Locks and Long Shots: Packers Roster Lock-O-Meter After Preseason

The Green Bay Packers’ preseason ended with a victory on Saturday against the Seattle Seahawks. Here’s a fresh look at the locks and long shots headed into Tuesday’s roster cuts.

Green Bay Packers cornerback Kalen King (34) celebrates with Kamal Hadde after recovering a fumble on Saturday. | Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images

GREEN BAY – The Green Bay Packers beat the Seattle Seahawks in their final preseason game on Saturday. General manager Brian Gutekunst will pick his initial 53-man roster on Tuesday. Who are the locks? Who’s on the bubble? Who are the long shots? Our world-renowned Lock-O-Meter has those answers.

100 Percent Locks (38)

Quarterbacks: Jordan Love, Malik Willis.

Running backs: Josh Jacobs, Chris Brooks.

Receivers: Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Matthew Golden, Savion Williams.

Tight ends: Tucker Kraft, Luke Musgrave.

Offensive line: LT Rasheed Walker, LG Aaron Banks, C Elgton Jenkins, RG Sean Rhyan, RT Zach Tom, T/G Jordan Morgan, T Anthony Belton.

Defensive tackles: Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, Karl Brooks.

Defensive ends: Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness, Kingsley Enagbare.

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

Cornerbacks: Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine, Nate Hobbs, Bo Melton.

Safeties: Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, Javon Bullard.

Specialists: K Brandon McManus, P Daniel Whelan, LS Matt Orzech.

Analysis: This is the core group and the key players for the season. Jacobs got his first touch of the preseason, a carry for 5 yards to start the game. Golden made a big-time play on a deep ball from Willis on the second series, maneuvering himself in front of Nehemiah Pritchett for a gain of 39.

Two players moved up a rung. Running back Chris Brooks had a short day before giving way to Emanuel Wilson and Israel Abanikanda. He will have a key role on third down. There never was doubt that Enagbare was going to make the 53.

80.0 Percent to 99.9 Percent Locks (3)

Green Bay Packers defensive end Kingsley Enagbare (55) recovers a fumble as Seattle Seahawks quarterback Jalen Milroe (6) is tackled by Green Bay Packers defensive end Brenton Cox Jr. | Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images

Quarterbacks: None.

Running backs: Emanuel Wilson.

Receivers: None.

Tight ends: None.

Offensive line: None.

Defensive tackles: None.

Defensive ends: Brenton Cox.

Linebackers: None.

Cornerbacks: Kalen King.

Safeties: None.

Specialists: None.

Analysis: We recalibrated the Lock-O-Meter. Previously, the second tier was 90.0 percent to 99.9 percent. Nobody fit, though perhaps Cox and King were close. Moving the bar, we elevated Cox and King to hopefully reflect their strong training camps.

Cox had a sack/strip on Seattle’s second possession and a tackle for loss near the goal line in the second quarter. He also probably was partially to blame for a 61-yard run. King, who got a lot of No. 1 snaps this week with Nate Hobbs and Xavier McKinney out, recovered a fumble and had a superb open-field tackle on quarterback Jalen Milroe’s designed run in the red zone.

With MarShawn Lloyd injured, Wilson’s spot on the 53 probably is secure. He carried eight times for 38 yards in the first half against Seattle.

65.1 Percent to 79.9 Percent Locks (4)

Quarterbacks: None.

Running backs: None.

Receivers: None.

Tight ends: John FitzPatrick.

Offensive line: C/G Jacob Monk.

Defensive tackles: Colby Wooden.

Defensive ends: Barryn Sorrell.

Linebackers: None.

Cornerbacks: None.

Safeties: None.

Specialists: None.

Analysis: Everyone knows FitzPatrick can block; his hands have been a revelation. Wooden fell to the No. 3 unit early in camp but rebounded and got some No. 1 snaps with Devonte Wyatt out on Thursday.

Injuries complicate the picture for Monk (hamstring) and Sorrell (knee). If more significant than initially believed, they could be candidates for injured reserve. That is the only reason why Sorrell is not in the 100 percent category.

55.1 Percent to 64.9 Percent Locks (2)

Quarterbacks: None.

Running backs: None.

Receivers: Malik Heath.

Tight ends: None.                                

Offensive line: None.

Defensive tackles: None.

Defensive ends: None.

Linebackers: None.

Cornerbacks: None.

Safeties: Kitan Oladapo.

Specialists: None.

Analysis: Even with so many of the team’s key receivers injured, Heath got to watch most of the game from the sideline, which probably is a sign that his spot is secure. Injuries gave Oladapo some first-team action during the second half of camp. He had a good open-field tackle on a third-and-long draw that had a chance to gain a first down but also had a miss.

50.1 Percent to 55.0 Percent Locks (4)

Quarterbacks: None.

Running backs: None.

Receivers: None.

