Projecting Packers’ Depth Chart, 53-Man Roster After NFL Draft

Including six draft picks, the Green Bay Packers added 17 rookies during last weekend’s 2026 NFL Draft. While there will be additional roster moves along the way, ranging from injury-related tinkering to a noteworthy free-agent addition or trade, the 90-man roster of today will, for the most part, be the roster that competes for spots on the 53-man roster in training camp.

Here’s our best guess at how the depth chart will look for the start of OTAs on May 26 and what the 53-man roster will look like for Week 1.

Quarterbacks

Offseason starter: Jordan Love.

Offseason backups: Desmond Ridder, Kyle McCord, Kyron Drones (rookie).

Rookie addition: Drones (undrafted).

Lost in free agency: Malik Willis (Dolphins).

Analysis: The backup battle, obviously, will be incredibly important. Ridder is a former third-round pick who has made 18 NFL starts. Considering how Malik Willis grew during his two seasons in Green Bay, could Ridder take a step forward, too? McCord was a sixth-round pick by the Eagles last season after lighting it up at Syracuse in 2024.

The Packers coveted Drones because of his Willis-style skill-set. A scout called him “one of … the best athletes at the position in this class.” He’s probably not ready to be an NFL backup but his developmental skill-set is intriguing.

Prediction (2): Love, Ridder.

Running Backs

Offseason starter: Josh Jacobs.

Offseason backups: Chris Brooks, MarShawn Lloyd, Pierre Strong, Damien Martinez, Jaden Nixon (rookie).

Rookie addition: Nixon (undrafted).

Lost in free agency: Emanuel Wilson (Seahawks).

Green Bay Packers running back MarShawn Lloyd (32) runs through a drill during training camp last year. | Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Analysis: After losing Wilson in free agency, it was a surprise the Packers didn’t draft a running back. However, behind Jacobs and Brooks, the they have a few draft picks with Lloyd (third round), Strong (fourth) and Martinez (seventh). Nixon was a big-play runner and returner at Central Florida. The key, obviously, will be whether Lloyd can get on the field – and, more importantly, stay on the field.

“We’ve just got to get him out there and keep him healthy. If he’s out there and healthy, if he’s healthy, we know he can help us,” Gutekunst said.

Prediction (3): Jacobs, Brooks, TBA (trade or veteran addition).

Receivers

Offseason starters: Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden.

Offseason backups: Savion Williams, Skyy Moore, Bo Melton, Will Sheppard, Jakobie Keeney-James, Isaiah Neyor, J. Michael Sturdivant (rookie).

Added in free agency: Moore (49ers).

Rookie addition: Sturdivant (undrafted).

Lost in free agency: Romeo Doubs (Patriots).

Traded: Dontayvion Wicks (Eagles).

Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed (11) scores a toucdown against Chicago Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. | Wm. Glasheen/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Analysis: The three starters are as obvious as the nose on your face. How good can they be together? Watson missed the front half of last season with a torn ACL, Reed missed a huge chunk of the season with a broken collarbone and Golden was only a sporadic contributor as a first-round pick.

Assuming Moore makes it because of his prowess on returns, it will be a wide-open battle for the sixth spot. Last offseason, the Packers shifted Melton to cornerback to give him a better chance of making the team. Maybe it’d make sense to move him back to corner after two cornerbacks were drafted. Sturdivant and Neyor have elite size-speed combos.

53-man roster prediction (6): Watson, Reed, Golden, Williams, Moore, Melton.

Tight Ends

Offseason starter: Luke Musgrave.

Offseason backups: Tucker Kraft (injured), Josh Whyle, Drake Dabney, Messiah Swinson, R.J. Maryland (rookie), Eni Falayi (rookie).

Rookie additions: Maryland (undrafted), Falayi (undrafted).

Free agent: John FitzPatrick (unrestricted).

Analysis: First, the bad news. Kraft is coming back from a torn ACL. The good news is he could be ready for Week 1. The silver-lining news is his absence will create opportunities elsewhere, whether it’s for Musgrave to finally return to his rookie-year form or to see if the rookies are capable of making a push for a roster spot.

53-man roster prediction (4): Kraft, Musgrave, Whyle, Falayi.

Offensive Line

Green Bay Packers left tackle Jordan Morgan (77) blocks Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle Jalen Redmond. | Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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

Backups (tackle): T/G Darian Kinnard, T/G Travis Glover, T Brant Banks, T Dalton Cooper.

Backups (interior): C/G Jacob Monk, G Donovan Jennings, G John Williams, G Karsen Barnhart, C/G Jager Burton (rookie), G Dillon Wade (rookie), G Josh Gesky (rookie), Dylan Barrett (rookie).

Rookie additions: Burton (fifth round), Wade (undrafted), Gesky (undrafted), Barrett (undrafted).

Lost in free agency: LT Rasheed Walker (Panthers).

Released: G/C Elgton Jenkins (signed with Browns).

Analysis: Even Gutekunst called that top group the starting five.

“I think it provides that opportunity to get a lot of reps together to build that continuity that’s so important,” coach Matt LaFleur said after the draft, “but, as you guys know, we cross-train a lot of these guys in the event that, if something happens, that you have the flexibility to put whoever you need to in the proper positions.”

Kinnard will be one backup and the Packers no doubt hope Burton can be another. The depth is troublesome, though that’s true for most teams. The wild card is Williams, a seventh-round pick last year who missed all of last season with a back injury.

