4 Packers players facing an uphill battle at 2021 training camp

Oren Burks, LB

Another early-round draft choice for the Packers who faces an uphill battle this summer is inside linebacker Oren Burks, who Green Bay picked in the third round back in 2018.

What helps Burks is that he has featured a lot on special teams in recent years, but he has barely played on defense. According to Pro Football Reference, Burks has played fewer than 10 percent of the Packers’ defensive snaps in each of the past two seasons.

Making it even tougher for Burks is that there is a lot of competition for roster spots at inside linebacker.

Free-agent addition De’Vondre Campbell will likely be top of the depth chart this season and the Packers’ number one starter in the middle of the defense. Second-year Krys Barnes started 10 games last season and will likely have a big role again this year. Another second-year player, Kamal Martin, also has a great chance of making the 53.

Burks will also be competing with Ty Summers, who also plays a lot of special teams snaps. Summers started one game last season and featured on 17 percent of the defensive snaps, filling in for injuries.

With so much competition at linebacker, Burks needs a great training camp to make the roster.