Packers at Bengals: 10 Position Battles in Spotlight

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers have a depth chart and personnel rotations. You might throw it all out the window based on what happens in Friday night’s preseason opener at the Cincinnati Bengals.

“Until you start getting into games, I think that’s the true indication,” coach Matt LaFleur said before Wednesday’s joint practice. “Obviously, anytime you have practices against a different team, the intensity automatically heightens. You’re going against some unscouted looks that you haven’t seen all throughout camp, all throughout the course of the offseason and into OTAs, so it does give you a better indication of maybe some of the areas you need to spend more time focusing on to make sure your guys are responding the right way.”

Being able to perform under the lights is what matters. Can, for instance, rookie Sean Clifford solidify his grasp on the No. 2 quarterback position? Can undrafted Malik Heath continue to push his way up the depth chart? Can Daniel Whelan really unseat veteran punter Pat O’Donnell?

Based on position battles, here are 10 things to watch when the Packers battle the Bengals.

Quarterback: Sean Clifford

Sean Clifford, a fifth-round pick, is the clear front-runner for the No. 2 job against USFL MVP Alex McGough. However, at any spot, it’s not just the battle against the other players in the position group. It’s the battle against everyone else in the NFL. If Clifford merely wins the No. 2 job by default but a talented passer doesn’t survive final cuts, Clifford’s stint as the primary backup could be a short one.

For now, though, he’s played well enough that it’s his job to lose. He figures to get a lot of playing time behind Jordan Love on Friday.

“You know they’re not going to bring a ton of exotics,” Clifford, looking ahead to the game, said after Wednesday’s practice. “They’re not going to show their hand a ton; we’re not going to show ours. It’ll be a little bit more vanilla ice cream but, at the same time, you’ve got to be prepared for all the looks and be ready because it is a game and a lot of guys are fighting for jobs, as I am. Being able to come out there and put on your best show is very important.”

Running back: No. 3 Free-For-All

Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon won’t play much – they might not play at all – meaning an extended run for Patrick Taylor and Tyler Goodson.

Taylor is the incumbent No. 3, having played in 14 games last season. He does everything at a capable level but lacks the explosiveness of Goodson, who was a standout last preseason but fell just short of a spot on the 53.

“I’m a lot more comfortable,” Goodson said recently. “Coming in as a first-year guy, trying to learn the playbook, head’s spinning, you might be thinking too much, and the more you think, the slower you play. Now that I’m more comfortable, I can play faster and be me on the field. That’s where I’ve grown from this year to last year. Now, the only expectation I have for myself is the 53.”

With seventh-round pick Lew Nichols out with a shoulder injury, Taylor and Goodson could really separate themselves – and perhaps powerful Emanuel Wilson could enter the fray.

“You can’t pay attention to nobody else. You’ve got to stay focused on yourself,” Wilson said recently. “It’s good learning from those guys, like Tyler Goodson and AJ and Patrick and Aaron. It’s good learning from those guys because they’ve been here. I’m taking all the tips that I can to propel myself to get better each and every day.”

Receiver: Bo Melton, Malik Heath, Grant DuBose

Let’s assume Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed and Samori Toure have four spots locked up, and Dontayvion Wicks is going to win a fifth. Who’s No. 6?

Bo Melton arguably has caught more passes than anyone on the roster, though most of those have come with the backups and against the backups. A seventh-round pick by Seattle last year, he’s got big-time speed. Malik Heath has been one of the standouts of camp and could keep Green Bay’s undrafted streak alive. DuBose missed the entire offseason and most of camp with a back injury but, all things being relatively equal, the Packers tend to keep their draft picks.

“I’ve seen a lot of good things from both those guys,” LaFleur said recently of Melton and Heath. “They’re very different receivers. Malik’s more your big, goonish type of guy that you guys know we love around here. He’s very physical. And Bo is a scrapper now. He’s a scrappy guy that can really run. I think they both have flashed, and it’s just about building the consistency in which they go out there. And, ultimately, they’re going to have to do that in the preseason games.”

Offensive Line: Zach Tom

It’s too bad the Bengals probably will keep their top pass-rushing duo of Trey Hendrickson and Sam Hubbard on the bench. Regardless, based on reps this week, it appears the right tackle job is Tom’s to lose.

“Zach Tom’s been doing a really great job at right tackle,” quarterback Jordan Love said after Tom turned in a strong performance on Wednesday. “He’s smart, he knows what he’s doing. Just keeps building those days and being consistent.”

