It’s one week before the Green Bay Packers decide which “Packers on the bubble” will be on the initial 53 man roster with the team. Those who miss the cut will be candidates for the 16 man practice squad and the remainder will be free to sign with other teams or even other football leagues. This time of the season provides the final source of pre-season content as writers and podcasters make their “initial 53 man roster predictions.” Although in a similar vein, this article will focus primarily on the “Packers on the bubble” of being at kickoff in Lambeau Field against the Detroit Lions.
Quarterback locks: Jordan Love, Malik Willis. Packers On the Bubble: Sean Clifford, Taylor Elgersma. The only question about the quarterback room is who will win the practice squad role for the team. Will Sean Clifford’s experience be seen as a bigger benefit or will Taylor Elgersma’s higher talent keep him around? Their individual performances on Saturday against the Seahawks will likely determine which player stays in Green and Gold.
Running back locks: Josh Jacobs, Marshawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks. Packers on the Bubble: Emmanuel Wilson. I chose Chris Brooks because of his fit in the offense as a running back that is good at catching and blocking. The question for Emmanuel Wilson is if his potential is enough to convince the Packers to keep 4 running backs, which they did not do last year but have done in the past. If not, his history of success during the past 2 seasons may make him a likely waiver target for other teams.
Wide receiver locks: Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Matthew Golden, Savion Williams. Packers the Bubble: Mecole Hardman, Malik Heath. I expect the Packers to start by keeping all of their draft picks from the last 3 years, leaving Mecole Hardman and Malik Heath to compete for a potential 7th wide receiver spot. Heath brings 2 seasons of experience with the Packers as a receiver with solid skills as an outside blocker. Hardman would likely earn his spot through his skill as a punt returner if it weren’t for the punt he muffed against the Jets in the Packers first preseason game.
Tight End Locks: Tucker Kraft, Luke Musgrave. Packers on the Bubble: Ben Sims, John FitzPatrick. Although the Packers typically keep 3 tight ends, they have kept 4 in the past. Either way, Ben Sims and John FitzPatrick need to convince the Packers they need to be on the team in September. Sims has limited offensive production, but has contributed much more on special teams. FitzPatrick, a midseason acquisition from last season, has more strength as a blocker on offense, and has even been showing upside as a pass catcher during training camp this year.
Offensive Line locks: Rasheed Walker, Aaron Banks, Elgton Jenkins, Sean Rhyan, Zach Tom, Jordan Morgan, Anthony Belton. Packers on the Bubble: Jacob Monk, Donovan Jennings, Kadeem Telfort, Tyler Cooper. This is a position where there are multiple spots available behind the Packers starters and top draft choices, but there is no clear leader for who will win these spots. Monk has some advantage due to his center/guard versatility, although he did struggle against the Jets at guard. For the others, it depends on how they perform in the remaining time in camp and against the Seahawks. The Packers’ seventh round pick, John Williams, also has a chance to earn a spot (likely with a physically unable to participate designation) even though he did not participate in training camp due to injury.
Defensive End locks: Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness, Brenton Cox Jr., Kingsley Enagbare, Barryn Sorrell, Collin Oliver. Packers on the Bubble: Aaron Mosby. If all of the above players listed were healthy, Aaron Mosby’s chance of making the initial roster would be a long shot. Fortunately for Mosby, Colin Oliver has missed all of camp with an injury and Barryn Sorrell left the Colts preseason game with a knee injury. If the Packers are concerned about depth with the two rookies out hurt, Mosby would be the most likely candidate of being on the field against the Lions in week 1. Of course, this could look completely different if the Packers trade for Micah Parsons.
Defensive tackle locks: Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, Colby Wooden, Karl Brooks, Brinson. Packers on the Bubble: Nazir Stackhouse. Fun fact: the Packers have kept an undrafted free agent rookie on the initial roster for the past 20 years. If that streak continues, I would bet my Cheesehead that the UDFA kept this year will be Nazir Stackhouse. He has impressed as a run-stopping nose tackle type defensive tackle. This would break from their usual practice of only carrying 6 defensive tackles.
Linebacker locks: Quay Walker, Edgerrin Cooper, Isaiah McDuffie, Tyron Hopper. Packers on the Bubble: Isaiah Simmons, Krisian Welch. Two players are competing for a special opportunity to play special teams. Simmons made a lot of noise as a linebacker in camp, but his performances in the two preseason games were disappointing. Welch, like most other players in the league, does not have the same athletic upside as Simmons but has played much better on defense. This decision will likely be made by Packers special teams coordinator, Rich Bisaccia, and if Simmons has caught his eye on special teams it may not matter how he looks in Jeff Hafley’s defense.
Cornerback locks: Kesian Nixon, Nate Hobs, Carrington Valentine. Packers on the Bubble: Kalen King, Kamal Hadden, Bo Melton. Like the offensive line, there are a few spots open for cornerbacks on this team but no clear front runner. Kalen King would probably have been a much higher pick than the 7th round in 2024 if his final year of college had not gone poorly, so his upside may make his case to stay with the Packers. Kamal Hadden was a higher pick than King which may help his case, but he got picked on by the Colts in the most recent preseason game. Bo Melton would be an interesting choice for backup corner as he has probably increased his chances of making the team by leaving the highly competitive wide receiver room to join with the cornerbacks.
Other positions like safety and specialists will likely stay the same as last year, other than Brandon McManus who joined the team in week 7 of the 2024 season.
This is an incomplete list of players who will be competing for their chance to wear the Green and Gold beyond Saturday’s final preseason game against the Seattle Seahawks. The on field performance of these players and others may lead to surprises as the Packers decide their roster one week from today.
The post Packers on the Bubble: Which players are being considered for the initial 53 man roster? first appeared on PackersTalk.com Blog Posts and Podcasts.