The last time we did a 53-man roster projection was after the 2025 NFL Draft, before we ever saw any of the newest Green Bay Packers go through a full practice with the team. Since the news from voluntary workouts, minicamp and a week of training camp, though, we have a much better feel for how this roster is going to shake out.
With all that being said, let’s take a crack at another 53-man roster projection after this new information. We’ll go through who we think will make the team and which players
fell just short of the right side of the roster bubble. Feel free to yell at me in the comment section for leaving off your camp crush.
Quarterbacks (2)
- Jordan Love
- Malik Willis
The Packers return both quarterbacks who earned the team wins last season, so there’s not much drama here. Honestly, the bigger competition is who will be Green Bay’s third quarterback, likely a practice squadder, between Sean Clifford and Taylor Elgersma, not Clifford pushing Malik Willis for the backup job behind Jordan Love.
Running Backs (4)
- Josh Jacobs
- Emanuel Wilson
- MarShawn Lloyd
- Chris Brooks
There’s easily a world where the Packers only end up keeping three running backs here, but I’m going to give Green Bay four because they’ve kept four in the past, and they return four players at the position who have previously made the 53-man roster. What makes it tough for the Packers to only roll with just Josh Jacobs and Emanuel Wilson, their top two backs from last season, along with 2024 third-rounder MarShawn Lloyd is the fact that Lloyd continues to get banged up. At the moment, he’s missing time with a non-contact groin injury after battling through appendicitis and three injuries (hip, hamstring and ankle) as a rookie. The longer Lloyd stays off the field, the more opportunity Chris Brooks, who has developed into a solid blocking back, has to make the team.
Receivers (6)
- Jayden Reed
- Romeo Doubs
- Dontayvion Wicks
- Matthew Golden (rookie, 1st)
- Savion Williams (rookie, 3rd)
- Mecole Hardman (FA, 2025)
This one is pretty simple to me. In no way are the Packers going to cut any of Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs or Dontayvion Wicks, three young contributors on cheap deals. The same is true about rookies Matthew Golden and Savion Williams, two top-100 rookies. The only question here is whether or not Mecole Hardman will win the punt return job, which is probably the condition he needs to hit to earn a roster spot. Hardman was previously a Pro Bowl punt returner, so he’s certainly the favorite for that job. It’s also worth noting here that Christian Watson will probably begin the season on the physically unable to perform list, as the staff has said that they don’t plan on him practicing in training camp. Bo Melton has also now fully converted to the cornerback position. Both could see in-season snaps at receiver for the Packers, but these are the six players that I think will make the team as true receivers for Week 1.
Tight Ends (4)
- Tucker Kraft
- Luke Musgrave
- John FitzPatrick
- Ben Sims
Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave are roster locks, but there should be some debate on whether John FitzPatrick, a 2024 mid-season practice squad poach for the Packers, or Ben Sims, a waiver wire pick-up from 2023, will be the team’s third-most-played tight end. Last year, Sims filled that role until the end of the season, when FitzPatrick began to pick up more snaps. In free agency this year, the Packers handed FitzPatrick a $1.5 million one-year deal that featured a $125,000 signing bonus. Ultimately, I think the team keeps four tight ends because of the impact the position has on special teams, but it’s not 100 percent clear which player would end up getting cut if the Packers only roster three at the position.
Offensive Linemen (9)
- LT Rasheed Walker
- LG Aaron Banks (FA)
- C Elgton Jenkins
- RG Sean Rhyan
- RT Zach Tom
- Jordan Morgan
- Jacob Monk
- Travis Glover
- Anthony Belton (rookie, 2nd)
If you’ve been following training camp, the Packers have been giving Rasheed Walker left tackle reps, Aaron Banks left guard reps, Elgton Jenkins center reps and Zach Tom right tackle reps when they’ve been healthy. This means that Sean Rhyan, Jordan Morgan and Jacob Monk are probably battling for one starting job at right guard, despite Green Bay previously saying that Morgan is in an “open competition” with Walker for the left tackle gig. When the Packers have been forced to dig into their eighth preferred offensive lineman this offseason, the man who has gotten the opportunity is Travis Glover. Anthony Belton, a second-round rookie, is not going to get cut, and it’s not a surprise that the team is basically taking a redshirt approach with him, common for how the team has treated its non-Matthew Golden rookies so far this summer.
