Aaron Rodgers will be the opening day QB for the Green Bay Packers. Brett Favre will be…well, we just don’t know that yet, and we probably won’t for another few weeks.

To keep our minds off that ongoing saga, I offer up a half-dozen position battles for the Pack as we make our way through mini-camps and OTAs. Some of these are more chewy than others, and some will have a greater impact than others, but they’re all far more interesting than what Brett Favre ate for breakfast.

I’ll offer up a brief capsule for the battles and predict a “winner,” and perhaps later this year I’ll revisit this post to see exactly how far off I was.

Nose tackle: B.J. Raji was drafted 9th overall with the idea that he’d be anchoring the middle of the new 3-4 defense. Ryan Pickett is the only other member of the team who has the requisite size to command a double-team on every snap. I say Raji gets the nod here, particularly on rushing downs, but Pickett will see his fair share of snaps, especially on third down. A healthy D-line rotation has been essential for Green Bay the last few years and this year is no exception.

Third WR: We know Driver and Jennings have the first two spots locked down. James Jones is the incumbent starter, but problems (injuries, fumblitis) have prevented him from locking down the spot. Jordy Nelson had a solid rookie year and may be looking to move up into Jones’ spot. It’s unlikely Ruvell Martin, Brett Swain, or anyone else makes enough of a leap to claim the 3rd spot. I love the potential of both Jones and Nelson, but I’m giving the edge to Jones–for now. His YAC ability makes him a better asset for a team that predicates itself on curls, drags, slants, and crossing patterns.

Backup RB: Despite his slow 2008 after an incendiary second half of 2007, Ryan Grant is entrenched as the starter. Who’s going to claim the backup role: Brandon Jackson, DeShawn Wynn, or Kregg Lumpkin? OK, so we can rule out pre-season favorite Lumpkin – he’s just too green. Jackson’s got the pedigree (former 2nd round pick) but Wynn has the gaudy stats (5.4 career YPC). The former lacks a bit of explosiveness and the latter seems too fragile to stay on the field. I give the edge right now to Jackson, since he’s got the better hands of the two and would primarily see action on third down/passing down plays.

Deshawn Wynn powers toward his personal goal of four ankle injuries for his short career.

Right tackle: Mark Tauscher tore his ACL in December, is unsigned, and is not expected to be back. So who slides into his spot opposite Chad Clifton? Daryn Colledge is the organization’s answer, but I don’t see him as an adequate tackle. Guard, yes, but tackle, no. That leaves last year’s fifth-round pick, Breno Giacomini, and two picks taken this year: T.J. Lang out of Eastern Michigan (4th round) and Jamon Meredith (5th round). I suppose Colledge will be the default starter going into training camp, but I’m banking on one of the youngsters to step up their game. This is as wide open a position battle as the Packers have. Giacomini has ridiculous size (6′7″, 311 lb.) and Jamon Meredith plays with a nasty streak, but I have a hunch that Lang will be the winner come September.

Punter: This position has been an Achilles’ heel for Green Bay for years now. B.J. Sander, Derrick Frost, Jon Ryan and quite a few others have had their chance in Wisconsin and haven’t impressed. Currently, Green Bay is hosting three punters: Former Redskins draft pick Durant Brooks, Jeremy Kapinos, and rookie Adam Graessle. As Graessle is from my alma mater (Pitt), I’m pulling for him, but I think he’s the dark horse in this race. Brooks would seem like the obvious choice, but the punter position never seems to go to the obvious choice with this franchise. So I’m sticking with Kapinos, who I have read has a pretty solid leg.

Jon Ryan: Redefining forgettable since 2006.

Tight end: I know, this doesn’t seem quite like a position battle. Donald Lee has had the clamps on this spot since the demise of Bubba Franks, and a long-term deal signed before last season seems to preclude any sort of competition. To an extent, that’s correct. But Green Bay runs a lot of two-TE packages, particularly when implementing play-action design. The effectiveness of the 2nd tight end is paramount to several packages the Packers run. Jermichael Finley didn’t quite live up to his 3rd round potential last year, dropping almost as many balls as he caught. Tory Humphrey can’t stay on the field but is a coach’s favorite. Still, I feel like Finley makes the jump this year and stretches the field along with Lee.

I’ll check back in a few weeks, barring any breaking Favre news, with an extremely premature preview of the season.