Battles will commence up and down the Green Bay Packers' roster once training camp begins this week, but two stand out above the rest.
Who will start alongside Keisean Nixon at cornerback, and who will win the kicking job?
There are questions about depth at other positions, but unless Jager Burton can force his way into the starting offensive line, almost every starting spot is set. The exceptions are cornerback and kicker.
All signs point to Nixon retaining his job, but Carrington Valentine will face competition from Benjamin St-Juste and rookie Brandon Cisse. Sixth-round pick Trey Smack is in pole position to kick this season, but after a shaky start in the offseason program, he faces pressure from Lucas Havrisik, who holds the record for the longest field goal in Packers history.
Who will emerge victorious in the two biggest camp battles?
Predicting the winners of the Packers' most intense positional battles at training camp
Starting cornerback alongside Keisean Nixon
In contention: Carrington Valentine, Benjamin St-Juste, Brandon Cisse
Despite the Packers' offseason investments at cornerback, Carrington Valentine enters training camp in pole position. Benjamin St-Juste missed time during the offseason program due to injury, limiting his opportunity to get reps. Brandon Cisse is a rookie, so naturally, there will be an adjustment period.
Valentine is under pressure, though, and is well and truly on the hot seat.
St-Juste is potentially the most ready to challenge for the starting job now, although Cisse is undoubtedly viewed as the team's long-term starter. The concern is that St-Juste hasn't proven he can handle a full-time role.
He struggled during a three-year stretch where he made 42 starts with the Washington Commanders, giving up 1,950 yards and nine touchdowns in his coverage while making only one interception (per Pro Football Reference).
A change of scenery benefited him with the Los Angeles Chargers, as he allowed a completion percentage of just 53.5 percent for 243 yards, one touchdown, one interception, and a passer rating of 68.3. The catch is that St-Juste only played 35 percent of the defensive snaps. A backup role suited him.
Cisse has the talent to quickly climb the depth chart, but it's a lot to put on a rookie cornerback's plate right away. Don't be surprised if his snap counts increase as the season goes on, but he'll need to make a fast start at training camp to enter Week 1 as a starter.
Valentine isn't the worst in coverage. According to Pro Football Reference, quarterbacks completed only 59.7 percent of their passes against him last season. The issue is that he rarely gets his hands to the football, misses far too many tackles, and receivers beat him at the worst times last season. Valentine allowed seven touchdowns while making just four pass defenses and intercepting only one.
For now, though, he just edges it. Putting St-Juste in a full-time starting role presents its own risks, and the Packers may be best suited to starting Valentine until Cisse is ready to take over.
Prediction: Carrington Valentine
Kicker
In contention: Trey Smack, Lucas Havrisik
It's a fascinating battle. The Packers traded away two picks to move up for Trey Smack in the sixth round, who was considered the best kicker in the draft. Most draft picks need time to develop and overcome mistakes. Kickers don't have that luxury.
Smack is the favorite for the job, given the investment the Packers made, but that can only take him so far.
Green Bay learned the hard way that putting faith in an inconsistent rookie kicker can come back to haunt you. That's the approach the team took with Anders Carlson in 2023. They stuck with Carlson through to the playoffs despite him missing six field goals and five extra-point tries in the regular season. Ultimately, it cost them, as Carlson missed a must-have 41-yard field goal in the playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
Smack struggled for consistency during the offseason program, allowing Havrisik to close the gap. Havrisik impressed in three games last year, converting all four field goals, including a franchise-record 61-yard attempt, and seven of his nine extra-point attempts.
If Smack's inconsistency continues into camp, Havrisik will have a chance to win the job. But if Smack shows just enough improvement, it's hard to see the Packers moving off their draft pick.
That's my prediction. Havrisik closes the gap, but in the end, Smack just about holds off the competition.
Prediction: Trey Smack (but only just)
Add us as a preferred source on Google