Tight ends: None.

Offensive line: G Donovan Jennings.

Defensive tackles: Warren Brinson, Nazir Stackhouse.

Defensive ends: None.

Linebackers: None.

Cornerbacks: None.

Safeties: Zayne Anderson.

Specialists: None.

Analysis: With left guard Aaron Banks and center Elgton Jenkins out with back injuries, Jennings started at right guard before moving to left guard when the backups came in. That Jennings started ahead of Kadeem Telfort (and played ahead of him on Thursday) seems noteworthy. It’s also noteworthy that he got to watch the second half from the sideline.  

Brinson was knocked inside on Seattle’s 61-yard run and got lost on a third-and-long draw. He was on the field before Stackhouse, though. Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, Karl Brooks and Colby Wooden presumably will fill four spots. Will the Packers keep five or six at a position group in which only two are on the field at a time?

Anderson suffered an MCL injury during Week 1 of the preseason so his status for Week 1 is unknown.

45.0 Percent to 50.0 Percent Locks (7)

Quarterbacks: None.

Running backs: None.

Receivers: None.

Tight ends: Ben Sims.

Offensive line: T/G Kadeem Telfort.

Defensive tackles: None.

Defensive ends: Arron Mosby.

Linebackers: Isaiah Simmons, Kristian Welch.

Cornerbacks: Corey Ballentine, Micah Robinson.

Safeties: None.

Specialists: None.

Analysis: The linebacker decision will be fascinating. Simmons had his best game of the summer at linebacker and made an impact on special teams, as well. If there was a gap between him and Welch, it’s probably narrowed.

Telfort played left tackle with the second unit and got to watch the second half from the sideline.

At cornerback, Ballentine gave up a touchdown in the fourth quarter but has a strong track record on special teams and was a key part of the defense in 2023. Robinson had excellent coverage on a third-down deep ball in the fourth quarter.

30.0 Percent to 44.9 Percent Locks (4)

Quarterbacks: None.

Running backs: MarShawn Lloyd.

Receivers: Mecole Hardman.

Tight ends: None.

Offensive line: G Tyler Cooper.

Defensive tackles: None.

Defensive ends: None.

Linebackers: None.

Cornerbacks: Kamal Hadden.

Safeties: None.

Specialists: None.

Analysis: Lloyd, who missed most of last season with a long list of injuries and misfortune, is more likely than not to start the season on injured reserve due to the hamstring injury sustained at Indianapolis last week.

There were two noteworthy developments on Saturday. First, Hadden, who had a dismal game against the Colts last week after returning from a hip injury, had a strong joint practice on Thursday and continued it on Saturday. He had excellent deep coverage late in the first half, prevented a pair of completions to start the second half and broke up a third-and-8 pass late in the third.

Cooper, an undrafted free agent and Wisconsin native, played right guard with the second unit at the end of the first half and took limited snaps in the second half. After getting a lot of work against the Colts last week, it would be a surprise if he made the 53 but it wouldn’t be a shock.

0.0 Percent to 29.9 Percent Locks (29)

Quarterbacks: Sean Clifford, Taylor Elgersma.

Running backs: Israel Abanikanda, Amar Johnson, Tyrion Davis-Price.

Receivers: Christian Watson, Julian Hicks, Cornelius Johnson, Will Sheppard, Isaiah Neyor, Kawaan Baker.

Tight ends: Messiah Swinson, Johnny Lumpkin.

Offensive line: C Trey Hill, G/T John Williams, T Brant Banks, C/G Lecitus Smith, G J.J. Lippe.

Defensive tackles: James Ester, Devonte O’Malley.

Defensive ends: Collin Oliver, Deslin Alexandre.

Linebackers: Jamon Johnson, Jared Bartlett.

Cornerbacks: Tyron Herring.

Safeties: Johnathan Baldwin, Omar Brown, Jaylin Simpson.

Specialists: K Mark McNamee.

Analysis: Picking a few names …

- Malik Willis started at quarterback and played the first two series. Elgersma and Clifford alternated series the rest of the way.

- Watson will start the season on PUP.

- Two Day 3 draft picks, Oliver (hamstring) in the fifth round and Williams (back) in the seventh round, didn’t practice at all in training camp. They almost certainly will open the regular season on PUP.

- At running back, neither Abanikanda nor Johnson did enough in their final push for a roster spot. Abanikanda fumbled in the first half. Johnson, who had a pair of 15-yard runs and two touchdowns in the first two preseason games, was flagged for holding when Sean Clifford was sacked in the third quarter.

- Alexandre had a strong game with one sack, one tackle for loss and one pass defensed on defense and a tackle on special teams.

- Two undrafted free agents, linebacker Jamon Johnson and safety Johanthan Baldwin, are long shots to make the 53 but should be slam dunks for the practice squad.

- O'Malley had a sack in practice and one in the game.