Buckle up. Things are about to get interesting for the Green Bay Packers.
While the preseason is predominantly about the battles at the back end of the roster, two Packers starters enter the exhibition games in jeopardy.
Cornerback Carrington Valentine and offensive lineman Anthony Belton can't afford to start slowly. Both players are under increasing pressure to hold onto their starting positions, no matter what the Packers' first unofficial depth chart says.
Carrington Valentine and Anthony Belton enter Packers preseason under immense pressure
Carrington Valentine
Biggest competition: Brandon Cisse
While Valentine is still listed as a starter on the depth chart, the reality potentially paints a different picture. While Valentine was sidelined with a hamstring injury, rookie cornerback Brandon Cisse has taken the spotlight and repeatedly proven why he's ready for a featured role.
Cisse was always going to push Valentine for the job, but the latter's injury sped up the process.
The first concern for Valentine is whether he's even ready to play. Despite returning to practice on Tuesday, the Packers are easing him in slowly. There's a good chance he won't even feature in the preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Thursday night. That will only further push the door open for Cisse.
Green Bay's second-round pick impressed in one-on-one drills versus Savion Williams last week, which earned him matchups against Christian Watson at Family Night and beyond. The exciting part is that Cisse hasn't looked out of his depth at all and has held his own against Watson. He already looks ready to contribute.
Valentine is a talented cover corner, but he rarely gets his hand on the football, while his tackling woes have haunted the Packers in crucial moments.
Dallas Goedert dribbling Valentine like a basketball for 20 yards into the end zone still gives us nightmares.
Per Pro Football Reference, while quarterbacks only completed 59.7 percent of their passes against Valentine last season, they combined for 472 yards, seven touchdowns, and a 121.2 passer rating. The veteran recorded zero interceptions and only four pass defenses.
Cisse looks ready to start. He may have already taken over the CB2 job, and the only way that might change is if Valentine dominates in the preseason.
Anthony Belton
Biggest competition: Jacob Monk and Jager Burton
Four of the Packers' five offensive line spots are effectively locked. Jordan Morgan and Zach Bako-Bewele will start at tackle, Aaron Banks at left guard, if healthy, and Sean Rhyan at center. That just leaves right guard, which is wide open after Belton's struggles at training camp.
Green Bay has tried to cross-train Belton at guard and tackle, but the reality is that he hasn't looked assured at either. Perhaps the biggest concern is Matt LaFleur saying Belton looks more comfortable at right tackle, a starting job he isn't competing for.
The 2025 second-round pick struggled at Family Night. Penalties were an issue, and he was beaten twice by Dani Dennis-Sutton and gave up a "sack" to Barryn Sorrell.
By the time the Packers returned to practice on Sunday, Bako-Bewele had returned from injury to start at right tackle, while Belton's regular spot at right guard was now occupied by Jacob Monk.
It follows a season in which Belton received a disappointing Pro Football Focus grade of 49.7, ranking 72nd among 81 guards.
Per PFF, Belton allowed 23 pressures on 258 pass-block snaps. For perspective, Bako-Bewele allowed seven fewer pressures despite playing 93 more pass-block snaps.
Monk has quietly stood out at training camp and may have the inside track to the starting job ahead of Belton. We shouldn't rule out rookie Jager Burton, either, who has made the most of his opportunities at left guard during Banks' absence. Burton offers three-position versatility and has looked comfortable wherever the Packers have used him.
The competition is well and truly on.
Belton is a second-round pick and can undoubtedly secure a starting job if he turns things around in the preseason. But that's what it will take. If his recent struggles continue over the next few weeks, the door will be wide open for one of Monk or Burton to become the Packers' Week 1 starting right guard.
Add us as a preferred source on Google