Updated Packers Roster Projection, With Focus on Bubble (And Two Trades)

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers are deep. That much is clear as the team barrels full speed ahead toward the critical final week of training camp, which will be punctuated by a joint practice and preseason game against the Arizona Cardinals.

With tough decisions looming at a handful of positions, here’s our third roster projection. This emphasizes the players on the roster bubble and what changed since last week.

Quarterbacks (2)

Today’s roster: Jordan Love, Tyrod Taylor, Kyle McCord.

Week 1 projection: Love and Taylor.

What changed?: Nothing.

Roster bubble: Nobody. McCord is having a good preseason and is worthy of a long look on the practice squad to determine whether he can be a legitimate backup. But his preseason hasn’t been so good that he’d be likely to be claimed off waivers.

Running Backs (3)

Today’s roster: Josh Jacobs, MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks, Pierre Strong, Jaden Nixon, Damien Martinez.

Week 1 projection: Jacobs, Lloyd, Brooks.

What changed?: Nothing.

Roster bubble: With his vision and speed, Strong has had a productive training camp. He, of course, displayed those traits with his long kickoff return against the Broncos. Four running backs is a lot, though, and Brooks’ value as a pass protector is more important than Strong’s ability with the ball in his hands, since the ball needs to be in the hands of Jacobs and Lloyd.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Tyrod Taylor (6) hands the ball off to running back Pierre Strong Jr. at Denver. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Plus, there’s some roster-building thought to this, as well. Strong showed what he could do with the Patriots and Browns in 2022 through 2024 but spent all of last season on Green Bay’s practice squad. No team wanted to sign Strong to its 53 last year. Really, nothing has changed from a skill-set perspective.

Receivers (6)

Today’s roster: Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden, Savion Williams, Bo Melton, Skyy Moore, Will Sheppard, Isaiah Neyor, J. Michael Sturdivant, Kisean Johnson, Kaden Prather, Chris Hilton.

Week 1 projection: Watson, Reed, Golden, Williams, Melton and Moore.

What changed?: Nothing.

Roster bubble: Neyor had a productive game at Pittsburgh. Sturdivant had a productive practice week. Sheppard had the big night on Friday by catching all six targets, including a highlight-reel touchdown.

All three players are capable of being legit contributors. However, seven receivers is a lot and most teams have someone like Neyor, Sheppard or Sturdivant making plays on the bottom of the roster, so there should be no fear of losing all the young depth to waivers.

Tight Ends (4)

Today’s roster: Tucker Kraft, Josh Whyle, Luke Musgrave (PUP), Drake Dabney, Messiah Swinson, McCallan Castles, Thomas Yassmin (international).

Week 1 projection: Kraft, Whyle, Dabney, TBA.

PUP: Musgrave (neck).

What changed?: Going from three tight ends to four.

Roster bubble: This could be a case where Dabney makes the 53-man roster next Sunday and general manager Brian Gutekunst reassesses the situation when he sees who’s available on Monday. Dabney has had a solid camp, but can the Packers do better? For now, we’ll go with Dabney and TBA rather than Dabney or TBA. After all, if a tight end is added, he’ll need to learn the offense. Dabney is good enough to contribute.

Offensive Line (9)

Today’s roster: LT Jordan Morgan, LG Aaron Banks, C Sean Rhyan, RG Jacob Monk, RT Zach Bako-Bewele, T/G Anthony Belton, T/G Darian Kinnard, C/G Jager Burton, T/G/C John Williams, T/G Travis Glover, G/C Donovan Jennings, T Brant Banks, T Dalton Cooper, G Dillon Wade, G Josh Gesky, G/C Dylan Barrett.

Jacob Monk (62) gets ready to snap the ball for the Packers at Denver on Friday. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Week 1 projection: Morgan, Aaron Banks, Rhyan, Monk, Bako-Bewele, Belton, Burton, Kinnard, Williams.

What changed?: Nothing.

Roster bubble: There are some tough decisions to be made at the end of the roster. The first seven players are the obvious locks. Kinnard was a solid backup last season who received a $1 million signing bonus. He can play guard and tackle on the line and played a lot of snaps as an extra tight end last year.

For the ninth spot, Williams has shown he can play multiple positions – a huge asset that’s worthy of being groomed after he missed his rookie season with a back injury. Jennings is a physical blocker who can play all three interior spots. Glover, who can play right tackle but has spent most of camp at right guard, and Wade, who has been locked in at left guard, played well against Denver.

This one could go down to the wire. For now, we’ll stick with the player who can play left tackle.

Edge (5)

Today’s roster: Micah Parsons (PUP), Lukas Van Ness, Barryn Sorrell, Brenton Cox, Dani Dennis Sutton, Collin Oliver, Arron Mosby, Nyjalik Kelly, Arden Walker.

Week 1 projection: Van Ness, Sorrell, Cox, Dennis-Sutton, Oliver.

