Where Are Packers Better, Worse Compared to Last Season?

There might be a transaction or two before the first practice of Green Bay Packers training camp on July 29, but the roster that was on the field for last week’s minicamp will be the roster fighting for roster spots.

So, with free agency and the draft in the rear-view mirror and camp on the horizon, here’s a position-by-position look at where the Packers are stronger and weaker.

Quarterbacks

Jordan Love is back for Year 4 as the starter. He’s gotten better with each season so, presumably, will be better this season, too.

However, replacing electric backup Malik Willis was impossible, though Tyrod Taylor is a pretty decent fallback plan. His experience should be an asset if pressed into duty. But Willis proved he could come off the bench and win games – an incredibly rare trait for a backup. Of the 115 individual seasons in which a quarterback threw at least 35 passes and started at least one game the past two seasons, Willis ranked No. 1 in passer rating in 2025 and No. 2 in 2024.

Better or worse?: Worse (if disaster strikes).

Running Backs

For the sake of this story, we will assume Josh Jacobs will be on the field for Week 1 and any potential punishment will come in 2027.

The Packers in 2025 had a three-man depth chart of Jacobs, steady Emanuel Wilson and role player Chris Brooks. The Packers in 2026 have a three-man depth chart of Jacobs, who’s a year older, Brooks, who’s never had to carry the load, and MarShawn Lloyd, who’s been unable to stay healthy.

Better or worse?: Worse (with Lloyd the obvious X-factor).

Receivers

The Packers will roll with a slimmed-down receiver corps. After jettisoning Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks, Green Bay will count on Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden, Savion Williams and perhaps Bo Melton and Skyy Moore.

In no world are Melton and Moore better than Doubs and Wicks, though a Year 2 jump by Golden would offset some of the disparity. And for all the feel-good talk about how the less-is-more approach will mean more defined roles and more consistency in the passing game, it’s also possible the Packers are one injury away from having to start Williams, whose 10 receptions last season included seven caught behind the line of scrimmage, or Melton, who had four catches and two drops last year.

Better or worse?: Worse (and perhaps by quite a bit if receivers with injury histories wind up injured).

Tight Ends

Tucker Kraft expects to be on the field for Week 1, but will that be the Kraft who dominated a primetime showdown at Pittsburgh the week before sustaining a torn ACL against Carolina? Kraft made clear where he stands.

“I’m not really buying into the people coming back off an injury and aren’t the same,” Kraft said during minicamp. “If you’re not coming back off your injury the same, then what are you doing? What were you doing your entire rehab? Some people might not be the same but they don’t speak for me.”

Josh Whyle should be better with a full offseason in the system, but the Packers have been unable to replace the physicality of John FitzPatrick.

Better or worse?: Worse (though not by much).

Offensive Line

Gone are Elgton Jenkins and Rasheed Walker. In is Jager Burton.

From the totality of the depth chart that’s on paper, Green Bay is clearly worse on the offensive line. The Packers are counting on reality on the grass to render a different verdict.

Will 2024 first-round pick Jordan Morgan be an upgrade over Walker at left tackle? At left guard, will Aaron Banks stay healthy and play to his colossal paycheck? At center, will Sean Rhyan use his seven starts in place of Jenkins as a springboard to consistently strong play? Similarly, will 2025 second-round pick Anthony Belton be better after being thrown into the fire at right guard down the stretch? Will right tackle Zach Tom stay healthy and return to premier form? Can Burton provide instantly strong depth?

That’s a lot of unknowns, but none require tremendous leaps of faith.

Better or worse?: Better (maybe).

Defensive Tackles

Minnesota Vikings quarterback J.J. McCarthy (9) is sacked by. Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt. | Kayla Wolf-Imagn Images

The Packers are betting a lot on the old guy, Javon Hargrave, who was signed after they traded Colby Wooden, and the young guy, Chris McClellan, a third-round pick.

Wooden was the team’s best run-stopping defensive tackle, though that’s sort of like picking the tallest jockey at Churchill Downs. The 33-year-old Hargrave had 3.5 sacks last season for the Vikings. Expecting him to get close to the 11 sacks he had with the Eagles and alongside Jonathan Gannon in 2022 would be pure folly. But can he get close to the seven sacks he had with the 49ers in 2023 and be an impact player alongside Devonte Wyatt?

