Now that rosters are set at 53 players after last week's cutdowns, teams are starting to release their initial "unofficial" depth charts. While technically unofficial, as it isn't Matt LaFleur handing the content team the official depth chart, they are highly informed professionals within the team who are incredibly accurate.
Coming into the season, there weren't a lot of positions that were truly up for battle in Green Bay. Jordan Love is the quarterback. The duo of Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams will handle the safety spots. Tucker Kraft will be the team's starting tight end. As long as he is healthy, MarShawn Lloyd will be considered the lead back in the absence of Josh Jacobs.
That said, as camp wore on, a couple of spots emerged as different players started to stand out in practice. There was always going to be a discussion about who would start opposite Lukas Van Ness at the edge spot until Micah Parsons returned, as well as the starting corners after the Packers drafted a pair and signed Benjamin St. Juste in free agency.
With the first depth chart released, there were some key takeaways ahead of Sunday's game in Minnesota.
1. Jacob Monk "unofficially" wins battle for starting guard
Jacob Monk had one of the best standout performances in training camp this summer. The third-year player out of Duke had been slept on the last two seasons, with very limited work until last season's regular-season finale against the Vikings. While the Packers rested most of their usual starters in that game, Monk used the opportunity to put some great work on tape.
Monk played all over the line in college and was the starting center in that contest last season. Now, nine months later, he will presumably get his second career start, though it will be with Green Bay's true starting 11 and likely at right guard.
Monk primarily worked at right guard this preseason and is listed as the starting guard on the unofficial depth chart. Of course, things could shift a bit due to the uncertainty of Aaron Banks and Zach Bako-Bewele at their respective spots. Still, Monk officially earning the nod is a big credit to his work this offseason.
2. Barryn Sorrell gets first crack in the lineup
This was probably the biggest battle coming into camp, trying to figure out who would start opposite Lukas Van Ness in Jonathan Gannon's defense. There was some speculation that the Packers would make a trade, with Josh Sweat's name coming up often. Ultimately, though, the team ended up addressing other spots on the open market.
With Green Bay focusing inward and relying on their depth on the edge until Parsons comes back, Barryn Sorrell ultimately did enough to beat out Dani Dennis-Sutton and Brenton Cox Jr. Sorrell got limited work as a rookie, recording 1.5 sacks and 15 tackles.
He worked out with Parsons in the offseason and caught the attention of the Packers' coaching staff early and often in camp. In fact, he was actually removed from a drill because he was so close to Jordan Love on a bull rush.
Some initially hoped that Dennis-Sutton would be the second coming of Parsons, given their shared alma mater, but after missing part of camp with an illness, the Packers are going with the second-year player in Sorrell.
3. Keisean Nixon does enough to keep starting corner role... for now
For better or worse, Keisean Nixon has been one of the most talked-about Packers players during the offseason. Nixon himself has done some of the talking, insisting that he is still the lead cornerback for the Packers. Many fans, though, weren't as positive, pointing to the frequency with which he gets beat on routes and commits bad penalties.
Green Bay's front office publicly showed support for the Pro Bowler, but still ended up drafting a pair of cornerbacks, while also adding one in free agency. Second-round pick Brandon Cisse earned one of the starting spots, showcasing the ball skills and coverage ability that made him the Packers' top draft choice.
Despite Packers fans' ire after Nixon seemingly gave up on a play in the preseason and briefly worked with the reserves, the initial "unofficial" depth chart lists him at the starting corner spot opposite Cisse.
It is worth noting that in Jonathan Gannon's defense, the Packers typically don't travel a corner based on matchup. They go with a right and left corner. Nixon did enough to get the primary work at left corner, with St-Juste being the primary competition on that side of the field. It will be intriguing to see how long the leash is with either Cisse or Nixon against the Vikings' prolific passing attack this weekend.
Add us as a preferred source on Google