Packers: 3 under-the-radar players to watch vs. Steelers

3. Adam Pankey

The training camp buzz has mainly centered on the most important positions on the offensive line: left and right tackle. The backup battle between Jason Spriggs, Kyle Murphy and Byron Bell is compelling.

There is an equally interesting battle on the interior, though. With Bryan Bulaga set to start the regular season on the active roster, that will likely leave two backup spots for primarily interior players.

Dillon Day, a fourth-year player, has been solid at center and figures to make the roster as Corey Linsley’s backup. Cole Madison’s continued absence means that Kofi Amichia, Lucas Patrick and undrafted rookie Alex Light will be Pankey’s primary competition.

Pankey spent most of his rookie season out of West Virginia in 2017 on the active roster, but played just one snap. After starting camp behind Patrick, Pankey’s strong performance against Tennessee saw him ascend to first-team left guard this week in practice (in Lane Taylor’s absence).

Pankey’s value proposition is that he can play left tackle, left guard, right guard, or right tackle. In fact, he played both guard positions and left tackle in college. He has solid size at six-foot-five and 325 pounds and has impressed observers with his footwork as well.

It will be fascinating to see which position(s) Pankey plays on Thursday night. With the uncertain status of backups along the offensive line, Pankey has a great opportunity to assert himself as the top backup at both guard spots and a passable option at tackle.

I’ll be watching to see when he enters the game, where he plays, and how he holds up in both the pre- and post-snap phases.