Offensive Line: Sean Rhyan and Royce Newman

Royce Newman continues to run ahead of Sean Rhyan. For instance, when Elgton Jenkins’ day was over after smacking a Bengals defender, it was Newman who stepped into the lineup with the starters.

Rhyan, however, has had the better training camp, but the experience factor is a runaway. Newman has started 22 games in his two seasons while Rhyan hasn’t played a single snap on offense in a regular-season game.

Rhyan and Newman probably will be in the lineup together for a big chunk of Friday’s game, meaning they’ll be facing the same caliber of defender. This will be a big night.

Defensive Line: The No. 2s

The No. 2 defensive line of Jonathan Ford, Colby Wooden and Karl Brooks had excellent Family Nights. Cincinnati’s got an experienced No. 2 line and some quality runners behind Joe Mixon, so this will be a great test for a group that has never played in a regular-season game.

“I wouldn’t call it pressure. I’d just call it getting ready to play,” Ford said last week. “At the end of the day, it’s a competitive sport. We have to show up every day and give everything we have for this team. The only way it’s going to come is if we come in here and we work hard every day. So, I wouldn’t call it pressure. I’d call it preparation.”

Outside Linebacker: Lukas Van Ness

Friday will be real football, meaning first-round pick Lukas Van Ness (and everyone else) can really tackle ball-carriers and sack quarterbacks.

Assuming the Bengals keep starting tackles Orlando Brown and Jonah Williams on the bench, they’ll line up with Hakeem Adeniji at left tackle and Jackson Carman at right tackle. Adeniji helped get the Bengals to the Super Bowl a couple years ago and Carman was a second-round pick in 2021, so they’ll be worthy matchups for Van Ness in his heated battle with Justin Hollins and Kingsley Enagbare.

Van Ness, who is sixth in the NFL Defensive Player of the Year list at FanDuel Sportsbook, impressed at Wednesday’s joint practice. Can he keep it going in his first game?

Cornerback: Carrington Valentine

One of the stories of training camp has been the emergence of Carrington Valentine. A seventh-round pick, 231 players – including 29 corners – were selected ahead of Valentine. But with the Packers taking it easy on Jaire Alexander, it’s been Valentine running with the starters this week.

With Eric Stokes out following last year’s foot injury, the Packers are short on cornerback depth. Valentine’s ascension has nothing to do with that, though; he’s just been that good. It’s too bad the Bengals’ backup receivers are so young.

“Me and ‘Sul [Rasul Douglas] talk a lot. We talk about football a lot. He’s like the big brother in the room,” Valentine, a Cincinnati native, said after Wednesday’s practice. “Me and him, we talk about ball and he give me some pointers and stuff like that. I really appreciate that. Me being in my first year in the league, he’s been there and had the experience and stuff like that. Having that older guy in the room really helps.”

Safety: Jonathan Owens vs. Tarvarius Moore vs. Rudy Ford

The last three practices, the No. 1 safety tandem mostly has been Darnell Savage and Jonathan Owens, with Owens wasting little time in moving past Rudy Ford, a six-game starter last year.

The battle is far from settled, though. A huge part of playing safety is tackling. Friday’s game will be the first live tackling of the year. Tackling was one of Owens’ calling cards while piling up 125 stops last year for the Texans. Ford’s three interceptions showed his playmaking ability. And don’t forget about Tarvarius Moore, who has big-time speed and was in line to start for powerful San Francisco before a torn Achilles.

“Having starting experience for 17 games, I guess it would make you more comfortable,” Owens said earlier in the week. “It’s not my first time seeing it. I have experience with teams, being in big games, being in close games, so I feel like being able to relay my experiences to other people who are the younger guys.”

Punter: Pat O’Donnell vs. Daniel Whelan

The Packers might have an interesting battle at punter. Pat O’Donnell is the reliable veteran. His 24 inside-the-20 punts vs. one touchback last year was excellent. However, his leg strength isn’t what it was earlier in this career. That’s where Whalen has been a standout. He has bombed punt after punt after punt during the tranquil conditions of training camp. How will he do under the lights?

The wild card in it all is holding for field goals. The Packers must do everything they can to help rookie kicker Anders Carlson.

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It's hard to replace a legend. That's what Jordan Love is trying to do with the #Packers and Aaron Rodgers.

One of the quarterbacks on the field for Wednesday's joint practice knows what Love is facing. Trevor Siemian replaced Peyton Manning in Denver.https://t.co/dDRJPgLTd0
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 10, 2023