When the Green Bay Packers officially released their 2023 initial 53-man roster, the biggest surprise was the inclusion of six edge defenders. Since the Packers promoted Brian Gutekunst to general manager in 2018, they have never kept more than five. And while it might be shocking at first glance, it makes total sense — for more than one reason. But the most important thing here is that Gutekunst is just trying to keep their best players. Ultimately, the positional numbers are not as important as the quality and long-term prospect of the players.
Quality
Why would a team that never carries more than five edge defenders suddenly keep six? Because, since Gutekunst took over, they had never had enough good players to keep. It’s that simple. In 2018 and 2019, there were only four players — and that’s with roster turnover from one year to the other. They added Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith early in free agency and drafted Rashan Gary in the first round. In the past two years, the Packers kept five edges.
- 2018 (4): Clay Matthews, Nick Perry, Reggie Gilbert, Kyler Fackrell
- 2019 (4): Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Kyler Fackrell, Rashan Gary
- 2020 (5): Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Rashan Gary, Jonathan Garvin, Randy Ramsey
- 2021 (5): Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Rashan Gary, Jonathan Garvin, Chauncey Rivers
- 2022 (5): Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, Jonathan Garvin, Tipa Galeai, Kingsley Enagbare
- 2023 (6): Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, Lukas Van Ness, Kingsley Enagbare, Justin Hollins, Brenton Cox
If you look at who those players were, though, it’s easy to understand why there was no surplus. In 2021, the 53-man roster had Jonathan Garvin and Chauncey Rivers. Last season, the initial team included Garvin and Tipa Galeai. It’s safe to say that all six edges the Packers have now are better than those guys, and it highlights how Green Bay has valued the position.
The Packers had three roster locks from the get-go. Former first-round pick Gary is a star and was in a Defensive Player of the Year candidate trajectory before suffering an ACL injury last season. Preston Smith signed a contract extension last year and restructured his deal in March. And Lukas Van Ness was the 13th-overall pick in this year’s draft. They were always part of the plan.
Moreover, last year’s fifth-rounder, Kingsley Enagbare, played well as a rookie and established himself as a useful rotational player during training camp. He was one of only two Packers players with PFF grades 70 or higher in each of the three preseason games, alongside quarterback Jordan Love.
If the plan was to keep five edges, the battle for the last spot was between Justin Hollins, added during last season after being cut by the Los Angeles Rams, and undrafted rookie Brenton Cox. The latter is a mid-round talent but struggled with off-the-field issues throughout his college career.
However, Hollins is a solid, veteran player ready to keep contributing now. Cox is a high-upside piece with a real chance of being an eventual starter or primary backup. Gutekunst decided there was no need to choose between them. Rather, it was a competition among them both and other positions across the roster. Thinking that way, the decision became easier.
Roster holes and rules
The 53-man roster had 11 offensive linemen and six edge defenders. However, Luke Tenuta is expected to go on injured reserve, opening space for the Packers to re-sign long snapper Matthew Orzech. With these numbers, it’s inevitable that other positions will be thin. As I wrote last week, there’s a scenario where the Packers could keep only four cornerbacks — which materialized on Tuesday.
Eric Stokes is out for at least four games. Therefore, Green Bay will only have Jaire Alexander, Rasul Douglas, Keisean Nixon, and Carrington Valentine on the active roster until he gets back.
Despite that, Brian Gutekunst can use the new practice squad rules to reinforce the game-day 48-man roster. Each week, the team can elevate up to two players from the practice squad for game day, and they revert back to the practice squad the following day without going through the waiver system. Each player can be elevated three times during the season.
Therefore, the Packers can load their practice squad with cornerbacks — Corey Ballentine, Shemar Jean-Charles, Kiondre Thomas, and William Hooper are options. Green Bay can alternate them, elevating one per game until Stokes is fully healthy.
The Packers will have 10 offensive linemen and six edge rushers on the 53-man roster. However, two of each position might be inactive for game days while stacked on the roster for the future.
Brian Gutekunst prioritized players who could be a part of the Packers for the present and the future, so keeping Brenton Cox was well aligned with that purpose. With so many good players and flexible roster rules, there was no reason not to think outside the numbers box.