53-man roster prediction (9): Morgan, Banks, Rhyan, Belton, Tom, Kinnard, Monk, Burton, Glover.

Edge Defenders

Offseason starters: Lukas Van Ness, Barryn Sorrell.

Offseason backups: Micah Parsons (injured), Brenton Cox, Arron Mosby, Collin Oliver, Dani Dennis-Sutton (rookie), Nyjalik Kelly (rookie).

Rookie additions: Dennis-Sutton (fourth round), Kelly (undrafted).

Lost in free agency: Kingsley Enagbare (Jets).

Traded: Rashan Gary (Cowboys).

Analysis: With Parsons rehabbing his torn ACL, the Packers’ depth chart is greener than the grass on the Ray Nitschke practice field. Sorrell, Cox, Oliver and Dennis-Sutton are all unknown commodities. Will Sorrell be ready to start Week 1 and hold down the fort until Parsons returns? Can Cox rekindle how he played down the stretch in 2024? Can Oliver stay on the field and at least contribute as a pass rusher? How quickly can Dennis-Sutton carve out a role?

Speaking of Parsons: If he were to open the regular season on the physically unable to perform list, he’d be sidelined for the first four weeks of the regular season. Only at that point could he return to practice. So, even if he’s not ready for Week 1, it might make sense to carry him on the roster.

53-man roster prediction (6): Parsons, Van Ness, Sorrell, Dennis-Sutton, Cox, Mosby.

Defensive Tackles

New Packers defensive tackle Javon Hargrave, shown with the Vikings last year, pressures Justin Herbert. | Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images

Offseason starters: Javon Hargrave, Nazir Stackhouse, Karl Brooks.

Offseason backups: Devonte Wyatt (injured), Warren Brinson, Jonathan Ford, James Ester, Chris McClellan (rookie), Anthony Campbell, Jaden Crumedy, Dante Barnett, Jordon Riley (injured).

Added in free agency: Hargrave (Vikings).

Rookie additions: McClellan (third round).

Traded: Colby Wooden (Colts).

Analysis: Wyatt missed the end of last season with a broken leg and ligament damage. The Packers presumably will be in no rush to get him back on the field. The big key will be at nose tackle. Stackhouse, an undrafted free agent last year, and Jonathan Ford, a seventh-round pick in 2022, are back, and the Packers traded up for McClellan. It will be a key battle. McClellan is a lock to make the roster, obviously; it could be a case of Stackhouse or Ford starting in Week 1 and the other being released.

53-man roster prediction (6): Wyatt, Hargrave, McClellan, Brinson, Brooks, Ford.

Linebackers

Offseason starters: Edgerrin Cooper, Zaire Franklin.

Offseason backups: Isaiah McDuffie, Ty’Ron Hopper, Nick Niemann, Kristian Welch, T.J. Quinn (rookie).

Acquired in trade: Franklin (Colts).

Rookie addition: Quinn (undrafted).

Lost in free agency: Quay Walker (Raiders).

Analysis: The Packers used a third-round pick on Hopper in 2024. It wasn’t so long ago that the draft-and-develop Packers would have drafted Hopper, developed him for two years and then plugged him into the lineup to replace Walker. Instead, they traded Colby Wooden for the 29-year-old Franklin. This is a deep position, which is why the only addition was Quinn.

53-man roster prediction (5): Cooper, Franklin, McDuffie, Hopper, Niemann.

Cornerbacks

New Packers cornerback Brandon Cisse is shown at South Carolina. | Photo courtesy South Carolina Athletics

Offseason starters: Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine.

Offseason backups: Benjamin St-Juste, Kamal Hadden, Jaylin Simpson, Shemar Bartholomew, Tyron Herring, Brandon Cisse (rookie), Domani Jackson (rookie).

Added in free agency: St-Juste (Chargers).

Rookie additions: Cisse (second round), Jackson (sixth round).

Released: Nate Hobbs (signed with 49ers).

Analysis: Gutekunst said “wholesale changes” weren’t needed at cornerback, then proceeded to dump Hobbs, sign St-Juste and draft Cisse and Jackson. Nixon and Valentine are back, though, and they’ll start the offseason running with the starters. As is always the case with rookies, they’ll start at the bottom and have to work their way up.

53-man roster prediction (5): Nixon, Valentine, St-Juste, Cisse, Jackson.

Safeties

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

Offseason backups: Kitan Oladapo, Johnathan Baldwin, Mark Perry, Murvin Kenion III (rookie).

Lost in free agency: Zayne Anderson (Dolphins).

Rookie addition: Kenion III (undrafted).

Analysis: This is one of the deepest positions on the roster, which is why the only addition was Kenion, an undrafted rookie with considerable ball production at Nevada.

53-man roster prediction (4): McKinney, Williams, Bullard, Oladapo.

Specialists

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

Offseason backups: K Lucas Havrisik, K Trey Smack (rookie).

Rookie addition: Smack (sixth round).

Analysis: The biggest battle of the offseason and training camp will be at kicker with Smack trying to unseat McManus. Smack is a big-time talent but, like any other position, he’ll have to prove he’s up to the task. In baseball, the tie goes to the runner. In this battle, the tie will go to the rookie.

53-man roster prediction (3): Smack, Whelan, Orzech.

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