Packers' preseason opener brings clarity to some position battles, clouds outlook at others
The Packers did have some positives to take away from Saturday's game, but they have at least as many concerns as they enter the second week of the preseason.
Good morning!
On Saturday, the Green Bay Packers fell to the New York Jets 30-10 in their preseason opener. The score doesn't matter this time of year, but the player evaluations do. The team had some positive developments during the game, including at some key position battles. However, the contest clouded the outlook at other spots, and one of the Packers' top offensive playmakers now seems less than a guaranteed lock to suit up in Week 1.
Today's edition of The Leap looks at the good and bad from those competitions and assesses the degree of concern warranted by the Packers' receiving corps
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Are Warren Brinson and Nazir Stackhouse actually competing for the same job, and what does it mean for the competition for roster spots at defensive tackle?
Jason B. Hirschhorn: Warren Brinson and Nazir Stackhouse generally get bucketed together. The two played on the same Georgia Bulldogs defensive line from 2020-24, winning multiple titles together as meaningful contributors. While the Packers spent a late-round pick on Brinson, they made Stackhouse a priority UDFA signing, suggesting the team had comparable grades for each prospect. With nose tackle T.J. Slaton no longer in the fold, it seemed reasonable to assume that Green Bay took a shotgun approach to filling his void.
However, the Packers didn't quite deploy Stackhouse and Brinson that way on Saturday. In early downs and probable running situations, the coaches lined up Stackhouse at nose tackle. That included the fourth-down stop the defense forced early in the second quarter with Braelon Allen and several other key Jets contributors still on the field.
Meanwhile, Brinson played primarily in passing situations. Not only that, but he spent most of his time lined up as a 4i-tech (shaded over the inside shoulder of the offensive tackle) or 5-tech (outside shoulder).
Though both alignments constitute interior D-line positions, the roles differ in meaningful ways. A defender lining up over the offensive tackle will usually have more pass-rushing opportunities than someone playing the nose. Granted, Brinson and Stackhouse handled both roles during their time at Georgia and could realistically do so again in Green Bay, but the usage so far suggests the Packers have different visions for each player.
This could have significant ramifications when final cuts arrive. Health permitting, the Packers have two locks at defensive tackle (Kenny Clark and Devonte Wyatt) and a near lock (Karl Brooks). They carried five players at the position on their initial 53-man roster a year ago and stuck to that number during the season.
While that number would leave a spot for both Brinson and Stackhouse, it would force Green Bay to part with Colby Wooden who, besides being a recent fourth-round pick, has the flexibility to play any of the interior D-line positions. He lined up as a nose tackle often on Saturday and recorded four defensive stops as well as a PBU.
The competition along the defensive interior hasn't garnered as much attention as other position battles this summer. However, the flashes from Brinson and Stackhouse, along with Wooden's improved play in the preseason opener, could force one of the toughest roster decisions for the Packers a few weeks from now.
The competitions along the offensive line look no more settled after Saturday's game than before
JBH: Assessments of Green Bay's offensive line will vary greatly depending on how much weight one gives to the starters versus the backups.
For the former group, the performance looked decent enough but still featured significant warts. Jordan Morgan played over 30 snaps at left tackle and didn't allow a pressure or a bad run, perhaps a sign that the concentrated time he has received of late at one position has benefited his blocking. Elgton Jenkins appeared comfortable at center too, a welcome development for the offense given the amount of work he missed during the offseason program and early in training camp. Zach Tom had a truly atrocious rep in pass protection against Will McDonald IV but held up fine otherwise. Aaron Banks had some awkward moments but didn't yield a pressure.
The backups fared worse overall. Jacob Monk, the swing interior lineman who has split his time in camp between the first and second string, drew three flags for offensive holding, gave up a sack, and appeared to give up another pressure that led to a hurried throw. The penalties would have stood out more if not for several of his teammates stealing his schtick. In total, the officials flagged the Packers for seven holding penalties, including three over a four-play span in the third quarter.
"Any time you just play with poor technique and poor fundamentals and you're making bad decisions, it's hard to play the game of football," head coach Matt LaFleur said after the game. "We got called for a holding penalty it seemed every other play."
While Monk had a singularly poor showing, he had company among the interior offensive linemen. Sean Rhyan held up fine at right guard with the starters, but he struggled after replacing Jenkins at center, allowing a sack and at least one other pressure. Donovan Jennings had a fine day in pass protection, but his holding penalty wiped out a third-down conversion, contributing to the Packers' final mark of 1-of-10 on the money down.
