There Are Perhaps 40 Locks to Make Packers’ Roster

Here is an early look at the Green Bay Packers’ roster based on the coaches’ pecking order through the offseason practices.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – To be sure, no roster spots were won or lost during the four weeks of offseason practices conducted by the Green Bay Packers.

Nonetheless, the five practices that were open to reporters provide a glimpse at what general manager Brian Gutekunst, coach Matt LaFleur and his legion of assistants think of their depth charts with the start of training camp about a month away.

“My message to them all the time is don’t think about competing against the guy next to you. You’re competing against what you’re capable of,” veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis said. “You’re being the best version of who you are every single day. When you can do that, you can sleep at night.’

“That’s one thing that I’ve been able to do my entire career, and that’s what I implore on them is, ‘Yo, it’s all a competition. We all want to be great. But compete with what you’re capable of. If you can get the best out of yourself every single day, you can hang your hat on that, knowing that whatever happens, happens. I know that I gave my all and I’ll live with that.’ When we get the pads on, it’s about carrying what you did without pads with pads. When you get pads, it’s totally different. You see some guys are one way without pads and some guys are another way with pads. When we get the pads on and camp starts and all of that, then we can really talk about who’s trying to take steps and all of that.”

The following is not a 53-man roster projection – one of those will come closer to the first practice on July 27 – but instead offers a look at the starting point for the roster battles that are to come.

Quarterbacks

Danny Etling throws a pass during OTAs. (Photo by USA Today Sports)

Veteran locks: Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love.

Rookie locks: None.

Veterans fighting for a spot: Danny Etling.

Extra point: The idea that the release of Kurt Benkert ensures Love’s spot on the roster is ridiculous. Love’s spot on the roster was secure, anyway. Etling, who like Benkert entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2018, is the only other quarterback on the roster and, thus, is the front-runner for a spot on the practice squad. For what it’s worth, the Packers took four quarterbacks into training camp last year and there is one open spot on the roster.

Running Backs

Patrick Taylor rushed 11 times for 53 yards and one touchdown at Detroit. (Photo by USA Today Sports)

Veteran locks: Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon.

Rookie locks: None.

Veterans fighting for a spot: Kylin Hill (perhaps PUP following last year’s torn ACL), Patrick Taylor.

Extra point: Taylor’s excellent performance in Week 18 at Detroit could give him the upper hand in the race to be the No. 3 behind Jones and Dillon. When all three were absent for the final week of OTAs, undrafted rookie BJ Baylor ran with the “starters” and undrafted rookie Tyler Goodson worked with the backups. In college, Baylor was the better runner while Goodson was the better receiver.

Receivers

Samori Toure at OTAs. (Photo by USA Today Sports)

Veteran locks: Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Sammy Watkins, Amari Rodgers.

Rookie locks: Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs.

Veterans fighting for a spot: Juwann Winfree, Malik Taylor.

Extra point: This is going to be fun. There have been years in which it seemed possible the Packers would take seven receivers into the regular season but it hasn’t happened. Could it happen this year if, for instance, Watkins wins a starting job and the three draft picks (or undrafted rookie Danny Davis) show they’re worthy? And don’t forget Winfree, who is coming off another strong series of offseason practices.

Tight Ends

Could Josiah Deguara (left) and Dominique Dafney (right) be vying for one spot? (Photo by USA Today Sports)

Veteran locks: Robert Tonyan (perhaps PUP following last year’s torn ACL), Marcedes Lewis, Tyler Davis (especially if Tonyan starts the season on PUP).

Rookie locks: None.

Veterans fighting for a spot: Josiah Deguara, Dominique Dafney, Alize Mack, Eli Wolf.

Extra point: It was interesting during the first week of OTAs to see Dafney working with the starters on one end of the field and Deguara, the former third-round pick, with the backups on the other end of the field. They are players with similar skill-sets. Do the Packers need both on the roster, or is that role so important that they need both on the roster? The coaches have raved about Davis, who took the first-team reps as Tonyan rehabbed on the side.

Offensive Line

Jake Hanson has a shot for a roster spot at center. (Photo by USA Today Sports)

Veteran locks: LT David Bakhtiari, LG Jon Runyan, C Josh Myers, RG Royce Newman, OT Yosh Nijman, OL Elgton Jenkins (perhaps PUP following last year’s torn ACL).

Rookie locks: G/T Sean Rhyan, OL Zach Tom.

Veterans fighting for a spot: C/G Jake Hanson, T/G Cole Van Lanen, C/G Michal Menet.

Extra point: For years, Aaron Rodgers has correctly pointed out that being the backup center is a sure-fire ticket to the roster. So, that will make Hanson vs. Tom one of the key training camp battles for picking the final 53. Hanson, a sixth-round pick in 2020, has played six snaps from scrimmage in five games over two seasons. Tom was a fourth-round pick this year. Without many pure offensive tackles on the roster, the development of seventh-round pick Rasheed Walker will be worth watching, too.

