It’s only football that counts from here on out.
The Green Bay Packers wrapped up their preseason with a 30-7 win over the Baltimore Ravens. Green Bay had some standout players on both sides of the ball who may have earned themselves spots on the 53-man roster.
I’m not Brian Gutekunst, but I’ll be trying to guess who he’ll keep in his initial 53-man roster come Tuesday at 3 p.m. central time. The Packers have to go from a 90-man training camp roster to a 53-man team, so Green Bay will let many talented players go before the deadline on Tuesday.
Quarterback (2):
Neither Clifford nor Pratt showed enough to beat out the other by a significant margin. In a perfect world, the Packers would hold on to three quarterbacks because continuing to develop Clifford and Pratt on the 53 would be ideal; Pratt showed more potential, but Clifford has more experience. Ultimately, Pratt has the edge with his athleticism and playmaking over Clifford, and the Packers will go with the rookie.
Running Back (4):
Josh Jacobs, A.J. Dillon, Marshawn Lloyd, Emanuel Wilson
Wilson will make this roster. He was a beast all preseason for Green Bay and has earned a spot on the 53. For some reason, the Packers want to keep Dillon around, despite the fact that he doesn’t bring any value they don’t get from Wilson or Jacobs. There’s also a chance that Dillon or Lloyd will start the year on the injured list.
Wide Receiver (6):
Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Bo Melton, Grant DuBose
The first four are locks. Melton was kind of disappointing this preseason, but the Packers will give him the benefit of the doubt because of his performance last season.
I think the Packers will opt for six receiver slots on the roster, and with DuBose making a ton of plays in training camp and preseason games, I’ll opt for him over Malik Heath.
Tight Ends (4):
Luke Musgrave, Tucker Kraft, Ben Sims, Tyler Davis
There’s not much to say here with the tight ends. We knew it would be these four guys pretty much from the start of the offseason. Joel Wilson was a fun rookie who made some plays this preseason. He should be a practice squad lock, but he was not enough to unseat one of the incumbents for a spot on the roster. Kraft is healthy again, and all four tight ends look ready to rock.
Offensive Lineman (8):
Rasheed Walker, Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Jordan Morgan, Zach Tom, Sean Rhyan, Andre Dillard, Jacob Monk
The top eight are roster locks. The Packers have a ton of versatility, and rookie fifth-rounder Monk got some first-team reps. Morgan and Monk can cover all the backup spots, and Dillard was great at left tackle in the preseason. The Packers have significant depth.
I don’t believe Kadeem Telfort, Caleb Jones, or sixth-round draft pick Travis Glover proved enough to make this team. Royce Newman also proved that he does not belong on the roster. The Packers will be good with eight, and having Glover and Telfort stashed on the practice squad will be a nice tertiary benefit.
Defensive Tackles (5):
Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, T.J. Slaton, Karl Brooks, Colby Wooden
No real shocks here. The Packers have a solid, experienced group that will adjust well to a new system. No other interior linemen showed up in the preseason. Brooks looked like a beast again, and we also saw some growth from Wooden. The defensive tackles will be a fun group, with Wyatt and Clark unleashed as pass rushers in the new scheme.
Defensive Ends (5):
Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, Kingsley Enagbare, Lukas Van Ness, Arron Mosby
The Packers have a tough choice here. I’d love to say they keep Brenton Cox Jr., but Mosby was so good in the preseason that I think it’s hard to ignore. Cox may be able to get through waivers and be a key contributor. It’s hard to imagine the Packers keeping six defensive ends. The top four are a lock and will get most of the playing time, but solid developmental depth is always valuable.
Linebackers (6):
Quay Walker, Isaiah McDuffie, Eric Wilson, Edgerrin Cooper, Kristian Welch, Ty’Ron Hopper
The Packers have a solid group of guys here. Quay Walker is the leader, and rookie Cooper should get some reps. However, he’s been unable to secure a starting spot next to Walker with his injury. For now, McDuffie is the starter and has improved every year he’s been in the league. Welch was a stud in the preseason along with Wilson, and he can provide some solid special teams depth. Rookie Hopper was flying around in the preseason, and some development on the 53 will do wonders for him.
Cornerbacks (5):
Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine, Corey Ballentine
The cornerbacks are another position group with little change for the Packers. All of these guys have experience, and the staff trusts them. Robert Rochell and Kalen King were solid in the preseason, but Rochelle and King will probably be able to clear waivers and be vital practice squad players.
Safety (5):
Xavier McKinney, Javon Bullard, Evan Williams, Anthony Johnson Jr., Kitan Oladapo
Three rookies and one second-year player accompany the stud free-agent signing in McKinney. There’s a lot of inexperience in this group behind McKinney, but one thing is certain: These boys like to hit.
Bullard, Williams, Johnson Jr., and Oladapo had their moments in the preseason laying the lumber on opposing players. While this is a drastic turnover at the position, safety will be one of Green Bay’s strengths this season.
Specialists (3):
Anders Carlson (kicker), Daniel Whelan (punter), Matt Orzech (long snapper)
Carlson has not been better than he was last season. However, he’s still the incumbent, and Greg Joseph didn’t beat him out this preseason and in training camp. It’s not ideal to have Carlson again, but the Packers believe in him. We’ll see how much longer that faith lasts.
There were some tough cuts for Green Bay, but this is a very talented roster with elite playmakers at every level of the defense and offense. The Packers will have to put some talent on waivers and risk losing them, but that’s often the cost for contending teams.
All stats and data via ESPN and Green Bay Packers unless otherwise noted.
