The Packers take the field in just three days. Yes its the preseason, no the results don’t matter and yes the games still can tell us a lot. What they mainly serve to do is help sort out the bottom of the roster. Which guys will make the team based on their ability to play special team. Does a player make such an impression that he locks up a practice squad spot?
All of that is to say that there is a lot that can happen in the next three games that can change how the roster looks week one. Lets ignore that for now though and make some predictions anyway.
Packers Offense
Quarterback:
- Jordan Love
- Malik Willis
No surprises here, Willis impressed in the majority of his time filling in for Love and the team seems unlikely to roster three QB.
Running Back:
- Josh Jacobs
- MarShawn Lloyd
- Emmanuel Wilson
Jacobs is obviously not going anywhere, and assuming Lloyd’s injury is short term the next spot goes to him. The final spot is between Wilson and Chris Brooks. Wilsons injury may very well end up giving the spot to Brooks, but I think there’s a chance they prefer Wilsons upside and he sticks around.
Wide Receiver:
- Romeo Doubs
- Jayden Reed
- Matthew Golden (R)
- Savion Williams (R)
- Mecole Hardman
- Dontayvion Wicks
The only real spot that feels up for competition here is the Hardman one, and even that almost feels locked up at this point. Hardman has experience that the others competing for that spot don’t and Green Bay likely wants him as a kick returner.
Offensive Line:
- Rasheed Walker
- Aaron Banks
- Elgton Jenkins
- Sean Rhyan
- Zach Tom
- Jordan Morgan
- Anthony Belton (R)
- Jacob Monk
- Donovan Jennings
While the actual starting line is still in flux, most of the spots seem spoken for outside of the ninth one. Donovan Jennings, Travis Glover and Kadeem Telfort are likely battling for that last spot. It wouldn’t surprise me if Glover ended up being the guy, but I have a hard time shaking the performance he and Telfort had filling in during the playoff game against Philly.
Tight End:
- Tucker Kraft
- Luke Musgrave
- Ben Sims
- John FitzPatrick
No drama here, Kraft and Musgrave are clear locks and nobody on the roster has shown anything to suggest they’ll bump either of the backups.
Packers Defense
Defensive Line:
- Rashan Gary
- Devonte Wyatt
- Kenny Clark
- Lukas Van Ness
- Karl Brooks
- Brenton Cox Jr
- Colby Wooden
- Barryn Sorrell (R)
- Collin Oliver (R)
- Nazir Stackhouse (R)
James Ester, Warren Brinson and Arron Mosby all have a shot, but Stackhouse has flashed in a big way as the kind if run stuffer that TJ Slaton was in years past, and Wooden has more experience than any of those three. It would not surprise me however if Brinson being a recent draft pick gets the nod over Wooden.
Linebacker:
- Edgerrin Cooper
- Quay Walker
- Isaiah McDuffie
- Isaiah Simmons
- Ty’Ron Hopper
Another group that feels already set, at this point I do expect Simmons to see more playing time than McDuffie. Hopper sticks as a ST player and Cooper and Walker are the two clear cut starters.
Cornerback:
- Carrington Valentine
- Nate Hobbs
- Keisean Nixon
- Kamal Hadden
- Bo Melton
- Kalen King
This is the hardest group to predict in my opinion. Valentine, Hobbs and Nixon are all locks, but you could tell me any of the three I have listed could be edged out by Micah Robinson or the newly (re)signed Corey Ballentine. Special teams is going to be a big tipping point for those spots and something to watch for in the preseason games.
Safety:
- Xavier McKinney
- Evan Williams
- Javon Bullard
- Zayne Anderson
- Omar Brown
The first four in this list are all locks barring injury. The last spot probably goes to Kitan Oladapo just because of the draft capital, but I’m too blinded by the Omar Brown family night experience to take him off the roster right now.
Special Teams:
- Brandon McManus
- Daniel Whelan
- Matt Orzech
No questions or drama here. Which is ideal.
The post The 53: A Too Early Prediction on the Packers Roster first appeared on PackersTalk.com Blog Posts and Podcasts.