The 90 to 1 Green Bay Packers roster countdown: No. 17

The Green Bay Packers, and their 90 players on the roster, are in the midst of their first training camp under coach Matt LaFleur. In an annual tradition from my 11 years at Packer Report, I rank the players in order of importance from No. 90 to No. 1. This isn’t just a listing of the team’s best players. Our rankings take into account talent, importance of the position, depth at the position, salary and draft history. More than the ranking, we hope you learn something about each player. (Note: The start of this series can be found with my former employer.)

No. 17: C Corey Linsley ($8,150,000 cap)

In 2015 and 2016, Linsley missed a total of 10 games. The last two seasons, he hasn’t even missed a snap. He enters this season with a streak of 2,484 consecutive snaps.

“I don’t think we have enough time for me to talk about how good Corey is,” left tackle David Bakhitari said. “He’s a fundamentally sound football player. He’s got strength and he’s got smarts. You couple that athleticism, I really want him to be around.”

A rock in the middle of the offensive line, the Packers handed Linsley a three-year, $25.5 million contract extension late in the 2017 season. He’s been worth every penny. According to STATS, Linsley allowed 3.5 sacks and was not penalized. Pro Football Focus charged him with four sacks and 18 total pressures, placing him seventh in its pass-blocking efficiency. It’s a team sport, but Green Bay ranked No. 1 in the league with a 5.45-yard average on runs directly behind center, according to league data.

“I thought I played pretty well last year, but I’ve got to play better. I’ve got a lot to improve on and I’m trying to do that,” Linsley said.

The schematic changes should suit Linsley, who was one of the more athletic center prospects in the 2014 draft. He likened the mental part to learning a new language but “not terribly difficult” to pick up.

“He’s perfect,” offensive line coach Adam Stenavich said. “I’m really excited about what he’s going to do this year. I think he’s a great fit. … Corey does a great job making sure everyone’s on point, well-targeted and all that stuff. Yeah, he’s doing a really good job with that.”

For this season, Linsley’s cap charge makes him the seventh-most expensive center in the NFL. Chances are, that again will be money well spent. The only other player on the roster with a center background is second-round pick Elgton Jenkins.

A standout player on the field, he's also a standout in the community. Linsley and his wife, Anna, are active in CASA of Brown County. CASA stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. A CASA advocate provides a voice for abused and neglected children who are under the legal protection of the court system.

CASA volunteers often are the only consistent adult presence in the lives of abused and neglected children, many of whom are in foster care. The Linsleys met regularly with three siblings for about a year before the case closed in the spring. With Corey in the heart of the football season, Anna is handling a case involving one child.

“It was awesome,” Corey said. “I hate to say we got as much out of it as the kids but we did. We learned from them. You learn so much and they eventually found out what I did, so that was kind of funny to see that. It’s so great to see the kids. They’re honestly just children, as simple as that sounds. They’re living in their own world and they’re so happy and full of life. To see that is refreshing to know that you’re helping out good kids.”