The Packers released their first unofficial depth chart ahead of their first pre-season game in Cincinnati on August 11, and it wasn’t without a few surprises.
For a quick look at the full breakdown on the roster:
Some things on the offensive side of the ball stick out immediately.
The Packers have Zach Tom as the starting right tackle over Yosh Nijman. That was a battle all camp, as Nijman also lined up at left tackle for David Bakhtiari. Green Bay’s offensive line has been in flux all offseason. Tom has taken reps at center, and Nijman has taken reps at right tackle. If Tom is indeed the starter, Nijman can serve as the incredibly valuable swing tackle. Josh Myers remains center for now.
They’ve also listed Sean Clifford as Jordan Love’s backup, giving a vote of confidence to their rookie from Penn State. They recently released Danny Etling, meaning Clifford and former XFL MVP Alex McGough will be competing to be QB2.
The Luke Musgrave hype is real. He was playing with the first team all training camp, and now he’s listed as the starting tight end. Musgrave is the only rookie on offense or defense to be in a starting role. The Packers listed fellow rookie tight end Tucker Kraft at TE3. Tyler Davis finds himself as TE2 because they’ve listed Josiah Deguara as the starting fullback.
While Jayden Reed may be getting all of the highlights on X/Twitter, Samori Toure is still listed as the starting slot receiver. Toure has received praise from the Packers staff all offseason. Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs are the starters, and that won’t be changing anytime soon. The biggest battle is between Toure and Reed for those starting snaps. As of now, it seems Bo Melton may have the inside track on that last receiver slot over Malik Heath — that is if the Packers elect to keep six wide receivers on the roster.
The defense is set up almost exactly as expected. There are not many surprises here.
Kenny Clark, T.J. Slaton, and Devonte Wyatt make up the three interior linemen, while Preston Smith and Rashan Gary occupy the edge positions. Both of Green Bay’s rookie interior linemen, Colby Wooden and Karl Brooks, are direct backups to Clark and Wyatt. They will see the field a fair amount as rookies.
Green Bay has listed Lukas Van Ness and Justin Hollins as the first two edge rushers behind Gary and Smith. That leaves Enagbare as the fifth rusher. Enagbare showed flashes of promise last year that he could develop into a valuable depth piece. Van Ness has just been that good so far in camp. He will force his way onto the field early and often.
While Tariq Carpenter had a great performance at family night, he is still listed as the third-string inside linebacker. While the former safety is making his way in the linebacker world, it will be an uphill battle to make the 53-man roster. This position group may be the easiest one to gauge. Quay Walker and De’Vondre Campell hold down the starting spots, with Isaiah McDuffie and Eric Wilson contributing on special teams. No surprises here.
With Eric Stokes still on the PUP list, it’s a battle between Corey Ballentine and Carrington Valentine for the role of premier depth corner. The starters are clear: Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas on the outside, and Keisean Nixon in the slot. Valentine has been incredibly impressive for a seventh-round rookie. He is forcing the Packers to keep him on the roster. When Stokes is activated, don’t expect Valentine to go anywhere. They’ve listed Innis Gaines, a safety, as the second-string nickel cornerback. Maybe a change of positioning to try and see if something else is possible, something similar to when JoNathan Garvin switched from edge to interior defensive line.
The two guys who’ve been doing it all camp are listed as the starters on the back end. Rudy Ford and Darnell Savage are the current starters, but it’s a fluid situation in the safety room. John Owens has taken reps as the starter early in the year, and Tarvarius Moore took starting reps as well. This position group will likely be in flux until a duo can establish themselves.
Nixon is listed as the starter for both kick and punt returns. That role may shrink as he becomes more involved in defense, but the Packers may have no choice with the way he gave the special teams a jolt last year. Rookie Jayden Reed backs him up in both spots. Rookie kicker Anders Carlson is the only one listed at his position; the Packers are instilling their trust into the young man, for better or worse.
While this is just the first unofficial roster breakdown, it gives fans a glimpse into the minds of the Packers coaches as kickoff for the 2023 season rapidly approaches.
