Final Packers 53-Man Roster Prediction After Trade

The preseason is over, and the hard work is about to begin for Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst.

After a 2-1 exhibition season with some intense roster battles and injuries taking their toll, Gutekunst has some difficult decisions to make as he formulates the 53-man roster that must be set by 3 p.m. Tuesday.

Ultimately, the roster is a living organism, and as often as we call it the final 53-man roster, it really is just the initial group. Last year, for instance, the Packers kept Greg Joseph out of camp at kicker, only to be awarded Brayden Narveson on waivers.

That could happen this year at positions like the offensive line or cornerback should the Packers see someone released that they like more than the player they kept on the roster.

Injuries, obviously, play a factor here, as well, so taking that into account, here is a best guess at the Packers’ initial 53-man roster.

Quarterbacks (2)

Jordan Love, Malik Willis.

Analysis: This has been the easiest prediction to make throughout the summer.

Jordan Love was limited during the last two weeks of training camp but should be ready to roll when the Packers face off against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field.

Willis’ final numbers of the preseason don’t tell the full story. He did not light up the box scores like some suggested he might, but he is in command of the offense and in a much better place than he was a year ago.

The only real thing to watch in the quarterback room is whether the Packers will keep Taylor Elgersma, Sean Clifford or look outside the organization for a quarterback on the practice squad.

Running Backs (3)

Josh Jacobs, Chris Brooks, Emanuel Wilson.

IR: Marshawn Lloyd.

Analysis: Pro Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Torre used to always say that problems with a roster crunch tend to get solved by itself.

The running back position in Green Bay is no different. When Marshawn Lloyd was healthy and able to play, the Packers had four running backs on their roster that they liked. The issue in keeping four running backs, of course, is it would be overkill at a position group in which the majority of the workload is going to be carried by Josh Jacobs.

Unfortunately, Lloyd’s battle with injuries did not end this preseason, which could land him on injured reserve to start the season for the second consecutive year.

Chris Brooks will be on the roster as a role player who plays on all the primary special teams units. Emanuel Wilson, who rushed for 502 yards and averaged 4.9 yards per carry last season, would likely be the team’s bell cow if Jacobs were to miss time.

Wide Receivers (6)

Matthew Golden, Romeo Doubs, Dontayvion Wicks, Jayden Reed, Savion Williams, Malik Heath.

PUP: Christian Watson.

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Malik Heath (18) celebrates a first down with wide receiver Romeo Doubs (87) against Seattle. | Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images

Analysis: From a competition standpoint, there hasn’t been much of one between Mecole Hardman and Malik Heath. Heath has run ahead of Hardman as a receiver throughout training camp.

It’s possible the Packers will keep Hardman and Heath. However, if it’s Heath or Hardman rather than Heath and Hardman, here is another factor to consider: If Hardman is on the roster, it will be as the team’s returner. That means he would likely need to be active each week. If Heath is on the roster, the Packers could afford to make him a healthy scratch, because at minimum at least four receivers will run ahead of him on the depth chart if they are all healthy.

That fact, combined with Heath’s value as a blocker, earns him the final spot in the receiver room.

Tight Ends (4)

Tucker Kraft, Luke Musgrave, John Fitzpatrick, Ben Sims.

Analysis: Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave showed a glimpse of how well their skill-sets complement each other in Thursday’s joint practice session against the Seahawks.

Kraft looks to be one of the breakout stars in the NFL this year, and it seems clear the Packers want to emphasize getting the ball in his hands. The most encouraging part here, however, is Musgrave.

Musgrave is just one season removed from tying Green Bay’s rookie record for receptions by a tight end even while missing six games with an injured kidney. He’s supremely talented and adds a different dimension to Green Bay’s offense.

If he’s healthy and can realize some of his immense potential, Green Bay’s offense can be incredibly dangerous with Kraft working underneath and Musgrave stretching the seam.

John Fitzpatrick had a nice camp as the team’s third tight end and ran ahead of Ben Sims for the duration of the summer. Sims makes the back of the roster for some added value as a blocking tight end.

Offensive Line (9)

Rasheed Walker, Aaron Banks, Elgton Jenkins, Sean Rhyan, Zach Tom, Jordan Morgan, Anthony Belton, Darian Kinnard, Jacob Monk.

PUP: John Williams.

Analysis: The first seven players on this list have been set in stone since Anthony Belton was drafted in the second round.

Jordan Morgan can fill in at every spot except for center, which might factor in the battle between himself and Rasheed Walker at left tackle.

