Green Bay Packers Roster Projection 3.0

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Crunch time is here.

The Green Bay Packers on Wednesday will kick off what could be a make-or-break 11 days for players on the roster bubble. On Wednesday and Thursday, it’s joint practices against the New York Jets. On Saturday afternoon, it’s a preseason game against the Jets. Then, after a normal practice week, they’ll play at the Buffalo Bills in the preseason finale. There are roster spots up for grabs in every position group, not to mention chases for a few starting spots and some key backup positions. These 11 days will determine who makes the 53-man roster that must be set by Aug. 31.

"There’s a lot of opportunity for those spots," quarterback Aaron Rodgers said after practice on Wednesday. "That’s the exciting thing. Every year there’s 35 to 40 spots that seem to be pretty locked up. That leaves for that 13 to 18 range of players that can make a roster spot.”

With that as a setup, here’s our third roster projection. The breakdown: 25 on offense, 25 on defense and three on special teams.

Quarterbacks

Made it (2): Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love.

Didn’t make it (2): Kurt Benkert, Jake Dolegala.

What changed? Benkert (out), Dolegala (out; wasn’t on roster for previous projection).

Why: Personally, I’d be afraid to release a quarterback before Week 1, even if that quarterback was available for all to sign through most of the spring. Benkert would have a lot of beans to spill to an upcoming opponent. Ultimately, though, there will be no demand for Benkert if he doesn’t take better care of the football than he did on Saturday. The guy can throw the ball and is fearless. There are some tools and, don’t forget, Green Bay might need a backup for Love in 2022. If that winds up being the case, it would be wise to give him a year of development, whether it’s on the 53 or the practice squad.

Running Backs

Made it (3): Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon, Kylin Hill.

Didn’t make it (2): Dexter Williams, Patrick Taylor.

What changed? Nothing.

Why: The first three are locks. Even without the touchdown on Saturday vs. Houston, Hill would be on the team as the kickoff returner.

“He’s got really good instincts,” running backs coach Ben Sirmans said. “I think he understands how to process what’s in front of him, how the defense is reacting, so that way he can counter with his quickness. Because he’s got really good quickness and very explosive cutting ability, and I think the biggest thing with him is he knows how to use those things at the right time.”

If not for Saturday’s preseason game, I would have put Taylor on the roster as a fourth running back. But he didn’t play at an NFL level in any phase of the game. To be fair, it was his first game action since the 2019 Cotton Bowl. Perhaps he’ll settle in and show what he’s got this week. Then again, it’s hard to believe there’d be a leaguewide clamoring for Taylor’s services on the waiver wire.

"Obviously Aaron and AJ are going to be on the roster and playing big minutes for us, but we need those guys behind to step up, show on special teams and kind of see what they can do," Rodgers said.

Receivers

Made it (6): Davante Adams, Allen Lazard, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Randall Cobb, Amari Rodgers, Devin Funchess.

Didn’t make it (5): Equanimeous St. Brown, Malik Taylor, Juwann Winfree, Reggie Begelton, Chris Blair.

What changed? Winfree (out).

Why: The first five spots are locks. That means the front-runners for No. 6 are Funchess, St. Brown, Winfree and Taylor. The greatest ability is availability. Winfree and St. Brown have missed a big chunk of training camp, though St. Brown returned on Monday. Funchess, who missed the final 15 games of the 2019 season with a broken collarbone and all of 2020 as a COVID opt-out, has really cranked it up over the past week-and-a-half. Taylor, who made the roster last year but got off to a slow start this summer, turned in a strong performance vs. Houston to get back in the mix.

Funchess might be the better receiver, Taylor the better player on special teams and both can block. “I think that’s going to be a big part of it,” LaFleur said of special teams. “I think anytime, especially once you get so deep within the receiver room, you’ve got to factor in the special teams component. We’re going to need some big contributions from that room in special teams. Losing a guy like (Randy Ramsey), that really hurt our special teams. So, you’ve got to supplement it from somewhere else and some of these guys are going to have to take on maybe a larger role than they normally would have.”

