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The Green Bay Packers are a part of an absolutely loaded NFC North division that should be as competitive as ever next season with the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings retooling and the Chicago Bears expecting improvement with Ben Johnson as the head coach.
The Packers have been one of the youngest teams in the NFL for the past two seasons and have still made runs to the playoffs in both years, so Matt LaFleur is certainly hoping that he can get some improvement from some of those young piles. If he does, there is a chance that the Packers will become one of the best teams in football in 2025.
Some of those youngsters were not listed as starters on the team's first unofficial depth chart, which was released on Tuesday. However, two of them in particular could be in position to become starters by Week 1 with impressive showings at training camp and in the preseason.
Here are a pair of players in Green Bay that could be in danger of losing their spots in the starting lineup to some younger players if they're not careful in the next few weeks.
T Rasheed Walker
The Green Bay offensive line has been a strength over the years, and it looks like it should be that way again. The team recently inked Zach Tom to a new contract and returns the likes of Elgton Jenkins and Aaron Banks on the inside.
However, the left tackle spot could use some improvement, and the Packers have a young player that could be ready to take over. At the moment, Rasheed Walker is the listed starter, but Arizona product Jordan Morgan is right on his heels.
Walker was solid for the Packers last season at left tackle, earning a PFF grade of 68.4 to rank 44th among all tackles. However, while Walker excelled in pass protection, he struggled as a run blocker and that could open the door for Morgan.
Morgan is a strong tackle who was a very god run blocker in college at Arizona, and that is a big reason why the Packers selected him with the No. 25 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. There is certainly a world where they would want to see what they have in him at some point this season, and that could be bad news for Rasheed Walker.
WR Dontayvion Wicks
This is less about Wicks and more about Matthew Golden, who could be coming for a starting spot after the Packers picked him in the first round of the NFL Draft. Wicks is an extremely talented wide receiver who is a favorite of the advanced metrics due to his great route running and separating ability. However, drops have plagued him during the early stages of his career.
Wicks dropped eight passes on just 74 targets last season, so this is clearly an issue that he needs to clean up. While the rest of his skills look like that of a top receiver, but you can't play consistently and be relied on if you can't catch the football on a regular basis. He has also been dealing with a calf injury during training camp and missed Green Bay's preseason opener on Saturday.
Insert Golden, who was Mr. Reliable at Texas and has the chance to be just that for the Packers as well — even if he is wearing a running back number. After two quiet years at Houston, Golden caught 58 balls for 987 yards and nine touchdowns to lead the Big 12 in 2024. By the end of the season, both Quinn Ewers and Steven Sarkisian turned to Golden as the go-to guy for the Longhorns despite a talented receiving core that included Isaiah Bond and Ryan Wingo.
Golden ran an incredible 4.29 40-yard dash at the NFL Draft Combine, which shocked many. He didn't seem to play that fast at Texas, but that long speed could give this Green Bay offense some extra juice. He also has great hands and can work at all three levels of the field, which makes him an attractive option to potentially get reps over Wicks if the drop issues persist.
