Where things stand in these 5 position battles following Packers’ win over Browns (2024)

Three weeks into training camp, the Green Bay Packers don’t have as many nip-and-tuck position battles as you might expect for what figures to be the NFL’s youngest roster for a second straight year.

But there are still bottom-of-the-roster jobs to be earned, and there are a few battles for starting spots or top backup roles yet to be determined.

“I loved how our guys competed in all three phases. I thought they put a lot of good tape out there,” said LaFleur, whose team was without several starters — cornerback Jaire Alexander (personal matter), right tackle Zach Tom (working his way back from a torn pectoral) and right guard Jordan Morgan (shoulder injury). “I thought the things that we were looking for in terms of the effort and running to the football and finishing, I thought it was on point.

“I’m sure there were some things we can work on and get better at, but all in all, it was great to see. We got everybody in the game, and I thought everybody made contributions.”

Here’s a look at how five position battles changed — or didn’t change — in the wake of Saturday’s win:

1. Running back

New No. 1 running back Josh Jacobs got one carry (for a 7-yard gain) and caught one pass (for a 2-yard loss) before Jordan Love’s 65-yard touchdown pass to Dontayvion Wicks ended the offensive starters’ day after just three plays.

After that, LaFleur got ample work for AJ Dillon, Emanuel Wilson and rookie third-round pick MarShawn Lloyd — at least until Lloyd departed with a hamstring injury, which Lloyd said he’d been dealing with in recent days and LaFleur seemed slightly perturbed by.

“I think he had two touches on the game. That’s disappointing, but he’s going to have to get healthy,” LaFleur said. “We’ve seen what he’s capable of doing in practice, you’d just like to see it in a real game.”

While Dillon reshaped his body by dropping weight and lowering his BMI, he is still a big back at 245 pounds — one that you would hope could get 1 yard in a short-yardage situation, even behind the No. 2 offensive line.

During a three-play sequence on the Packers’ second possession of the game, Dillon was thrown for a 1-yard loss on second-and-1, gained only 1 yard on the ensuing third-and-2, and then was stuffed for no gain on the subsequent fourth-and-1. He finished his day with 2 net yards on four attempts.

Wilson, the darling of last year’s preseason, again showed why the Packers kept him last fall as an undrafted rookie free agent. He finished with 67 yards on 13 carries, which included a 23-yard burst and a 5-yard touchdown run.

LaFleur didn’t give any indication of how long Lloyd may be out, so undrafted rookie free agent Jarveon Howard’s productive fourth quarter (eight carries for 44 yards, including 16- and 11-yard runs) could lead to more opportunities for him.

2. Wide receiver

Wicks’ magnificent route on his 65-yard touchdown twisted Browns safety Ronnie Hickman into a pretzel and left Hickman apparently grabbing his hamstring as Wicks ran away from him.

If Wicks was running fourth behind Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson and Jayden Reed, it was never by a large margin. The touchdown was a reminder of his immense potential.

After that, Grant DuBose made a big-time statement. The 2023 seventh-round pick who spent all of last season on the practice squad led the Packers in receptions (five), receiving yards (66) and targets (six).

He had a catch and drew a penalty on his first series, then had a fourth-down conversion (a 13-yard catch on fourth-and-3) and a pair of third-down catches (a 23-yard gain on third-and-9 and a 12-yard pickup on a third-and-3) to keep drives going.

“It feels good. I sat the whole last year,” said DuBose, whose back injury sidelined him for most of preseason, making it nearly impossible for him to make the 53-man roster. “This offseason was pretty good for me. I just wanted to take advantage of it. It’s not anything new to me. I always had to sit and wait for my number to be called. I think that it’s made me and built me for these type of moments.”

Bo Melton, who had a late-season breakthrough last year, had an up-and-down day. He fumbled a handoff on a jet sweep (but still gained 12 yards after grabbing it on one bounce) and had a 12-yard catch.

But on his other three targets, Melton could have been charged with drops on all three, depending on how harsh of a grader wide receivers coach Ryan Mahaffey is. Melton’s final target was definitely a drop on a red-zone play that might’ve been a touchdown had he held on and broken a tackle near the goal line.

3. Safety

Rookie second-round pick Javon Bullard got the start alongside Xavier McKinney, the team’s prized veteran free-agent pickup on defense. But fellow rookie Evan Williams and 2023 seventh-round pick Anthony Johnson made sure they didn’t cede any ground.

McKinney played only one series, leaving Bullard and Williams at safety on the second defensive series. Later, Williams and Johnson lined up at safety with Bullard working as the slot cornerback in the nickel package.

Williams forced a fumble early in the third quarter that was recovered by linebacker Kristian Welch and finished tied for the team lead with six tackles.

“I thought all those guys showed some physicality that we desperately need in the back end,” LaFleur said.

While Williams may not beat Bullard out for the starting spot, his playmaking knack is undeniable. His four interceptions in practice are tied for the most on the team, and the fumble he forced was just an extension of that.

“Honestly, I wasn’t too nervous for some odd reason,” Williams said of his NFL debut. “I didn’t feel too much pressure. I just felt like as long as I fly around, run around and give my all, good things were going to happen. That typically happens in football, right?”

4. Offensive line

Sean Rhyan started at right guard in place of Morgan, then played center with the No. 2 offensive line, then was back at right guard for a second-half stint to get more work at the position where he’d been battling Morgan for the starting job.

It’s unclear how long Morgan will be sidelined, but even if Rhyan loses that competition for the starting role, the versatility he showed on Saturday should cement him as the next man up at all three interior spots on the line.

“Playing two positions in a game, it’s not something I’m a stranger to. It just happened to be instead of going right to left, it was right to center,” Rhyan said. “It was good, though. It was fun.”

Official snap counts aren’t available until the day after games, but it’s likely that Rhyan saw more action than anyone else on the roster.

“That was my first time ever playing center in a game besides in high school,” Rhyan said. “It was fun. It was definitely different. It was another chance to get out on the field and play ball.”

Meanwhile, in the competition for the swing tackle job behind Tom and left tackle Rasheed Walker, veteran Andre Dillard started at right tackle for Tom, then saw action at left tackle after the starting group departed. Kadeem Telfort played extensively at right tackle, while Caleb Jones saw extended time at left tackle.

5. Kicker

If the game was supposed to provide separation between Anders Carlson and Greg Joseph, it didn’t — and that was OK because both kickers had flawless games.

Carlson made both his field-goal attempts (a 46-yarder at the halftime gun and a 33-yarder in the second half) and his lone extra point, while Joseph made his only field-goal try (a 35-yarder) and his only extra point.

Newly added kicker Alex Hale did not play.

Meanwhile, of the Packers’ five kickoffs, Carlson put both of his in the landing zone, while Joseph put two in the landing zone and one 1-yard deep in the end zone — which the Browns opted to return instead of taking a touchback to the 30-yard line.

The Browns’ first two kickoffs went into the end zone for touchbacks, but for the Packers’ first run-through with the NFL’s new kickoff set-up, the day was largely uneventful and not all that informative.

“I think there’s going to be a lot learning for all 32 teams across the league,” LaFleur said. “It’s interesting when you watch other teams, their philosophy on it right now. I think every opportunity, whether it’s us out there or somebody else, is a learning experience.”