53-Man Packers Roster Prediction After Minicamp, Including One Trade

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers’ offseason practices concluded with the final day of minicamp on Thursday. The 90-man roster that competed the past three weeks will largely be the roster that will be on the field for the first practice of training camp on July 29.

General manager Brian Gutekunst must pick his 53-man roster by Aug. 30. Based on what we saw this offseason, here is our Packers roster projection.

Quarterbacks (2)

Starter: Jordan Love.

Backup: Tyrod Taylor.

Falling short: Kyle McCord, Kyron Drones.

Why?: Love as the starter and Taylor as the backup on the depth chart is the most obvious thing on Earth. Taylor will turn 37 during the first week of training camp and will be an asset with his experience. He isn’t Malik Willis, but who is?

“A lot of value, just because he’s seen just about anything you can think of,” coach Matt LaFleur said this week. “He’s got a really good way about himself. I think he’s just trying to learn and absorb how we coach things, how we teach things, the concepts we’re running, so he doesn’t say a ton right now.”

The battle will be for the No. 3 spot, which will likely result in a season-long spot on the practice squad and the potential pole position to be the backup in 2027. McCord was drafted by the Eagles last season and joined the Packers after the season. So, he’s got at least some experience on his side. Drones has the upside with his arm strength and athletic ability.

Running Backs (3)

Starter: Josh Jacobs.

Backups: Chris Brooks, MarShawn Lloyd.

Falling short: Pierre Strong, Damien Martinez, Jaden Nixon.

Why?: Can the Packers really count on Lloyd to take a precious roster spot? Well, if he stays healthy throughout training camp, just like he did throughout the offseason, why not?

“Oh, yeah, 100 percent. I’m excited,” he said of looking ahead to the start of training camp.

Jacobs (with the obvious caveat) and Brooks are locks to make the team. And, barring an exceptional preseason, there’s little reason to believe the Packers couldn’t get their next-best running back on the practice squad.

Receivers (6)

Green Bay Packers cornerback Bo Melton (16) catches a pass against Baltimore Ravens cornerback Nate Wiggins. | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Starters: Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, Jayden Reed.

Backups: Savion Williams, Bo Melton, Skyy Moore.

Falling short: Will Sheppard, Isaiah Neyor, Jakobie Keeney-James, J. Michael Sturdivant, Brenden Rice.

Why?: The new Big Three will start and play as many snaps as humanly possible because, A, they’re good and, B, the backups have almost no NFL pedigree.

Williams caught 10 passes as a rookie, but most of them were behind the line of scrimmage and extensions of the run game. That’s not much production, but it is more catches than Moore (five while excelling as a kickoff and punt returner with the 49ers) and Melton (four while moonlighting as a cornerback) combined.

So, the door is wide open for one of the young players to push for a spot on the 53. They all had their moments during the offseason practices. It’s hard not to be excited about the size-speed profiles of Neyor and Sturdivant.

“He’s really shown a lot of flashes of excellence,” LaFleur said of Neyor.

Tight Ends (3)

Starter: Tucker Kraft.

Backups: Josh Whyle, Messiah Swinson.

Traded: Luke Musgrave.

Falling short: Drake Dabney, RJ Maryland.

Why?: Kraft intends to be back in the lineup with no limitations for Week 1. He considered himself the best do-it-all tight end in the NFL at the time of his injury.

“There wasn’t another guy in the league that was doing it as well as I was,” Kraft said. “Some people might think I’m delusional to say that. … The film is going to speak for itself. Outside zone, inside zone, screen game, down the field, as far as putting it all together I felt like I was at a great spot.”

Green Bay Packers tight end Luke Musgrave (88) catches a pass against the Carolina Panthers. | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Musgrave had every opportunity to earn a big role in 2024, when Kraft was sidelined for the offseason practices by a torn pectoral, during the second half of 2025, when Kraft suffered the knee injury, and this offseason, when Kraft was out. He failed to take advantage. Maybe a tight end-hungry team will take a shot in a trade in exchange for a 2027 draft pick or to address a position of need. That, of course, is all dependent on Kraft.

Offensive Line (9)

Starters: LT Jordan Morgan, LG Aaron Banks, C Sean Rhyan, RG Anthony Belton, RT Zach Tom.

Backups: T/G Darian Kinnard, C/G Jacob Monk, C/G Jager Burton, T Brant Banks.

Falling short: T Dalton Cooper, T Travis Glover, G Dillon Wade, G/C Donovan Jennings, G/C John Williams, G Karsen Barnhart, G Josh Gesky, G/C Dylan Barrett.

Why?: It takes a lot of projection, but the new starting offensive line could be really good. Morgan didn’t look out of place for even a moment at left tackle and should only get better with time. Rhyan and Belton should be better after having all offseason to build upon their half-seasons as starters at their positions. Tom, a stud when healthy, could be ready for the start of training camp after end-of-season knee surgery.

The depth seems precarious, though that’s almost a universal statement around the NFL. The quick rise of Burton provides options, though. He put himself in position to be the universal backup at the interior positions. Kinnard is a solid backup, as well.

What about left tackle? Belton played that position in college, so perhaps he could bounce out there with Burton stepping in at guard. Brant Banks is an intriguing young talent after a solid preseason last year as an undrafted free agent gave him a spot on the practice squad.

It could come down to Banks vs. Glover, a sixth-round pick in 2024 who spent last season on injured reserve, vs. Williams, a seventh-round pick in 2025 who spent his rookie season on injured reserve.