The lone bright spot among the reserve offensive linemen came from the rookie class. Second-round pick Anthony Belton didn't allow a pressure in approximately 40 snaps at right tackle. He also cleared some lanes in the ground game, including a soul-stealing pancake of a Jets linebacker on Amar Johnson's 39-yard touchdown run.
Belton didn't have a clean night by any means. He too drew a flag for holding, and the officials dinged him with a possibly dubious illegal-formation penalty. Still, Belton looked comfortable when the Jets had their real players on the field and borderline dominant against roster filler later in the contest.
Between it all, the Packers didn't gain much clarity about their competitions along the offensive line. Morgan didn't lose his chance to win the job at left tackle, but he probably didn't close the gap either. Rhyan left the door open for someone else to emerge as the No. 2 center, but Monk failed to step forward as the clear top backup along the interior. Jennings probably did the least damage to himself among the linemen on the roster bubble, but Saturday still represents somewhat of a missed opportunity for him.
How much damage did Mecole Hardman do to his shot at a roster spot?
JBH: Entering the weekend, Mecole Hardman seemed to fall on the right side of the roster divide. The Packers saw him as a capable returner who could take that role off the plate of more valuable players. They also valued his speed and what he could do as a gadget player on offense.
Hardman's positive momentum disappeared over two plays Saturday night. On the first, he fielded a punt inside the 5-yard line, a no-no given the risk involved and the possibility of a touchback providing more yardage instead. About three minutes of game clock later, Hardman muffed a punt with nobody around him, giving possession back to the Jets deep in the red zone.
A single poor preseason outing shouldn't doom Hardman's roster chances, but he has put himself squarely behind the eight ball. The Packers have five wideouts ahead of him who will make the 53, barring injury or a trade. And while Christian Watson will presumably begin the regular season on the physically unable to perform list, his speed could make Hardman redundant, at least on offense.
That leaves perhaps only one spot at receiver with several in contention. One of those options, Malik Heath, saw the field before Hardman on Saturday and even worked with the No. 1 offense. Perhaps that preference came down to player type -- Heath offers size and perimeter-slot flexibility that the 5-foot-10 Hardman lacks -- but that will factor in the final determination as well.
It also doesn't help Hardman's cause that the Packers have begun experimenting with other receivers in the offensive roles he could have otherwise played. First-round pick Matthew Golden ran some jet motion on Saturday, and multiple New York defenders reacted to his movements. Fellow rookie Savion Williams didn't suit up this weekend, but his skill set and college tape also suggest he could take on a gadget role in the near future.
Considered in total, Hardman put himself in significant danger of missing the roster cut. For a player who last year couldn't stick in a Jets receiving corps with virtually no depth, his NFL career might well depend on showing at least a base level of competency over the next two weeks.
Wait, what happened to Jayden Reed?
JBH: Perhaps the biggest development from Saturday had nothing to do with the events that transpired on the field. Jayden Reed, the Packers' leading receiver in each of the past two seasons, didn't suit up for the game and wore a walking boot on the sidelines.
"From my understanding, it's something different [from what put him on the non-football injury list to open training camp]," LaFleur said of Reed's injury. "It's unfortunate, but hopefully we'll get him back before the regular season."
When asked if Reed could miss Week 1, LaFleur said, "Potentially."
ESPN's Adam Schefter later reported that Reed has a sprained foot and the team considers him day to day, a non-standardized injury designation that leaves open the possibility that the wideout could remain sidelined when the regular season begins.
This news comes at a time when the Packers' receiving corps lacks some notable names. In addition to Watson, Dontayvion Wicks has missed a significant chunk of training camp with a calf injury. Williams continues to work through a concussion, and while that doesn't seem likely to keep him sidelined much longer, any time lost during a player's first year can have a deleterious effect on his development.
If a silver lining exists in this situation, the Packers will find it in Golden. The rookie has added more to his plate with multiple wideouts sidelined, and he has thus far responded positively. At this stage, fewer people wonder if Golden will emerge as Green Bay's lead receiver. Rather, they wonder when that will happen.
Still, Reed has proven himself capable of carrying the offense for stretches. Green Bay can't easily replace his contributions, especially with so many other playmakers hurt. If the Packers hope to outgun the best teams on their schedule, they'll want Reed back in the fold as soon as possible.