Defensive Line

Devonte Wyatt (left) and T.J. Slaton (right). (Photo by USA Today Sports)

Veteran locks: Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry, Jarran Reed, TJ Slaton.

Rookie locks: Devonte Wyatt.

Veterans fighting for a spot: Jack Heflin.

Extra point: In all the world, is there an easier 53-man projection than Clark, Lowry, Reed, Slaton and Wyatt being the top five entering the season, with Heflin and seventh-rounder Jonathan Ford being a potential sixth man? Then again, the Packers could release Lowry and create almost $6 million of additional cap space if any of the bottom-of-the-depth-chart prospects have strong camps.

Outside Linebackers

Preston Smith signed a contract extension this offseason. (Photo by USA Today Sports)

Veteran locks: Rashan Gary, Preston Smith.

Rookie locks: None.

Veterans fighting for a spot: Randy Ramsey, Jonathan Garvin, Tipa Galeai, La’Darius Hamilton.

Extra point: The Packers have a lot of options. Are any of them good? Ramsey might have been a key player last season had he not suffered a season-ending ankle injury during training camp. He expects to be ready for Day 1 of camp next month. Garvin and Galeai played a lot of snaps last year, and Hamilton played, too. During minicamp, Galeai and Hamilton were the No. 2 tandem. Fifth-rounder Kingsley Enagbare was the main addition to the group and is a good bet to make the 53.

Inside Linebackers

Ray Wilborn will push for a roster spot at inside linebacker. (Photo by USA Today Sports)

Veteran locks: De’Vondre Campbell, Krys Barnes.

Rookie locks: Quay Walker.

Veterans fighting for a spot: Ray Wilborn, Ty Summers, Isaiah McDuffie.

Extra point: What was the inspiration for this story? The mandatory minicamp. For the most part, the No. 1 tandem all offseason was last year’s staring pair of Campbell and Barnes. At times, the Packers went with Campbell, the returning All-Pro, and Walker, the first-round pick. When they went that direction, the No. 2 tandem was Barnes and Wilborn. It was interesting to see Wilborn, an undrafted free agent in 2020 who spent all last season on the practice squad, working ahead of Summers, a three-year backup who was fourth in special-teams snaps last season, and McDuffie, a 2021 sixth-round pick who was seventh in special-teams snaps.

Cornerbacks

Rico Gafford played receiver for the Raiders the past few seasons. (Photo by USA Today Sports)

Veteran locks: Jaire Alexander, Rasul Douglas, Eric Stokes, Keisean Nixon.

Rookie locks: None.

Veterans fighting for a spot: Shemar Jean-Charles, Rico Gafford, Kabion Ento.

Extra point: Alexander, Douglas and Stokes will be as good a starting trio as there is in the NFL. But injuries happen and depth is a necessity. The Packers have the depth of an old-school “See Dick Run” book. Nixon spent the spring as the next man up. In three seasons with the Raiders, he played 273 snaps on defense and broke up one pass. Nixon, Jean-Charles, a fifth-round last year who barely played as a rookie, and Gafford, who was moved from receiver, are slot defenders. The door is open for Ento, who will be participating in his fourth training camp but still hasn’t played in a game.

Safeties

Shawn Davis is poised to earn a roster spot. (Photo by USA Today Sports)

Veteran locks: Adrian Amos, Darnell Savage, Shawn Davis.

Rookie locks: None.

Veterans fighting for a spot: Innis Gaines, Vernon Scott.

Extra point: By comparison to safety, cornerback is loaded with depth. Scott (89 career defensive snaps, all in 2020), Gaines (zero), Davis (zero) and the seventh-rounder Tariq Carpenter (zero, obviously) have played 89 career snaps of defense in the NFL, including zero last year. The Packers signed Davis, a fifth-round pick by Indianapolis last year, to their practice squad in September. He played special teams in his only appearance. Davis spent the spring as the third safety. Lest you say, “Who cares about the No. 3 safety?” Henry Black played 262 snaps in that role last year. That’s 15.4 snaps per game.

Special Teams

Pat O'Donnell handles a low snap at practice. (Photo by USA Today Sports)

Veteran locks: K Mason Crosby, P Pat O’Donnell.

Rookie locks: None.

Veterans fighting for a spot: Steven Wirtel.

Extra point: Barring a late addition, the incumbent Wirtel will battle undrafted rookie Jack Coco. They were on equal footing throughout the offseason. Fun fact: Coco hasn’t snapped for a punt in a game since high school. The Packers are great at finding quality long snappers. They’re just bad at keeping them.

State of the Packers Following Offseason Practices

With the offseason practices complete, here is everything you need to know about the Green Bay Packers with training camp on the horizon. This includes keep departures and additions, changes on the coaching staff, rookie impact and much more.