The Green Bay Packers began their organized team activities (OTAs) on Tuesday, and Wednesday is the first media availability. For the first time this year, it will be possible to have some idea of what the coaching staff is planning and how the players are executing it.
This version of the Packers doesn't have many holes or uncertainties, but still there are plenty of battles for starting jobs and roster spots.
On the top of the roster, the battles are more significant for the outcome of the season in Green Bay. Therefore, let's talk about five ones that could be extremely impactful for the Packers heading into the 2025 season.
Jordan Morgan vs. Rasheed Walker
We don't know yet if Morgan will be established at tackle or guard, but Brian Gutekunst said they will give him the opportunity to consolidate himself at tackle first. And this is clearly the best-case scenario for the Packers after investing a first-round pick in him a year ago. Rasheed Walker is a solid, average starting tackle, but he has a limited ceiling and is slated to hit free agency next offseason.
Walker enters OTAs as the projected starter, but it would be great for the Packers if Morgan could beat him out for the job.
Anthony Belton vs. Sean Rhyan
Belton has the same tackle-guard flexibility that Morgan does, but his physical profile and the area of the draft in which he was picked align better with the guard position. It's a similar discussion here, since Rhyan is an average starter and entering the final year of his rookie deal. The intriguing part about this battle is that if Morgan can't beat out Walker, he will enter the right guard competition as well.
Matthew Golden vs. Dontayvion Wicks
Romeo Doubs might start because he's the best X receiver, and Jayden Reed is the best receiver overall and a slot piece. The starting spot open in the wide receiver zoom is the Z, and Dontayvion Wicks is the incumbent starter while Christian Watson is hurt. However, the Packers are open for the new.
After the draft process, the front office highlighted that the team didn't need to take receivers or that they play immediately. But Golden is a first-round pick, and is perceived as a polished prospect, so there's a realistic chance he brings more value than Wicks to the offense from the jump. The Packers tend to be conservative with young players, but everything will depend on how Golden performs.
Lukas Van Ness vs. Kingsley Enagbare
In the ideal world, this shouldn't even be a battle, and Van Ness would be an obvious starter opposite Rashan Gary. But that's not how things have been. Last year, Enagbare played 46.92% of the defensive snaps, and Van Ness played 39.3%. His snap counts didn't go significantly up even after the Packers traded Preston Smith away.
Now, Green Bay is trying a new development plan for the edge group with defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington. Hopefully, he can get more out of these young pieces, and Van Ness' development is one of the most important tasks of the season for the defensive success.
Carrington Valentine vs. Javon Bullard
This is a little bit weird because it's not a direct competition. Valentine is a boundary cornerback, while Bullard is a nickel/safety hybrid. But it's a competition because, at least in a scenario without Jaire Alexander, only one will play—with Jaire, both would probably be backups.
Nate Hobbs offers the Packers flexibility to play inside and outside. So the question is what's the best version of the Packers secondary. It might have Keisean Nixon and Valentine outside, with Hobbs inside, or Nixon and Hobbs in the boundary with Bullard in the slot.
It might be underwhelming to have three original nickels on the field at the same time with the second scenario, but the Packers preferred to play Bullard over Valentine last year at most times—even though Valentine had better results in coverage.
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