3 intriguing position battles for Packers in 2024

The Packers are in a pretty good spot. Despite being one of the youngest teams in football, their roster looks fairly settled – comparitively speaking, at least. They have their franchise QB, a host of young, talented wide receivers, and an offensive line that could surprise people. Their defense, even in the midst of a scheme change, figures to be at least decent next year, and Matt LaFleur is Matt LaFleuer.

Even with all that certainty, there are a few positions of intrigue on the Packers' roster. When July camp rolls around, fans will have to find something to fill the time while they wait for Week 1's game in Brazil. These are the three most intriguing roster battles that'll take place during Packers training camp this summer.

3 intriguing position battles for Packers in 2024

1. Backup Quarterback

The Packers' QB situation won't get a whole bunch of attention – that's the gift of having a franchise QB – but there's still an interesting ("interesting") battle to be the guy that backs up Jordan Love. They drafted Penn State's Sean Clifford in the 5th round of last year's draft, and he threw exactly one pass all year. It seemed like it was still Clifford's job to lose, until the Packers turned around and drafted Tulane's Michael Pratt this season.

As far as backup QB discourse goes, the Pratt pick was pretty interesting. He was considered by many to be a Day 2 pick, and eventually fell into the 7th round. He was the 11th QB taken in this year's draft, which is significantly lower than what most mock drafts had him at. He set a bunch of records at Tulane, and was considered a prospect that could eventually start for someone down the line. Maybe that's still ultimately the plan – Love sat for the majority of his rookie contract too – but also, it's hard to imagine a world where they're already planning for life after Love. Seeing what Pratt can do, and if he can take Clifford's job from him, will be a fun little bonus storyline for August.

2. Left Tackle

If you were to look at Pro Football Focus right now, they have Rasheed Walker starting at left tackle. That wouldn't be the worst thing in the world – in his first full year at the position last year, Walker had a 66.3 overall grade, finishing as PFF's 44th best tackle. In almost 1,000 snaps last season, he allowed six sacks, four QB hits, and committed 10 penalties. It's not exactly an All-Pro stat line, but again – it was Year 1.

With all that being said: you don't draft a tackle in the first round and then sit him for a guy with Walker's numbers. If Jordan Morgan is the guy that the Packers think he is, then Walker's probably going to end up either somewhere else on the line, or on the bench. GM Brian Gutekunst hinted at the possibility of kicking Walker inside to guard recently, telling reporters that the team loves his versatility. It seems like the obvious answer, and that it's just more a matter of when, not if.

3. Safety

The good news is that the Packers have Xavier McKinney. The former Giants safety – who finished last season ranked as Pro Football Focus' 4th best safety – will be one of the best players on the Packers' defense. The bad news is that whoever he ends up playing next to ... won't be.

If you're looking for a silver lining, it's that the Packers have options. Three of this year's draft picks – Javon Bullard, Evan Williams, and Kitan Oladapo – are all intriguing options, and even though they have a returning vet in Anthony Johnson Jr., you don't draft three safeties between the 2nd and 5th rounds if you're happy with the current productions. Hopefully McKinney is as good as advertised, because things might be a little rough for the first few months otherwise.