The Packers will release their first unofficial depth chart sometime in August. Based on all the lineups throughout the offseason and assuming injured players are healthy, here's what I've got headed into the break and looking ahead to Day 1 of camp. ⬇️https://t.co/Zm8LMuwABJ
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) June 13, 2026

Edge (6)

Starters: Lukas Van Ness, Barryn Sorrell.

Backups: Brenton Cox, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Collin Oliver, Arron Mosby.

PUP: Micah Parsons.

Falling short: Nyjalik Kelly, Dante Barnett (international).

Why?: This is an interesting group. With Parsons out for the start of the season – perhaps the first five or six games – Van Ness is going to have to carry the load. He’s never shown he’s good enough to be that guy. Now, he’ll have to be the playmaker of the unit when opponents know he’ll have to be the playmaker. He had an excellent offseason.

The entire depth chart has 15.5 sacks in the NFL – 8.5 for Van Ness and seven for everybody else. Four of those belong to Cox during a hot second half of the 2024 season. Sorrell (fourth round, 2025), Oliver (fifth round, 2025) and Dennis-Sutton (fourth round, 2026) have a lot to prove. Sorrell has to show he can rush the passer. Oliver has to show he can stay healthy. Dennis-Sutton has to show he can handle the jump to the NFL.

Mosby was a standout on special teams last season and could be a key player for new coordinator Cam Achord. He’d be the odd man out in this projection if the Packers go with four tight ends rather than three.

Defensive Tackles (6)

Green Bay Packers defensive lineman Nazir Stackhouse should be better in Year 2. | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Starters: Devonte Wyatt, Javon Hargrave, Chris McClellan.

Backups: Karl Brooks, Warren Brinson, Nazir Stackhouse.

PUP: Jordon Riley.

Falling short: Jonathan Ford, Anthony Campbell, Jaden Crumedy.

Why?: The first five players above would seem to be locks. The Packers kept five in last year’s 4-3 system, so it stands to reason that they’ll keep six in the new 3-4.

It will be a battle royale for that final spot. Stackhouse was good enough to make the roster as an undrafted free agent last year and should be better with the experience. After Wyatt went down for the rest of the season at Detroit, the Packers grabbed Riley off the Giants’ practice squad. He looked like quite a find until tearing an Achilles. That necessitated the return of Ford, a seventh-round pick by the Packers in 2022 who had been toiling on Chicago’s practice squad. He played well, too.

Campbell had a good final day at minicamp and Crumedy, a sixth-round pick by Carolina in 2024, has some experience.

Linebackers (5)

Starters: Edgerrin Cooper, Zaire Franklin.

Backups: Ty’Ron Hopper, Isaiah McDuffie, Nick Niemann.

Falling short: Kristian Welch, T.J. Quinn.

Why?: The top four would appear to be locks, though there could be some trade value for McDuffie if Hopper is ready to be the next man up and Quinn emerges. McDuffie, who started 29 games the last two seasons, has a base salary of $2.4 million as he enters his final season under contract.

Special teams will determine the final spot. That’s the niche for Niemann and Welch; Niemann was superb when healthy last season and was given a $500,000 signing bonus to re-sign. That’s about 500,000 reasons to believe he’ll make the 53.

Cornerbacks (5)

Green Bay Packers cornerbacks Brandon Cisse (2) and Jaylin Simpson (38) stretch before minicamp practice. | Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Starters: Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine.

Backups: Brandon Cisse, Benjamin St-Juste, Domani Jackson.

Falling short: Kamal Hadden, Jaylin Simpson, Shemar Bartholomew, M.J. Devonshire, Marlon Jones.

Why?: On paper, this seems rather clear cut. Nixon and Valentine are returning starters. Can the Packers do better? Obviously. But it’s not as if they’re terrible players.

Nixon finished among the league leaders in passes defensed last season (but had only one interception and was a penalty machine) and Valentine allowed a low catch percentage (but had zero interceptions and is a bad tackler). Both players are entering their final seasons under contract and are relative bargains. Among corners, Nixon is 32nd in cap charge and Valentine is 62nd.

The Packers signed St-Juste in free agency and drafted Cisse (second round) and Jackson (sixth round). However, St-Juste and Jackson missed the offseason practices due to injuries, and all the young players at the bottom of the depth chart seemed to take advantage.

Safeties (5)

Starters: Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, Javon Bullard (slot).

Backups: Kitan Oladapo, Mark Perry.

Falling short: Johnathan Baldwin (slot), Murvin Kenion.

Why?: The Packers usually keep five. One of the five from the past couple seasons, Zayne Anderson, joined Jeff Hafley and the Dolphins, meaning there’s a golden opportunity for Perry, Baldwin and Kenion.

Perry has an excellent size-speed profile. However, he went undrafted in 2024, hasn’t played in a game and is on his sixth team. He spent the entire offseason alongside Oladapo as the No. 2 tandem. Baldwin spent the entire offseason in the slot as the No. 2 behind Bullard. Kenion, an undrafted free agent who intercepted five passes as a senior at Nevada, was the only addition.

Special teams will be the deciding factor.

Specialists (3)

Starters: K Trey Smack, P Daniel Whelan, LS Matt Orzech.

Falling short: K Lucas Havrisik.

Why?: The Packers traded their two seventh-round picks to move up in the sixth round to select Smack, then tossed Brandon McManus overboard. Smack missed too many kicks during the offseason practices but will be given every opportunity to figure things out. He’s talented enough to do so.

Pressure makes diamonds, as athletes like to say. In a perfect world, Havrisik would have an excellent training camp and Smack would shine rather than crack under that pressure.

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