After two weeks of training camp practices, the Green Bay Packers will take the field for the pre-season opener against the San Francisco 49ers tonight in Santa Clara, California. Below are three things I’ll be watching closely:
THE OFFENSIVE LINE
Minus the services of all-pro talents David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins, the Packers offensive line has struggled against the defensive line in camp. In fairness, the Packers defensive line might be the strongest position group on the roster. Nevertheless, healthy offensive lineman will play tonight. It appears undrafted third-year pro Yosh Nijman will start at left tackle in Bakhtiari’s absence. Jon Runyan and second-year pro Josh Myers are good bets to begin the regular season at left guard and center. Finding the right mix on the ride side is something LaFleur is working through. I’ll be looking to see who begins the game in front of Jordan Love and the various mixing and matching that occurs during the game.
WIDE RECEIVER
Allen Lazard, Sammy Watkins and Randall Cobb are not expected to play, so look for a showcase of youth tonight. Aaron Rodgers publicly backed Juwann Winfree and rookie Romeo Doubs (4th round, Nevada) this week. Maybe Rodgers’ comments were a wake-up call for others (including Watkins) to elevate their play. Regardless, Doubs has been the darling of camp thus far and is quickly earning Rodgers’ trust. Keep an eye on fellow rookie Samori Toure (7th round, Nebraska). Toure has been relatively quiet in camp, but flashed during Family Night. He might be one of those guys who does his best work under the bright lights.
JORDAN LOVE
In his third year in Matt LaFleur’s system (but only his second true training camp), Love has impressed in training camp. What I’ll be watching is to see if what I’ve seen in camp translates to a game situation. The little things are big things for a developing quarterback: Footwork, decisiveness, command and trusting his reads and cutting it loose. Love is entering the third year of his four-year rookie scale deal and his future in Green Bay is anything but certain. Love has looked poised and in control during practice. He’s still making mistakes, but Love’s progression in camp is noticeable.
Other things….
The Packers depth at outside linebacker is in question. Rashan Gary and Preston Smith are outstanding players, but who else could factor into the regular season rotation?
Pay attention to the mix of players used on special teams and the production of the coverage and return units. I’ll also be curious to see who gets a shot at returning punts and kickoffs.
