Packers in top 10 of power rankings midway through training camp

Midway through training camp, the Packers remain at No. 8 in the NFL Spin Zone power rankings.

In less than three weeks, the Green Bay Packers will begin their defense of the NFC North title on the road against the Minnesota Vikings, in the same venue they wrapped up the division crown just nine months earlier.

The Packers have been back at practice for well over a week now and have a busy schedule as they prepare for the start of the regular season.

Midway through training camp, Randy Gurzi of NFL Spin Zone has put together his latest power rankings, and the Packers remain in eighth position.

It seems to have been a good start to training camp for the Packers. At the time of writing, there have been no significant injuries. There have been various reports of young players stepping up and impressing at practice, including rookie linebacker Kamal Martin, third-year cornerback Josh Jackson, second-year edge rusher Rashan Gary, and rookie safety Vernon Scott.

Both the offense and defense are aiming to take another step forward this year.

Offensively, Green Bay was inconsistent last season, which is to be expected in the first year of a new system. On defense, the Packers need to continue to build on an improving pass defense — the development of the young defensive backs will help — while also needing to be much better against the run.

The Packers still have a lot of work to do in what has been a different summer than usual for the team, with practice getting underway much later than normal, and also no preseason games taking place.

Eighth in the power rankings is about right. There’s been no reason at training camp for them to fall any lower than their previous position, but it’s also fair to say that they’ve got work to do to catch the top teams in the league such as the Kansas City Chiefs and San Francisco 49ers.