Ranking Five Potentially Fatal Packers Roster Holes With OTAs Underway

The 90-man roster the Green Bay Packers took onto the field for the start of OTAs this week will largely be the roster they take onto the field for the start of training camp in less than two months.

That doesn’t mean the roster is set in stone. Just before the start of minicamp in 2021, they signed linebacker De’Vondre Campbell, who had an All-Pro debut season. Last year, of course, general manager Brian Gutekunst traded for Darian Kinnard and Micah Parsons in late August.

Those roster moves addressed key needs. This roster has key needs, too. Here’s our ranking of the five positions that could use either significant growth from within or a big addition.

No. 5: Offensive Tackle

The Packers should be fine with their starting offensive tackles. Perhaps more than fine, though that requires some projection with Jordan Morgan stepping in at left tackle and Zach Tom returning at right tackle after playing only 57.6 percent of the offensive snaps last season.

The depth is precarious, though that’s a statement that can be used for most teams at a position group that always has more demand than supply. With Kinnard, the Packers have at least a competent backup for Tom. But what happens if Morgan is out? The No. 2 left tackle at OTAs was Brant Banks, an undrafted free agent last year.

No. 4: Receiver

Clearly, the Packers aren’t worried about their receiver depth chart. Otherwise, Gutekunst wouldn’t have traded Dontayvion Wicks to the rival Eagles for a sixth-round pick.

Without Wicks and Romeo Doubs, the Packers have a starting trio of Christian Watson, Jayden Reed and Matthew Golden. Combined, if you cherry pick the best seasons from those three, you get a combined 134 receptions for 1,838 yards and 15 touchdowns. Last season, the Rams’ Puka Nacua had 129 catches, the Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba had 1,793 yards and the Rams’ Davante Adams had 14 touchdowns.

A sure-handed 87? Here’s rookie J. Michael Sturdivant. pic.twitter.com/RpNgSF3PnC
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) May 27, 2026

With added opportunities for all three, better health for Reed and more seasoning for Golden, that could be a good group. But what happens if one of them were to go down with an injury? That’s arguably a likelihood, at least according to their histories.

Watson has missed 20 games in four seasons and never surpassed 620 yards. Reed missed only one game his first two seasons but has never played more than 63 percent of the snaps. Golden missed three games last year as a rookie, when he didn’t find the end zone until the playoffs.

The depth consists of Savion Williams, who caught 10 passes as a rookie, Skyy Moore, who caught five passes the last two seasons, Bo Melton, who caught 28 passes in four seasons, and a bunch of undrafted players.

Having dealt Wicks to put himself in his potential predicament, Gutekunst is gambling on improvement from within rather than taking a shot on a veteran like Stefon Diggs.

No. 3: Tight End

The Packers have needed a blocking tight end since John FitzPatrick tore his Achilles in Week 16 at Chicago. They still need a blocking tight end, with FitzPatrick rehabbing following surgery and unsigned.

Tucker Kraft is an excellent blocker but, even if he returns for Week 1, the team would be wise to limit his workload. As it stands, who’s going to provide that key block on third-and-1? Luke Musgrave?

No. 2: Edge Rusher

Green Bay Packers defensive end Barryn Sorrell (99) celebrates after tackliing Minnesota Vikings running back Ty Chandler. | Dan Powers / USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin. / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Green Bay’s edge players to start the season are expected to be Lukas Van Ness, Barryn Sorrell, Dani Dennis-Sutton, Brenton Cox and Collin Oliver. Combined, those players have 15.5 sacks. For their careers. Last year, they had 4.0 sacks.

That’s potentially an enormous problem. Even bad NFL quarterbacks are good enough to pick apart defenses when given time to survey the field without the worry of getting blasted into the next county.

Green Bay’s first four games will be against the Vikings, Jets, Falcons and Buccaneers. From a clean pocket last season, according to Pro Football Focus, Minnesota’s Kyler Murray completed 74.1 percent of his passes with a 106.5 passer rating, New York’s Geno Smith completed 77.1 percent of his passes with a 109.2 passer rating, Miami’s Tua Tagovailoa completed 75.2 percent of his passes with a 98.7 passer rating and Tampa Bay’s Baker Mayfield completed 73.7 percent of his passes with a 110.9 passer rating.

It will be up to the young pass rushers to develop over the next three months. Otherwise, it might be up to Gutekunst to find a veteran so the team doesn’t fall into too deep of a hole before Parsons’ return.

“I think there’s always opportunities to add but everything’s just got to line up right,” coach Matt LaFleur said at OTAs on Wednesday. “Those guys are working hard. Again, we’re early on in the process, but I like what I’ve seen from some of the guys.”

No. 1: Running Back

We have written about this again and again and again and again and again and again.

The Packers’ depth chart at running back was concerning even before the arrest of Josh Jacobs. Other than Jacobs, Chris Brooks is the only player in the running back room who played in an NFL game last season.

Here’s a little of MarShawn Lloyd going through drills. pic.twitter.com/qVpFAPbhL4
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) May 27, 2026

“I like the guys that we have, but certainly you can never have enough, that’s for sure,” LaFleur said.

In light of what did or didn’t happen last weekend, it might sound crass to be concerned about the depth chart. However, it’s Gutekunst’s job to make decisions that are good for the football team. By now, he’s probably capable of at least making a reasonable guess on whether or not Jacobs will be punished. Even if Jacobs is cleared, the Packers are one twisted knee from not having a single established runner on the roster.

The Bottom Line

When at full strength, the Packers are really good. Last year, they were 9-3-1 before the season took an irreversible turn when Parsons and Tom sustained season-ending injuries at Denver.

However, these Packers aren’t at full strength.

There might not be a single established running back. There is a lack of depth at receiver. The only good tight end is coming off a torn ACL. There’s a new starting left tackle on offense. The pass rush might not be good enough to help the cornerbacks.

It’s obviously not time to even reach for the panic button, let alone hit it. Who knows what will happen between now and the end of the preseason. Unexpected standouts will emerge, like happens practically every year. At some of the positions with questions, the team might wind up being stronger than a year ago.

Gutekunst has shown a willingness to act aggressively to strengthen the roster. Whatever moves he makes in June, July or August could go a long way toward determining whether the team is playing in February.

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