The Packers begin what essentially is their final preseason game today as they welcome the Arizona Cardinals to town for joint practices. While Green Bay played their starters more than some in the first two preseason games, they will likely treat these practices as the third and play the preseason game itself with backups and third stringers.

That doesn’t mean there won’t be things to watch for though. Several players are fighting for spots on the final 53, and before we get to that prediction lets look at some of the storylines fans should be watching as practices begin.

Can The Packers Defense Hold Up?

On Monday’s practice it seemed as though the defense had the upper hand. They picked off Jordan Love, and generally made everything very difficult for the offense. Can they do that against a team that isn’t their own? The Cards offense is by no means explosive, so while the Packers defense should be able to take control, if they can’t it has to leave the coaching staff concerned. Maybe even enough to look into a certain trade that’s been floating around this offseason.

While the pass rush is the most obvious thing for the team to look at, it’s also going to be worth keeping an eye on the corners. There have been a lot of trade rumors surrounding Green Bay both with the corners they currently have and ones that may be available. If one or more of them get lit up by Jacoby Brissett, it may push the Packers into looking at additional help.

Can MarShawn Lloyd Continue to Stay Healthy?

While there hasn’t been any news yet, it would not surprise if Josh Jacobs faced some form of discipline for his offseason domestic issue. If he does miss time, the Packers seem to think that a healthy Lloyd can fill in that role. If that is the case, then seeing how he holds up over extended practices with another team that would be less inclined to ease up on him will be important.

Can the Offensive Line Keep Love Clean?

Maybe the biggest question mark and most important pivot point of the Packers season comes down to the offensive line. While the defense has a lot of questions, a healthy offense can do a lot to keep the team in contention. Jordan Love is better than most at avoiding sacks and LaFleur’s scheme can mask some of the deficiencies, but the line has to play better than it did last year. Arizona is not a great defense, so like the defense if the line struggles there should be concern.

Final Packers Roster Prediction

  1. QB: Jordan Love, Tyrod Taylor
  2. RB: Josh Jacobs, MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks
  3. WR: Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, Jayden Reed, Bo Melton, Skyy Moore, Savion Williams
  4. OL: Jordan Morgan, Aaron Banks, Sean Rhyan, Jacob Monk, Zack Bako-Bewele, Jager Burton, Anthony Belton, John Williams
  5. TE: Tucker Kraft, Drake Dabney, Josh Whyle
  1. DE: Lukas Van Ness, Barryn Sorrell, Collin Oliver, Brenton Cox Jr, Dani Dennis-Sutton
  2. DT: Devonte Wyatt, Javon Hargrave, Chris McClellan, Johnathan Ford, Anthony Campbell, Karl Brooks, Warren Brinson, Nazir Stackhouse
  3. LB: Edgerrin Cooper, Zaire Franklin, Isaiah McDuffie, Ty’Ron Hopper, Nick Niemann
  4. CB: Keisean Nixon, Brandon Cisse, Carrington Valentine, Benjamin St Juste, Kamal Hadden, Domani Jackson
  5. S: Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, Javon Bullard, Kitan Oladapo
  1. K: Trey Smack
  2. LS: Cal Adomitis
  3. P: Daniel Whelan
  1. PUP: Micah Parsons, Luke Musgrave, Jordon Riley