for two penalties.
However, during Monday’s practice, when the 11-on-11 drills were split into two groups, Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated would note that it was Wilborn playing with the starters De’Vondre Campbell and Quay Walker. With more opportunities, can Wilborn earn that fifth linebacker role? It’s a roster spot that may not exist.
Cornerback: Rico Gafford
Gafford was one of the early standouts in practice, making plays on defense while also contributing to multiple phases of special teams. However, against the 49ers, Gafford gave up 62 yards on two receptions, including a 39-yard touchdown where he was spun around at the line of scrimmage.
Gafford was still working with the second team defense this week, and ultimately, if on the team, his role will be on special teams. With that said, I imagine that the Packers would like to see a better defensive performance against the Saints.
Safety: Vernon Scott and Shawn Davis
The safety position is riddled with injuries right now, so my guess is that we see our fair share of Vernon Scott and Shawn Davis on Friday. Based on what we’ve seen and heard from practice, Scott is the favorite for the third safety role, although Davis has had some reps with the starters as well. Which player can have the better performance?
Special teams: Jack Coco
There was a lot of inconsistency from Jack Coco throughout training camp, but he appeared to hold up well in San Francisco. Although he may be the only long-snapper on the roster, he isn’t a lock to make the team either, as the Packers could explore outside options, which they did recently during some workouts. Coco will have to continue to perform well under the bright lights.