The guess here is the Packers go with the veteran Funchess with the belief that Taylor can make it through waivers to the practice squad.

Tight ends

Made it (4): Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis, Josiah Deguara, Dominique Dafney.

Suspended (1): Jace Sternberger.

Didn’t make it (2): Bronson Kaufusi, Daniel Crawford.

What changed: Crawford (out; wasn’t on roster).

Why: Listening to tight ends coach Justin Outten, the top four on the depth chart are locks. Dafney, who went from working as a bouncer at a club in Iowa to catching a touchdown pass at Chicago, wasn’t just a late-season flash in the pan. The wild card is Sternberger, who will serve a two-game suspension to start the season. Do the Packers hang onto him and then figure out if there’s a place for him in Week 3? Or do they give up on the 2019 third-round pick whose career appears to be going nowhere fast?

Not even his big catch vs. Houston could change Outten’s tune. “That one play doesn’t really describe the player,” Outten said. “It’s more consistently what you’re putting in day in and day out. With his consistency, it’s kind of been sporadic. Whether it’s still getting used to the playbook or feeling around the line of scrimmage, he’s still having some up-and-down days.”

Offensive line

Made it (10): LT David Bakhtiari, LG Elgton Jenkins, C Josh Myers, RG Lucas Patrick, RT Billy Turner, T/G Royce Newman, G Jon Runyan, G Ben Braden, T Dennis Kelly, T Yosh Nijman.

Didn’t make it (4): T/G Cole Van Lanen, G/T Coy Cronk, G Jacob Capra, C Jake Hanson.

What changed: Braden (in), Nijman (in), Van Lanen (out).

Why: The wild card is Bakhtiari. Let’s say he’s not ready for Week 1 but is far enough along in his rehab that he doesn’t have to spend the first six weeks of the regular season on the physically unable to perform list. In that case, the Packers probably need to go heavy on linemen. And that will get Nijman his spot on the 53. He is big and athletic and, the sack-strip late in the first half vs. Houston notwithstanding, he played pretty well last week to underscore a solid training camp.

“For him, it’s just understanding the different nuances of the system and being able to translate that on the field, blocking different looks, reacting to different scenarios,” offensive line coach Adam Stenavich said. “That’s the biggest thing he’s had to learn, is just how to handle himself. Even though a play might be one way versus a certain front, it’s completely different versus a different front, you know what I mean? It’s just learning how to play fast versus multiple looks.”

This is a versatile group. Look at the four combatants at guard. Patrick can play guard and center, Runyan is learning center and played tackle at Michigan, Braden is equally comfortable at left guard and right guard, and Newman can play guard and tackle. That versatility could allow Green Bay to roll the dice with nine blockers.

Round 1: CB Eric Stokes

Round 2: C Josh Myers

Round 3: WR Amari Rodgers

Round 4: G/T Royce Newman

Round 5: DT TJ Slaton

Round 5: CB Shemar Jean-Charles

Round 6: G/T Cole Van Lanen

Round 6: LB Isaiah McDuffie

Round 7: RB Kylin Hill

Defensive line

Made it (5): Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry, Kingsley Keke, Tyler Lancaster, TJ Slaton.

Didn’t make it (4): Josh Avery, Jack Heflin, Willington Previlon, Carlo Kemp.

What changed: Avery (out; wasn’t on roster).

Why: This seems like a slam dunk, with the fifth-round pick Slaton taking the roster spot manned last year by Montravius Adams and, later, Billy Wynn and Snacks Harrison. Other than second-round center Josh Myers, Slaton might deliver the most instant impact among this year’s rookies. Watch out for Previlon. An undrafted free agent last year, he played a lot on Saturday and was on the field for a couple first-team reps on Monday. Heflin has flashed here and there, as well.

Outside linebackers

Made it (4): Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Rashan Gary, Chauncey Rivers.

Didn’t make it (3): Tipa Galeai, Jonathan Garvin, Delontae Scott.

What changed: Rivers (in; wasn’t on roster); Randy Ramsey (out; injured reserve).

