Packers Training Camp Power Rankings 1.0
- Author:
- Publish date:
In this story:
GREEN BAY, Wis. – In the days leading to Green Bay Packers training camp, we ranked all 90 players on the roster. If printed, the volume of pages would go from here to the moon and back. For a little lighter read, here is our Week 1 training camp power rankings.
These are based on what’s been observed since the start of training camp and are not season projections. For instance, that Rico Gafford made it cornerback and not Eric Stokes does not mean Gafford is a better player than Stokes.
No. 14: S Dallin Leavitt
A couple days before the start of Packers training camp and a couple days after he was released by the Raiders, Green Bay signed safety Dallin Leavitt. With experience with special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia, he is a No. 1 on every kicking-game unit and even ran with the No. 1 defense at the end of a two-minute drill on Saturday.
No. 13: CB Rico Gafford
Rico Gafford played cornerback at Wyoming and receiver with the Raiders. He was slated to play receiver for the Packers, too, until they drafted Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs and Samori Toure. Formerly the fastest high school athlete in Iowa history and with a 40 time in the low 4.2s, the Packers moved Gafford back to cornerback – a development he found exciting. While he’s undersized, he’s fast and feisty – making him a candidate to be the last corner on the depth chart and a staple on special teams. He had a big day on Saturday.
No. 12: OT Yosh Nijman
Yosh Nijman was one of the big stories of last season, going from a guy who didn’t play a meaningful snap in his first two season in the NFL to a quality starter. To get a starting-caliber offensive tackle as an undrafted free agent required good fortune to get him and the patience to stick with him when he wasn’t ready. Depending on the day of the week, he’s been the No. 1 left tackle or right tackle.
No. 11: TE Josiah Deguara
A guy like Marcedes Lewis won’t catch anyone’s eye during the shorts-and-helmets practices. His day will come later. Third-year tight end Josiah Deguara has caught the ball well in the short-passing game and has used his athleticism to guide a few running plays on the perimeter. His forte is playing in space and not the line of scrimmage.
No. 10: DT Jarran Reed
It’s hard for defensive linemen to stand out in these noncontact practices. Run or pass, Reed was really good on Saturday. He looks like a three-down player on Green Bay’s loaded defensive line.
No. 9: CB Rasul Douglas
Douglas’ story is legendary by now. After not intercepting a single pass in 2019 and 2020, he tied for fourth in the NFL with five picks in just 12 games last season. Is Douglas a one-year wonder, or did he really find himself working alongside defensive backs coach Jerry Gray? Based on the first four practices, it’s the latter. The football just finds some players. Charles Woodson and Casey Hayward were two such DBs. So is Douglas, who will man the slot this season.
“Coach said the other day, ‘Whatever you did last year don’t matter. No one cares about it. It’s wiped out,” Douglas said. “Now I start a new slate. Now I’m coming in, different position, still got to prove myself, still got to gain that trust from my teammates that they like me in the slot and like me to do all that type of work. Right now, that’s what I’m trying to do, build my teammates’ trust.”
No. 8: QB Aaron Rodgers
The four-time MVP lit up the powerhouse defense on Day 1 of camp. It’s been tougher sledding the past couple practices, so Rodgers hasn’t been great from the perspective of big plays and impressive completions. But the command of the offense and the arm strength remain elite, and he can still move around the pocket.
“I think the best part of the way the team looks now is, the offense is going to take some lumps – especially when the pads go on because our defensive line is pretty stout,” Rodgers said after Day 1 of camp. “And I think we need that. We need to go against a top-notch defense every single day and kind of get it handed to us. “
No. 7: S Adrian Amos
Remember that time when a national pundit swore up and down that the Bears got the better player when they signed Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and the Packers signed Adrian Amos? Yeah, that was a good one. Amos was another player who had a really good Saturday. It’s just a continuation of life in Green Bay for Amos, who is one of the most underrated defenders in the league. In three “real” practices, he has one interception and had a chance for couple more.
No. 6: WR Romeo Doubs
Back when the Packers held training camp on Clarke Hinkle Field along Oneida Street, there was an unofficial “All-Oneida Team.” That was meant for players who were awesome in August and nobodies thereafter.
The Packers now practice on Ray Nitschke Field, which is sandwiched between Armed Forces Drive and Mike McCarthy Way. There is no fun nickname for this era’s Mr. Augusts. Romeo Doubs, a fourth-round pick, had a strong series of offseason practices and has been even better to start training camp with an impressive play or two every day. As even-keeled as he is talented, Doubs has received some first-team reps due in part to the absences of veteran Sammy Watkins and rookie Christian Watson. So long as Doubs isn’t just a member of the Practice Field Hall of Fame, he’s going to keep getting those first-team reps into September.
No. 5: WR Allen Lazard
Aaron Rodgers has hyped Allen Lazard as a No. 1 receiver. Is Lazard a No. 1 by the dictionary definition? Perhaps not. But Green Bay’s best returning receiver has been Green Bay’s best receiver. He should be better with the pads this week. “I’ve never wavered on the belief in myself and being able to step up,” he said early in camp.
“Obviously, when Davante was here, his talent is extreme. It’s tremendous, undoubtedly, he’s the best wide receiver in the league right now and probably will be for a while. That doesn’t mean I’m far behind him from that standpoint. I learned a lot from him. He’s taught me a lot, not only on the field but also off the field and how to carry yourself as a professional and as a man as well. I’m thankful for my time with him but things move on and it’s a different age now.”
RELATED: Allen Lazard Wants To Be ‘The Best’
No. 4: DT T.J. Slaton
Coach Matt LaFleur likes to split the team into two groups. On one side, it’s the starters and top backups. On the other side, it’s everybody else. First-round pick Devonte Wyatt has been with “everybody else” because T.J. Slaton has earned his spot to play alongside Kenny Clark, Jarran Reed and Dean Lowry. On Saturday, Slaton lined up on the left side of the offensive formation. The play was a run to the right to Aaron Jones. Slaton ran his blocker all the way across the field. He’s so strong and more athletic than he looks.
No. 3: LB Quay Walker
First-round pick Quay Walker opened training camp with the starting defense and that’s where he’s going to stay, barring injury, for at least four years. He’s so big and explosive, which is evident when he chases running back Aaron Jones or covers tight ends. Not that he’s going to unseat De’Vondre Campbell as the primary linebacker, but the Packers have used him as the lone inside linebacker at times. That puts him in command of the defense. It will be interesting see how he performs when the pads go on and the action becomes more real.
No. 2: CB Jaire Alexander
On his fifth pass of training camp, Aaron Rodgers fired the ball to the sideline to Allen Lazard. Jaire Alexander broke it up. That’s about the only time Alexander has been tested during camp. He is the best player in what should be the NFL’s best group of cornerbacks. As he said during minicamp, “The sky’s the limit at this point because you know who’s back. The general’s back.”
No. 1: OLB Rashan Gary
Rashan Gary has been nothing short of dominant. If No. 52 is on the field and it’s a passing play, he’s almost certain to end the play somewhere in the vicinity of No. 12.
“I would say one of the most important things is that our O-line doesn’t lose confidence when they’re gong up against a great player like that,” coach Matt LaFleur said.
While he didn’t have the sacks last season, he was incredibly impactful. Other than Aaron Rodgers, he might be the most irreplaceable player on the roster. What would the Packers do without his nonstop presence?
“Get better day by day. Don't leave no stones unturned and just try to pick up my game,” Gary said a couple days. Ago. “I'm on the road to being great. That's my destination. That's where I want to go, so just trying to put everything I can to do that.”
