As the Green Bay Packers enter their third week of training camp, they are preparing for their first meeting with another team. This week they are set to have a joint practice with the Cincinnati Bengals before facing off against each other in the first preseason game of the year.
With a game on the horizon, the Packers released their first depth chart of training camp. It should be noted that this depth chart is unofficial, so nothing is set in stone. There may be some surprises among it, as veterans are usually given the nod early on until the coaching staff has more information to go off of to make decisions.
Taking things with a grain of salt would make sense, but there are still a few interesting takeaways from the first unofficial depth chart of the Packers. One thing that stood out was where players were listed offensively.
Josiah Deguara, who has been listed as a tight end previously, is listed as the starting fullback on the first depth chart. It is rookie Luke Musgrave that is listed as the starter at tight end, which hints that the Packers have plans for all of their tight ends this season.
Deguara’s skill set is perfect for a fullback/H-Back role as he will be doing a lot of moving around the formation. Musgrave and fellow rookie Tucker Kraft have enough to worry about as traditional tight ends transition to the NFL, so Deguara being a starter in the backfield makes sense.
Another takeaway at the skill positions is that Samori Toure, not rookie Jayden Reed, is listed as a starter. This could be a seniority thing as Reed has been tearing up practice this offseason. Toure is locked in as a top-four wide receiver, but when the Packers break into three-receiver sets, the smart money would be on Reed occupying a spot along with Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs.
A position battle that has arisen unexpectedly is along the offensive line. Zach Tom will be starting, but the question is, at which position? In the first depth chart, he is the starting right tackle, which means Yosh Nijman will be on the bench with Josh Myers at center.
That is something that could change in the coming weeks. But, the projected lineup of David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins, Myers, Jon Runyan Jr. and Tom from earlier this offseason looks to be holding serve right now.
Last but not least offensively, it looks as if Patrick Taylor has the lead for the No. 3 running back spot behind Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon. This is the likeliest seniority ranking, as Packers head coach Matt LaFleur has already stated the plan for the backfield in the preseason.
Each player will have a chance to be featured back in the game plan. Taylor is likely the first one up, with Tyler Goodson and Lew Nichols getting their chances in the following two games. Undrafted rookie Emanuel Wilson is also going to be part of the equation in the backfield.
Defensively, all eyes will be on the secondary. At the safety position, Rudy Ford has been listed as the starter alongside Darnell Savage Jr. Those were the projected starters, but given the struggles from 2022, this is a situation that could be fluid all offseason.
Free agent signing Jonathan Owens and Tarvarius Moore are listed as the second-team safeties and will push for playing time. Savage was benched at points last season for Ford, so there will be a chance for Owens and Moore to push for a spot in the starting lineup.
Another player that could factor into the mix at safety is Innis Gaines. Gaines is listed as the No. 2 slot corner behind Keisean Nixon but has experience playing safety. Already locked in as a core special teams player, Gaines’ stock is on the rise as his hold on a 53-man roster spot gets stronger every day, as he looks like someone that could get snaps defensively as well.
