Packers training camp battles to watch (and who is most likely to be cut)

The time for talk is almost over. It’s time for action. Time to compete.

The Green Bay Packers will open training camp next week. What happens on the practice field and the preseason games will determine who wins starting jobs and earns roster spots.

Here is a look at some of the key battles and who will come out on top.

Quarterbacks

The battle: Kyle McCord vs. Kyron Drones.

The set-up: This is a low-key important battle just because of the importance of the position. There’s no doubt Jordan Love will be the starter and Tyrod Taylor will be the backup. But Taylor will turn 37 soon and signed only a one-year contract.

That means this year’s No. 3 quarterback, with a full season to grow on the practice squad, could be the frontrunner to be the No. 2 quarterback in 2027 – meaning McCord or Drones could be one unfortunate snap away from running a Super Bowl-contending team.

The prediction: Both will be released but Drones will be brought back for the practice squad in hopes the raw but talented undrafted rookie can perhaps develop into Malik Willis 2.0.

Receivers

The battle: Bo Melton and Skyy Moore vs. Isaiah Neyor, Will Sheppard and J. Michael Sturdivant.

The set-up: The top four of Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden and Savion Williams are locked onto the roster. Presumably, two more will join them. Melton has at least some track record as a receiver, highlighted by three important games down the stretch in 2023. Moore was signed to return kicks, where he was a weapon for the 49ers last year; anything he can add to the offense would be a bonus.

If something were to happen to Watson, Reed or Golden, is there enough firepower on the bottom of the depth chart with Melton and Moore? 

Asked differently: After four years in the NFL, is there some untapped upside for Melton and Moore? Or would the Packers be better off gambling on one of the young talents? Neyor and Sturdivant, in particular, are incredibly impressive size-speed prospects. In time, they could be better receivers.

The prediction: Moore and Melton will make it because of their all-around roles on the team. Moreover, the fear of losing a player after final cuts is usually overblown. The Packers have had a bunch of talented undrafted rookie receivers compete in training camp over the years. None of them have made a career of it elsewhere.

From the group of Neyor, Sheppard and Sturdivant, at least two will return to the practice squad and one will become a factor as a rookie.

Tight Ends

The battle: RJ Maryland, Drake Dabney, Messiah Swinson and Luke Lachey for (maybe) one spot.

The setup: While Luke Musgrave has been a disappointment, it’s still far more likely than not that the Packers will roll into the season with Tucker Kraft, Musgrave and Josh Whyle commanding three spots. History says the Packers will keep four.

Maryland is the sleek undrafted rookie who could be a matchup weapon in the passing game. Swinson and Lachey could earn a spot in the blocking role held last year by John FitzPatrick. Dabney is somewhere in between based on skill-set.

The prediction: Swinson hasn’t played in a game in three seasons in the league but he has had the practice time and strength development to earn the dirty-work role. Unless a proven veteran becomes available.

Edge

The battle: Brenton Cox, Collin Oliver, Arron Mosby and Nyjalik Kelly for two or three spots.

The set-up: With Micah Parsons likely to start the season on PUP, the Week 1 roster locks are Lukas Van Ness, Barryn Sorrell and Dani Dennis-Sutton.

Cox delivered elite pass-rushing production down the stretch in 2024. Yes, elite. It was an incredibly small sample size, though, and he failed to back it up last year due to a groin injury that sidelined him for most of last season.

Oliver was an excellent playmaker at Oklahoma State but played in only two games as a senior and one game as a rookie fifth-round pick. For the second time in as many seasons in the NFL, he did not participate in OTAs and minicamp. A player’s greatest ability is his availability, as coaches love to say. Well, with no availability, nobody has much of a clue about his ability.

Mosby was a productive, physical player on special teams. He hasn’t played much on defense in his career but his coverage history could be an asset in the new scheme.

Kelly is the highest-paid undrafted rookie in Packers history. He used his incredible length to record 17 TFLs during his final two seasons at Central Florida.

The prediction: Cox and Oliver, because the Packers will need every potential pass rusher to survive without Parsons, with Mosby also making it and keeping the chair warm for Parsons. Kelly would be a slam-dunk signing to the practice squad.

Defensive Tackle

The battle: Nazir Stackhouse vs. Jonathan Ford.

The setup: Maybe it will be more complicated, but the Packers have their nose tackle with third-round pick Chris McClellan. With Karl Brooks and Warren Brinson to be the backups for Devonte Wyatt and Javon Hargrave, it might come down to Stackhouse and Ford battling it out to be the backup nose tackle.

The wild card is Jordon Riley, who suffered a torn Achilles late last season. It remains to be seen when he’ll be cleared, but he impressed in his short time with the team.

The prediction: Ford (unless Riley is healthy) because he’s so big and could play a role in short-yardage situations.

Cornerback

The battle: Carrington Valentine vs. Benjamin St-Juste vs. Brandon Cisse to start.

The setup: What did GM Brian Gutekunst think of his group of cornerbacks? Well, he dumped Nate Hobbs one year after giving him a four-year, $48 million contract, signed St-Juste and then drafted Cisse in the second round and Domani Jackson in the sixth round.

Like it or not, Keisean Nixon almost certainly will be one of the Week 1 starters. It’s going to be a battle royale for the other spot.

Valentine covered well last season, and he might be viewed differently had he not dropped three interceptions, but he can’t tackle.

St-Juste has played inconsistently in five seasons – hence, his tepid free-agent market the last two offseasons – but was really good in abbreviated action for the Chargers last year. At 6-foot-3, he could be helpful against the abundance of tall receivers in the league, and he can tackle.

Cisse was the team’s No. 1 draft pick this year. He covered well at South Carolina last season, but it’s obviously a huge jump in competition for a player who didn’t make many plays on the ball in his career.

The prediction: St-Juste will start in Week 1, Cisse will start at some point and the depth could make Valentine a valuable commodity on the trade market as he enters his final season under contract

Kicker

The battle: Trey Smack vs. Lucas Havrisik.

The setup: You can probably recite the details of this one in your sleep. After a horrendous playoff game by Brandon McManus, the Packers gave up their two seventh-round picks to move into the sixth round to draft Smack. The Packers then released McManus to set up a battle between the hand-picked kicker (Smack) and the record-setting kicker (Havrisik, whose 61-yard field goal at Arizona was the longest in team history).

For now, it’s a one-on-one battle. In reality, they’ll be kicking against every unemployed kicker.

The prediction: In 2023, the Packers chose to sink or swim with sixth-round pick Anders Carlson, whose rookie-year struggles continued into the playoff loss with the 49ers.

The 2023 team was on the rise. The 2026 team is ready to contend. That could mean a lot shorter leash for Smack than the one Carlson was given.

The prediction is Smack will be the kicker at Minnesota for Week 1, but I’ll hedge my bets this way: 50 percent chance Smack wins the job, 20 percent chance Havrisik wins the job and 30 percent chance the Week 1 kicker is not on the roster at the moment.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/nfl/packers/onsi as Packers Training Camp Battles to Watch (And Who Is Most Likely to Be Cut).