PUP: Parsons.

What changed?: Nothing.

Roster bubble: Oliver, as a fifth-round draft pick with some potential pass-rushing juice, is the obvious front-runner for a fifth spot, but Mosby is a weapon on special teams and Kelly is coming on strong. He had one sack, one forced fumble and, according to PFF, three quarterback pressures.

I thought long and hard about sticking with three tight ends and keeping Kelly. Most times, the fear of losing a player on waivers is completely overblown. Kelly, though, could be an exception.

Defensive Tackles (6)

Today’s roster: Devonte Wyatt, Javon Hargrave, Karl Brooks, Jonathan Ford, Chris McClellan, Warren Brinson, Nazir Stackhouse, Anthony Campbell, Jaden Crumedy, Jordon Riley (PUP).

Week 1 projection: Wyatt, Hargrave, Ford, Brinson, McClellan, Campbell.

Trade: Brooks.

PUP: Riley (Achilles).

What changed?: Trading Brooks and keeping Campbell.

Denver Broncos quarterback Jarrett Stidham (8) passes the ball while pressured by Green Bay Packers DT Anthony Campbell. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Roster bubble: The Packers, unexpectedly, are dealing from a position of strength. They have more players capable of contributing than spots on the roster. So, perhaps there’s a deal to be made.

Brooks would be the obvious man on the move. He is having a strong camp, had productive seasons in 2023 and 2024, and is entering his final season under contract. The Packers could move him to improve a position of weakness, such as tight end, or add another draft pick to their 2027 war chest.

Campbell, Stackhouse and Crumedy have all had good training camps. Campbell had a punishing sack and a team-high four pressures against the Broncos. Crumedy had a big-time pressure on a fourth-down incompletion. Stackhouse would add more beef at nose tackle. They’re all worthy of being on a 53-man roster.

The alternative is keeping seven. The Packers kept six in the old 4-3 scheme, which placed two defensive tackles on the field. In the 3-4, they’ll use three sometimes, so maybe that will sway the numbers.

Linebackers (5)

Today’s roster: Edgerrin Cooper, Zaire Franklin, Isaiah McDuffie, Ty’Ron Hopper, Nick Niemann, Kristian Welch, TJ Quinn.

Week 1 projection: Cooper, Franklin, McDuffie, Hopper, Niemann.

What changed?: Nothing.

Roster bubble: Really nobody, though Welch against Denver showed once again why he’s a professional special-teams player. He had two tackles and the key block on Pierre Strong’s long kickoff return.

Cornerbacks (5)

Today’s roster: Brandon Cisse, Keisean Nixon, Benjamin St-Juste, Carrington Valentine, Kamal Hadden, Jaylin Simpson, Domani Jackson, Shemar Bartholomew, MJ Devonshire.

Week 1 projection: Cisse, Nixon, St-Juste, Hadden, Jackson.

Trade: Valentine.

What changed?: The subject of the trade, with Nixon staying (and starting) and Valentine going. With 30 starts in three seasons, Valentine should be able to help a cornerback-needy team while giving the Packers an asset in return. Plus, Simpson winds up being one of the last players cut as we go from six corners to five.

Roster bubble: The decision to release Simpson had nothing to do with Simpson and everything to do with Hadden, who was really good against Denver, and the developmental upside of Jackson, a sixth-round pick.

The Packers know Hadden can play cornerback; now, they know he can contribute in the slot, where the Packers need a backup with better coverage skills than big, physical Kitan Oladapo. In his first game since last year’s injury against Baltimore, Hadden played fast and fearless with two completions allowed for 4 yards and two tackles for losses.

Safeties (5)

Green Bay Packers safety Mark Perry (41) reacts with teammates after his interception at Denver. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Today’s roster: Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, Javon Bullard, Kitan Oladapo, Mark Perry, Murvin Kenion III, Trey Dean III, Tra Fluellen.

Week 1 projection: McKinney, Williams, Bullard, Oladapo and Perry.

What changed?: Nothing.

Roster bubble: Perry’s interception might be the big play needed to decide the battle between Perry and Kenion.

Specialists (3)

Today’s roster: K Trey Smack, P Daniel Whelan, LS Matt Orzech, LS Cal Adomitis.

Week 1 projection: Smack, Whelan, Orzech.

What changed?: Nothing.

Roster bubble: It’s not often you can say the roster decision at long snapper is intriguing, but here we are. Last week, coach Matt LaFleur seemed to signal that Orzech will be the snapper.

“Cal’s done a heck of a job just going in there, and he’s played a lot of ball. But I think we know what Matt brings to the table, as well,” LaFleur said.

However, why throw anything resembling ice water at Smack’s hot streak?

From last night's Packers preseason victory, @JacobWestendorf has his winners and losers. ⬇️https://t.co/NPu5mbt8t0
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 22, 2026

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