The #Packers' new offensive lineman has one career start and three Super Bowl rings.https://t.co/dgcIeMfu3q
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 25, 2025

The addition of Darian Kinnard in a trade on Sunday could impact Jacob Monk, Donovan Jennings and Kadeem Telfort, who were leading the battle for the last spot or two on the offensive line. Quality offensive linemen do not grow on trees, but the Packers never stop trying to find someone they feel like they could coach up.

With seventh-round pick John Williams missing the entirety of the offseason program and training camp due to back surgery, he’ll start the season on the PUP list, while Monk is the last man standing as a backup at guard and center.

Defensive Tackle (5)

Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, Karl Brooks, Colby Wooden, Warren Brinson.

Analysis: The only real surprise here is the release of Nazir Stackhouse. The undrafted free agent out of Georgia has given the Packers some things to think about as a potential role player and short-yardage run defender.

For his frame, however, he did not make much of an impact in the last two weeks of the preseason, and he ran behind Colby Wooden as the team’s backup nose tackle. He’s worth keeping on the practice squad, but the Packers have almost always leaned toward players with more juice as a pass rusher.

That means Wooden and Warren Brinson make the final cut, and they’ll all likely be asked to play when the team takes on the Lions and their powerful run game in Week 1.

Defensive End (5)

Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness, Kingsley Enagbare, Brenton Cox, Arron Mosby.

IR: Barryn Sorrell. PUP: Collin Oliver.

Analysis: This position could look drastically different from the end of cutdown to the end of September.

Fourth-round pick Barryn Sorrell may not end up on injured reserve. He suffered an MCL injury against the Colts and told ESPN’s Rob Demovsky that he won’t be out more than a few weeks. The only clarification given by Matt LaFleur was that Sorrell would miss some time.

If the Packers take a conservative approach with Sorrell, Arron Mosby would round out the back end of the defensive end room thanks to his prowess on special teams.

Collin Oliver, the team’s fifth-round pick, missed the offseason practice and training camp with a hamstring injury and will start the season on the PUP list.

There will likely be a heavy rotation between the top four defensive ends, with Kingsley Enagbare and Brenton Cox coming off strong finishes to the preseason.

Linebacker (5)

Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper, Isaiah McDuffie, Isaiah Simmons, Ty’Ron Hopper.

Analysis: The only question is whether the Packers keep five or six at the position. With Ty’Ron Hopper being the most improved player from last year to this year, that makes the top four linebackers pretty clear cut.

This is the strongest position on the team coming out of training camp.

The back of the depth chart will need to contribute on special teams, which is where the decision in this case came down to former first-round pick Isaiah Simmons or special-teams ace Kristian Welch.

If one had to play linebacker tomorrow, they’d probably be in better shape with Welch, but the Packers have spoken highly of Simmons all offseason and clearly are at least enamored by the idea of his upside. Simmons gets the final nod here.

Cornerback (6)

Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine, Nate Hobbs, Bo Melton, Kalen King, Corey Ballentine.

Green Bay Packers cornerback Kalen King (34) and cornerback Micah Robinson (26) celebrate a PBU by King vs. the Jets. | Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images

Analysis: Bo Melton is the best story of camp. His change from receiver to cornerback has been mostly seamless. He took the fourth cornerback job by the horns and did not turn back.

With some of the inexperience on the roster, the Packers could elect to keep an extra body here to throw numbers at the problem in hopes of finding a solution.

Corey Ballentine gives the team a veteran who has played well for them in the past. Kalen King knows the system and outplayed Kamal Hadden and Micah Robinson throughout training camp and the preseason games. Those two could be on shaky ground if the Packers are awarded someone on waivers.

Safety (5)

Xavier McKinney, Javon Bullard, Evan Williams, Zayne Anderson, Kitan Oladapo.

Analysis: The only real question here is whether Zayne Anderson will have to start the season on injured reserve with a knee injury sustained in the first preseason game. If he doesn’t, then he will be one of the staples on special teams along with Kitan Oladapo.

Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams will be the primary safeties and Javon Bullard, who had a strong finish to camp, will man the slot.

After having a disastrous group at safety just two years ago, this quintet is very strong.

Specialists (3)

Matt Orzech, Daniel Whelan, Brandon McManus.

Analysis: For the first time since 2022, the Packers do not have to worry about their specialists coming out of training camp. Brandon McManus was mostly automatic throughout camp, Daniel Whelan finished second in the NFL in preseason punting average and Matt Orzech has been solid.

The kicking game is as strong as it has been under Rich Bisaccia.