With Wednesday marking the final open practice of the preseason, Packers training camp is officially nearing it’s conclusion. With an abbreviated preseason schedule and many Packers starters expected to receive minimal live action, it’s tough to gauge where they’re at. But two days of joint practices with the Saints preceding their game Friday night gave us the best look at the first team we’ll likely get until opening day, and there are a few things still to be concerned about.

Right Side of Offensive Line

All signs point to Elgton Jenkins being ready for the regular season, which would be an enormous boon for the Packers front. Jenkins likely slots in a right tackle, which would allow Royce Newman to bump back in to guard. But with Jenkins still only participating in individual drills, there is a chance that the Packers continue to take the conservative approach and he doesn’t play to begin the year. In that case, a right side of Jake Hanson and Royce Newman would be much more nerve-racking combo – especially with the Packers facing the Vikings and Buccaneers fronts in the first three weeks.

Kicker

Week 1 is just over 3 weeks away, and the only thing Mason Crosby has kicked so far is a soccer ball. He remains on the PUP list after arthroscopic knee surgery. He is also coming off one of his worst seasons as a pro in 2021. The Packers have had now brought in a litany of options throughout the offseason, and none have impressed. From JJ Molson, to Dominik Eberle, Gabe Brkic, and now Ramiz Ahmed. Ahmed most recently played in the USFL, making 14 of 22 kicks for the Pittsburgh Maulers. The Packers have clearly made special teams a priority this offseason, and finding a reliable fall-back for Crosby should be high on the list.

Young Receivers

Many headlines were made after Aaron Rodgers comments on the inconsistencies of the young wide outs. “A lot of drops, a lot of bad route decisions, running the wrong route. So we’ve got to get better in that area,” he said at his locker on Tuesday afternoon. This was followed with an early morning film session led by QB1 going over specific route adjustments. Rodgers trust is notoriously hard to earn amongst his pass catchers, but Green Bay will have no choice but get contributions from the likes of Romeo Doubs, Amari Rodgers, and Christian Watson this season. Flashes have been evident, but the consistency will be crucial to gaining the confidence of Rodgers.

Who starts at RT for Packers in Week 1? – Powered By PickUp
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Jared is a rogue Packers fan from a Steelers family and an overall football junkie, including playing 4 years at Ithaca College. You can follow him on twitter at @JPrugar.

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