The Green Bay Packers made nine draft picks in the 2020 NFL draft. All nine rookies will have an opportunity to make the 53-man roster to start the regular season, but each player will face a real competition within their specific position group.
Here are the competitions awaiting the Packers’ draft picks:
Jordan Love vs. Tim Boyle
Barring an injury to Aaron Rodgers, the competition at quarterback will come down to the backup role. Boyle, now entering Year 3, will have a significant experience advantage, even if he’s only played in a handful of regular season games. Love is supremely talented, with edges over Boyle in both arm talent and athleticism, but he’s also raw and about to face a massive jump in competition, complicating his readiness to play as a rookie. A truncated offseason won’t help Love’s cause. Boyle knows the offense and has a lively arm, and he’s improved each of his first two seasons. Keeping three quarterbacks on the roster is entirely possible if Boyle emerges as the safer option behind Rodgers in 2020.
A.J. Dillon vs. Jamaal Williams
More than likely, Dillon will enter the NFL ready to play right away. The 247-pounder is big, physical and experienced, with three years of work as the primary ball-carrier at Boston College. Still, Dillon’s path to playing time is complicated. Aaron Jones is a star, and Williams is a trusted backup who can play on all three downs. Do the Packers have enough snaps and carries to split between three backs? Cutting into Jones’ snaps shouldn’t be an option, so Dillon may have to show some instant impact ability to steal away opportunities from Williams, who isn’t dynamic but can run, catch and block at capable levels. As the 2020 season wears on and the weather gets colder, Dillon’s role may increase.
Josiah Deguara vs. Robert Tonyan
Deguara is a versatile receiver and blocker, but he’ll enter the NFL lacking Jace Sternberger’s receiving ability and Marcedes Lewis’ blocking ability. Their individual roles should be secure. The guess here is that Deguara will battle Tonyan for the snaps as the offense’s go-to move tight end in 2020. Tonyan is entering his third NFL season as a tight end, and he’s flashed as a receiver and improved as a blocker, but he’s not as natural a fit at move tight end as Deguara, who the Packers think can play a Kyle Juszczyk-like role.
Kamal Martin vs. Oren Burks
Now-or-never time is approaching for Burks, the Packers’ third-round pick in 2018. He’s big and athletic and should be the rangy, do-it-all linebacker the Packers need, but he hasn’t shown any of those abilities consistently during his first two injury-affected seasons. The Packers swapped out Blake Martinez for Christian Kirksey and didn’t take an inside linebacker until the fifth round (Martin), so Burks is clearly expected to handle an important role. Can Martin put the heat on him this summer? Martin has good length and the Packers like his speed and potential in coverage. If Burks struggles, or another injury strikes, Martin will have an opportunity to play a lot as a rookie.
Jon Runyan vs. Alex Light
The Packers think Runyan’s best position is inside, and it’s possible he could soon challenge to start at a guard spot, but what if the former Michigan left tackle proves he can play (or even just survive) on the edge? Light, the swing tackle for the first three months of last season, currently looks like the No. 3 offensive tackle with Jared Veldheer still unsigned. Runyan could provide some valuable depth. Light might find it hard to make the roster if Runyan is passable at tackle.
Jake Hanson vs. Lucas Patrick
The Packers re-signed Patrick, a do-it-all interior offensive lineman who has served as a backup center in recent years. Now, the Packers have Hanson, Oregon’s 49-game starter at center. He could be the future at the position, potentially even as Corey Linsley’s successor in 2021. Can the Packers keep both? Patrick’s utility on the roster shrinks if Hanson proves he can play this summer.
Simon Stepaniak vs. Cole Madison
Madison is an awesome story of individual perseverance, but he struggled during camp last summer and then missed most of the season after tearing his ACL in practice. The draft only complicated Madison’s road back to the roster. Stepaniak is a strong and physical interior lineman who is also coming off a significant knee injury. Madison may have to beat out all three draft picks along the offensive line to make the roster.
Vernon Scott vs. Will Redmond
Redmond emerged as a valuable special teamer and versatile defensive back in 2019. The Packers brought him back on a one-year deal, but his skill set is replaceable. Scott has speed, versatility as a safety and a ton of experience on special teams in college. His clearest path to the roster is beating out Redmond. Winning the battle will require Scott to prove he has a higher upside as a defender – especially in coverage from a variety of spots –without sacrificing value on special teams.
Jonathan Garvin vs. Tim Williams/Greg Roberts/Randy Ramsey
The Packers lost Kyler Fackrell in free agency, and while Rashan Gary will assume most of his snaps in 2020, the roster will require keeping a fourth rusher. Williams, Roberts and Ramsey all return to battle Garvin and undrafted free agents Delontae Scott and Tipa Galeai. Garvin, a 20-year-old early entry into the draft, arrives in the NFL with some untapped potential. His sophomore season was fantastic. Can he develop physically and mentally and jump the returning edge rushers for a roster spot?
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