Why: Rivers, picked up off waivers from Baltimore, has been an excellent addition. He had a couple pressures on Saturday as part of a solid all-around performance. He’s shown up repeatedly on the practice field, too. This will be a difficult decision. Garvin was a seventh-round pick last year, so that could be a tiebreaker. Galeai’s athleticism might make him the best weapon on special teams but he’s pushed around too often on defense. Scott can rush from the edge or the inside.

“That fourth spot, that’s the one you’ve got to fight for, and to get that four spot, you’d better be damn good on special teams, and they know that,” outside linebackers coach Mike Smith said recently. “There ain’t going to be a fourth spot to play outside linebacker. It’s going to be a fourth spot to be on special teams.”

Inside linebackers

Made it (5): Krys Barnes, De’Vondre Campbell, Kamal Martin, Oren Burks, Ty Summers.

Didn’t make it (3): Isaiah McDuffie, De’Jon Harris, Ray Wilborn.

What changed: Burks (in); McDuffie (out).

Why: Barnes will be the every-down linebacker and Campbell’s coverage ability could allow new defensive coordinator Joe Barry to play a lot less dime than his predecessor, Mike Pettine, was forced to go with the past couple seasons. McDuffie, a sixth-round pick, missed too much of training camp to be a factor. If the idea is to get better on special teams, then it would be foolish to get rid of Burks and Summers – the leading tacklers in that phase last season. And it’s probably too soon to give up on Martin, who flashed a lot as a rookie.

Cornerbacks

Made it (6): Jaire Alexander, Kevin King, Eric Stokes, Chandon Sullivan, Isaac Yiadom, Shemar Jean-Charles.

Didn’t make it (3): Kabion Ento, Ka’dar Hollman, Dominque Martin.

What changed: Isaac Yiadom (in; trade), Josh Jackson (out; traded).

Why: Getting rid of Ento was the hardest decision of this entire projection. The former Colorado receiver has had a strong training camp, highlighted by two pass breakups on Family Night and an interception vs. Houston. If the Packers release him, there would seem to be a decent chance some cornerback-hungry team would grab him off waivers. But, the Packers didn’t acquire Yiadom to see what they’d get for the next two weeks. They acquired him because he’s someone they like.

If Yiadom (or Ento) pans out, this could be a really good group. You can never have enough good corners – especially one is the injury-prone King – and the Packers could be overflowing with them. As an extension, if Barry feels good about his outside cornerbacks, that could allow him to use Alexander in the slot as needed.

“When you put him at the top nickel, you better have someone to play corner,” defensive backs coach Jerry Gray said recently. “With the guys that we have, hopefully that will allow us to out Ja inside. Every place that I’ve been before here the past year, my top corner played nickel. Hey, look, if they’re going to put their best receiver in there, I’m going to put my best corner.”

Safeties

Made it (5): Adrian Amos, Darnell Savage, Will Redmond, Vernon Scott, Henry Black.

Didn’t make it (2): Christian Uphoff, Innis Gaines.

What changed: Nothing.

Why: This is a tough call behind the top-flight starting tandem of Amos and Savage. With Redmond missing the first 12 practices of training camp, Black ran with the No. 1 dime defense. Even while playing only eight games as an undrafted rookie, he was fourth on the team in tackles on special teams. Then, he led the team in special teams stops in the playoffs.

Redmond has played a lot of defensive snaps the past two seasons and wasn’t good enough, but he’s been a key player on special teams. Gaines, who went unsigned as a rookie last year because of a knee injury, has made as many plays as almost anyone in the defensive backfield during training camp and played well on Saturday, too. That production has come against backups, though. Uphoff is an intriguing combination of size and athleticism that should make him a weapon on special teams while growing on defense.

Specialists

Made it (3): K Mason Crosby, P JK Scott, LS Hunter Bradley

Didn’t make it (1): K JJ Molson.

What changed? Nothing.

Why: At the start of camp, there were challengers for each of the specialists. Who would have thought the last man standing would have been Molson hanging out with the stone cold lock that is Crosby? Molson’s presence is taking some of the strain off the 36-year-old Crosby’s leg. For what it’s worth, Molson’s leg is NFL-worthy.

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