Packers' Projected Winners of Key Position Battles
With the Packers headed toward Week 2 of the preseason, key position battles are starting to come into sharp focus. Not only have the coaches got a good look at players throughout training camp practices, but they also now have some game film to break down.
That means there should be some leaders in the clubhouse. There are still a few weeks left before Week 1 and two more preseason games, including the Saturday night contest against the New England Patriots.
So, while there could still be some movement on the depth chart between the season opener against the Chicago Bears, we have a pretty good idea of who is going to wind up winning the jobs that were open going into training camp.
Safety
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It was fair to wonder if Darnell Savage's job was in jeopardy going into training camp.
The Packers were relatively quiet when it came to adding external free agents this offseason, but they brought in Tarvarius Moore and Jonathan Owens while re-signing Rudy Ford.
However, Savage has been rolling with the starting defense in practice and was among the first string on the team's first unofficial depth chart.
The other safety spot is a bit more interesting. Ford—who made six starts with three interceptions and 44 total tackles with the Packers last season—is listed as the starter, but Owens got the start against the Bengals and has also played with the starters in practice.
This is the one issue that might remain in the air until Week 1 because they both bring something different to the table. Owens is a stout tackler who started all 17 games for the Texans last season and only missed six percent of his tackle attempts while racking up 125 total stops.
Projection: Darnell Savage and Jonathon Owens will be the starters.
Right Tackle
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The Packers have proved over the last several years that they'll shuffle around their lineman to get the best five on the field, but the right tackle battle likely comes down to Zach Tom and Yosh Nijman.
In the team's first preseason game, they actually started both at tackle. David Bakhtiari sat out while Nijman got the blindside start and Tom got the nod on the right.
The second-year player out of Wake Forest was one of the highest-graded players on the offense, locked up the pass-rusher on a touchdown pass from Jordan Love and also went on to shine while playing center.
Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated noted that it appears the Packers are "leaning toward" Tom at right tackle but also that he's playing a ton of other spots on the offensive line.
The Packers' love for versatility clouds things a bit. With him repping all over the line it would appear that he's on the outside looking in. However, Tom has proved he deserves to start. He'll likely win the job at right tackle but would potentially be the adjuster if someone else goes down with an injury.
Projection: Zach Tom will be the starter. Yosh Nijman will be the swing tackle.
Tight End
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With Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave joining Tyler Davis and Josiah Deguara, this looked like a crowded competition.
To this point, it looks like the answer at tight end is clearly Musgrave. He was listed as the starter on the team's first unofficial depth chart, and that lines up with the buzz from training camp. Musgrave has drawn comparisons to prime Jermichael Finley.
According to Next Gen Stats, Musgrave was on the field for all 14 of Jordan Love's snaps. He was targeted three times with one catch for eight yards, but it's best not to read too much into that as the offense is likely to look different once the preseason is over.
Tightening Musgrave's grip on the job is the fact that Davis, the second tight end on the depth chart, suffered a torn ACL in the preseason opener.
The Packers appear to be all in on their second-round pick not only starting but also playing a big role in the offense. The only question now is whether fellow rookie Kraft will be the second TE.
Projection: Luke Musgrave will start.
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