Iron sharpens iron, and several players will be locked into some heated position battles when the Green Bay Packers begin training camp. Outside of the kicker job and one of the starting spots at corner, though, only a few of these battles will be for featured roles, but that won't make them any less intriguing. One such battle could come at receiver.
Even though Green Bay parted ways with Dontavyion Wicks and Romeo Doubs, they're still stacked at receiver. On the one hand, that's a good problem to have, as you can never have too many players at one position, especially if the injury bug strikes. On the other hand, it means that the Packers may have to make a tough decision and cut ties with a receiver they'd otherwise like to keep around next season.
For all intents and purposes, Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden, and Christian Watson are guaranteed to make the team. Savion Williams is nearly a lock to earn a roster spot. Free-agent acquisition Skyy Moore should also get the nod because of his return skills. Heck, that's the main reason the team's brass gave him a one-year deal worth $2.5 million. That would potentially leave one spot up for grabs. Undrafted rookie J. Michael Sturdivant could make a strong push for it.
J. Michael Sturdivant will vie for a roster spot with the Packers
Dating back to 2005, at least one undrafted rookie has made the Packers' Week 1 53-man roster. They could keep the streak alive with J. Michael Sturdivant. He has the size and speed to be on the roster come Week 1. That said, he'll have his work cut out.
On the other hand, even if Sturdivant makes an impression in training camp, he'll be competing with Bo Melton and sophomores Isaiah Neyor and Will Sheppard. Neyor, in particular, stood out in the offseason program. All three will have an edge over their rookie counterpart by virtue of having more experience.
That's probably why Rob Demovsky of ESPN kept Surdivant off his 53-man roster projection and instead included Melton. That said, you can't write him off just yet.
Why J. Michael Sturdivant could ultimately make the Packers' roster
One of the reasons Sturdivant slid in the draft was his underwhelming production, but some of that stemmed from the fact that he didn't have a good quarterback who could throw the ball to him. That will no longer be an issue in Titletown, so he'll get to show what he's capable of doing.
It's also worth noting that neither Neyor nor Sheppard logged a single snap last season. On the other hand, Bo Melton caught a measly four receptions for 107 yards last season and had a failed experiment at cornerback. When you add it all up, the door is open for Sturdivant to prove himself and earn a roster spot.
Make no mistake, the odds are stacked against Sturdivant, but he'll have a realistic shot to make the initial 53-man roster and keep a long-running streak alive.
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