Defensive Ends (5)
- Rashan Gary
- Lukas Van Ness
- Brenton Cox Jr.
- Barryn Sorrell (rookie, 4th)
- Collin Oliver (rookie, 5th)
Even with five defensive ends making this team, two players who have previously made the Packers’ 53-man roster are cut in this scenario. We’ll talk about those players later, but it’s worth mentioning here that Lukas Van Ness is getting most of the “starting” looks opposite of Rashan Gary in camp so far, and the coaching staff continues to talk about Brenton Cox Jr.’s ability. There may only be room for one veteran backup at this position, which will make the competition intense as we approach cutdowns.
Defensive Tackles (5)
- Kenny Clark
- Devonte Wyatt
- Karl Brooks
- Colby Wooden
- Nazir Stackhouse (rookie, undrafted)
The plan right now is for the Packers to start Kenny Clark at his ideal position of nose tackle, allowing Devonte Wyatt to become a full-time starter at three-technique for the first time in his NFL career. Behind them, though, the two veterans that the team is returning are both undersized in Karl Books (296 pounds) and Colby Wooden (273 pounds). With T.J. Slaton now a Cincinnati Bengal, Green Bay needs to find a backup nose tackle behind Clark, and they need to do it quickly. Luckily for them, undrafted rookie Nazir Stackhouse out of Georgia has been performing well since the shoulder pads have come on. If you’re betting on any undrafted rookie to keep the Packers’ 2005-2024 streak alive, he’s the favorite.
Linebackers (5)
- Quay Walker
- Edgerrin Cooper
- Isaiah McDuffie
- Isaiah Simmons (FA)
- Ty’Ron Hopper
The expected starters in two-linebacker sets right now are Quay Walker and Edgerrin Cooper for the Packers. In three-linebacker looks, the extra player will probably be Isaiah McDuffie, though free-agent signing Isaiah Simmons has been making some plays in camp, at least enough to earn more opportunities than 2024 third-round pick Ty’Ron Hopper. With the potential of pass-rusher Collin Oliver to play off-ball linebacker, Green Bay probably can’t justify keeping six players at true linebacker on its roster. This one seems just about settled, unless there’s an injury or a big momentum swing in the preseason.
Cornerbacks (5)
- Keisean Nixon
- Nate Hobbs (FA)
- Carrington Valentine
- Bo Melton
- Gregory Junior (FA)
Keisean Nixon, Nate Hobbs and Carrington Valentine appear to be the Packers’ top three preferred cornerbacks, and the staff seems very excited about the potential of Bo Melton at cornerback, even if he ends up playing some snaps at receiver, too. That fifth cornerback spot is absolutely up for grabs right now, though, and my guess at Gregory Junior is an absolute shot in the dark. Junior is an experienced special teams player, which is why I picked him to make this team. The Packers need to replace the special teams snaps that cornerback Corey Ballentine and Robert Rochell, two players who recorded more special teams reps in 2024 than kicker Brandon McManus, this year. If you asked me to set odds on which player on this 53-man exercise is most likely to not make the team, though, my answer would also be Junior. You might as well think of Junior’s spot as “To Be Announced,” because there’s still far too much camp for me to have any confidence about the final cornerback to make the team. Heck, the Packers might even keep six at the position.
Safeties (5)
- Xavier McKinney
- Evan Williams
- Javon Bullard
- Zayne Anderson
- Kitan Oladapo
All five of these players made last year’s team. Special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia loves to play safeties in his unit, as he uses fewer receivers in non-returner roles than we’ve seen in Green Bay in the past. There’s a chance that Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams and Javon Bullard are all starters in the team’s nickel sets on defense, with Bullard playing in the slot. Zayne Anderson is a core special teamer who serves as the personal protector on the punt team, among other jobs, while Kitan Oladapo looked solid on both “we-fense” and in spot duty on defense last year as a rookie.
