Heading into practice No. 8, one player is unbeaten in the 1-on-1 pass block/pass rush drill (among those with more than 2 reps).
Some thought he was going to be a cap cut. Now, it looks like he'll be a starting guard again.
He's 8-0, and it’s this guy ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/93M8OYawyp— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) August 24, 2020
Only one player was undefeated in one-on-one pass-blocking drills during the first seven practices of training camp, and it’s a veteran player fighting for a starting job along the Green Bay Packers offensive line.
According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, Packers guard Lane Taylor is 8-0 in the valuable drill entering Monday’s practice, the team’s eighth of camp.
The Packers hold one-on-one competitions between position groups almost every day when the team is in pads. In the trenches, it’s a true battle, with one offensive lineman attempting to stymie one pass-rusher from creating a pressure in a somewhat unrealistic but still highly competitive drill.
Stop the rusher, the offense gets a win. Create a pressure, the defense wins.
Taylor, who missed all but two games last season after injuring his biceps, is winning the one-on-ones consistently while battling for a starting job at right guard this summer.
The Packers brought Taylor back for the 2020 season on a restructured deal, providing the offensive line room with a veteran option at both guard spots. Taylor, previously the starter at left guard, has played in 78 career games, including 45 starts between 2015-17. Although Billy Turner started all 16 games at right guard for Matt LaFleur in 2019, his starting job isn’t locked in as camp rolls on. LaFleur is holding an open competition between Taylor and Turner at right guard and Turner and Rick Wagner at right tackle.
It’s possible Taylor will emerge as the winner at right guard when it’s all said and done, especially if he remains so dominant in one-on-one drills.
A year away, a pay cut and the challenge of competing for a starting job provided Taylor with all the motivation he needed to produce a strong summer.
“My motivation was really to get back on track, to prove I’m not done,” Taylor said last week. “I’ve got many more miles, many more years to play. I just wanted to get back to my old self.”
He’s looking more and more like his old self to start Packers training camp.
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