Better or worse?: Better (perhaps significantly if McClellan emerges as a solid player).

Edge

Micah Parsons is coming off a torn ACL and will miss the start of the season – probably the first four games, if not more. Rashan Gary was traded to the Cowboys. Kingsley Enagbare signed with the Jets. They finished first, second and third on the team in pressures last season.

Sure, Gary disappeared after a red-hot start to last season and his motor ran out of gas. And, obviously, Enagbare was a quality role player and nothing more. Still, the lack of a pass rush could crush the team before Parsons returns. Lukas Van Ness’s best production in three seasons was his four sacks as a rookie in 2023; Gary had nine sacks in 2023, 7.5 in 2024 and 7.5 in 2025. Enagbare and Van Ness each had 8.5 sacks the last three seasons.

The Packers will be hoping Van Ness finally plays to his first-round potential, Barryn Sorrell and Collin Oliver take Year 2 jumps, Oliver and Brenton Cox stay healthy, and Dani Dennis-Sutton to emerge as a rookie. Oh, and they’ll be hoping for Parsons to return to vintage form as soon as possible. That’s a lot of hoping.

Better or worse?: Worse (and perhaps by an impossible-to-overcome margin until Parsons returns).

Linebackers

The Packers let 26-year-old Quay Walker sign with the Raiders in free agency and acquired soon-to-be 30-year-old Zaire Franklin in a trade with the Colts. The forever-young Packers intentionally going older? That’s practically a first under general manager Brian Gutekunst.

Franklin was second-team All-Pro in 2024, when he led the NFL with 173 tackles and added 11 tackles for losses, five forced fumbles and two interceptions. He fell back to 125 tackles, seven tackles for losses, one forced fumble and zero interceptions in 2025.

That’s quite the downturn, but it is on par with Walker’s 128 tackles, eight tackles for losses, zero forced fumbles and zero interceptions in 2025. Walker the last three seasons had one interception (the 2023 opener) and zero forced fumbles.

The experience of Franklin could help Jonathan Gannon unleash Edgerrin Cooper.

Better or worse?: Better (because of Franklin’s history of forcing turnovers).

Cornerbacks

Brandon Cisse pic.twitter.com/sJJORzYWHs
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) June 10, 2026

The Packers retooled the cornerback room this offseason by dumping Nate Hobbs, signing Benjamin St-Juste and drafting Brandon Cisse in the second round and Domani Jackson in the sixth round.

Will it be new and improved, though? With St-Juste and Jackson sitting out the offseason practices due to injuries and Cisse being eased into things, returning starters Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine took almost all of the first-team snaps. The competition will heat up in training camp.

For the good of the defense, at least one of the newcomers must emerge as an above-average starter because there might not be a lot of help from the pass rush until Parsons returns.

Better or worse?: Better (but will the starters be better?).

Safeties

The middle of the secondary is in good hands. Starters Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams and Javon Bullard are back for their third year together. McKinney is one of the best in the business and Williams and Bullard took solid Year 2 jumps.

The only significant change on the roster is Zayne Anderson joining Jeff Hafley’s Dolphins in free agency. He’ll be a loss from a depth and special-teams perspective.

Better or worse?: Better (assuming continued growth from third-year players Williams, Bullard and Kitan Oladapo).

Special Teams

There were three big changes this offseason. First, the Packers signed Skyy Moore in free agency. He was one of just a few returners last season who ranked in the top 10 in kickoff- and punt-return averages. He was a big reason why the Niners’ special teams went from weakness to strength.

Second and third, the Packers drafted Trey Smack and released Brandon McManus. After the playoff debacle, a change had to be made at kicker. We’ll see if the gamble on Smack will pay off. The early returns aren’t encouraging but, well, it’s early.

Better or worse?: Worse (but, to repeat myself, it’s early).

Every year, I rank every player on the Packers roster based on talent, importance, salary etc. I will again this year, too.

For now, let's cut right to the chase. Here is a quick-hitting look at the 2⃣5⃣ most important players for the 2026 season.⬇️https://t.co/ezDAkl7vmd
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) June 17, 2026

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