The Packers began OTA practices Tuesday and one position battle stands above the rest, in terms of its importance both setting the depth chart for the spring’s and summer’s worth of OTA, minicamp, and training camp practices to come and the regular season ahead.
With Micah Parsons still working his way back from a torn ACL suffered late last season, new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon is going to be getting some extended looks at some of the edge rushers on the depth chart vying for snaps.
Packers pass rushers take center stage
While Lukas Van Ness is penciled atop the depth chart, who winds up getting first-team defensive reps, and thus valuable evaluation time on the practice field remains one of the most heated battles of the days and weks of practices ahead, according to Jacob Westendorf of Packers on SI.
“Rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton and second-year player Collin Oliver are candidates,” Westendorf points out. “As well, to earn opportunities across from Van Ness.
“In a competition in which there is no true standout at this point, whoever is starting on Wednesday could at least give some insight as to who the team views as the leader in that competition when training camp gets underway in about two months.”
This spring’s OTA practices should telegraph at least what the Packers’ front seven will look like this summer, if not set the stage for what the depth chart winds up shaping up as behind Van Ness and eventually Parsons this spring.