Kicker (1)
- Brandon McManus
Punter (1)
- Daniel Whelan
Long Snapper (1)
- Matt Orzech
I’m going to talk about all the specialists at one here: There’s only one player per position in camp. Well, at least that is true until Irish kicker Mark McNamee, the Packers’ international exemption, gets his visa situation sorted out. You can pretty much write these players in ink, unless Green Bay wants to do some 53-man roster manipulation by letting long snapper Matt Orzech walk at cutdowns so they have space to add someone on the waiver wire before signing him again before they actually play a regular season game. They’ve done that in the past.
Physically Unable to Perform (1)
- WR Christian Watson
As I mentioned before, Watson is not expected to practice with the team in training camp, which means that he would not count against the 53-man roster if he’s still on the physically unable to perform list to start the season. The former second-round pick is coming off an ACL tear, but is already running around. Positive news, but not so positive that there’s a belief that he’ll be ready for NFL football by Week 1.
Notable Cuts
- WR Malik Heath
- OL Kadeem Telfort
- OL John Williams (rookie, 7th)
- DE Kingsley Enagbare
- DE Arron Mosby
- DT Will Brinson (rookie, 6th)
- LB Kristian Welch (FA)
- LB Jamon Johnson (rookie, undrafted)
- CB Kalen King
- CB Kamal Hadden
- CB Micah Robinson (rookie, 7th)
The players above are the Packers who didn’t make this roster projection but have either previously made the 53-man roster, were notable free-agent signings this offseason or are rookie draft picks. As you can see, it gets really competitive on the defensive side of the ball at pretty much every unit.
Melton and Malik Heath could have been the odd receivers out this summer after the team made two top-100 selections, returned three 53-man roster players (not including Watson) and signed Hardman. Unfortunately for Heath, though, he doesn’t have the skill set to translate to cornerback, unlike Melton.
On the offensive line, Kadeem Telfort not getting snaps over Glover is probably what’s going to keep him from making this team. The Packers really only have room to keep nine offensive linemen, unless they go light on offensive skill players. That final spot will probably come down to Glover, Telfort or rookie draft pick John Williams, who is dealing with a back issue that is considered to be a multi-week injury. At this point, the information seems to favor Glover getting that job.
At defensive end, Kinglsey Enagbare, Arron Mosby and Cox are fighting for what will probably be the only veteran backup job on the team. Right now, I’m going to lean Cox in that situation, based on how the staff has talked about the room. The fact that both Van Ness and Cox have jumped over Enagbare on the depth chart this offseason, especially after Enagbare was the team’s starting defensive end after Preston Smith was traded mid-season last year, does not bode well for him. Mosby, at least, is a defensive end who is a very significant contributor on special teams for the position.
It’s gonna be tough for both Georgia defensive tackles to make the team. As long as Stackhouse, the Packers’ highest-paid undrafted rookie, is making plays, it’ll be harder for Warren Brinson to earn a spot on the roster. That’s why I have the undrafted rookie over the draft pick right now. The preseason will be very important for this head-to-head.
Kristian Welch has been a special teams contributor in the NFL and had a good preseason with the Packers in 2024 before the linebacker was ultimately cut. Green Bay’s second-highest-paid undrafted rookie is Jamon Johnson, another linebacker, but as long as Simmons is in a position to make the team, it’s going to be difficult to justify the team keeping a sixth linebacker. And that’s before accounting for Oliver’s potential to play both end and linebacker.
Cornerback is a mess. Like I said earlier, anyone can be the fifth cornerback on this team, and it wouldn’t shock me. Beyond Junior, who I had making the 53, other candidates here include Kalen King, Kamal Hadden and Micah Robinson, who were all picked in the last two draft classes. By far, this is the most difficult roster spot to project on the entire team.
More from acmepackingcompany.com:
- Black and Blue News: This Week in the NFC North for July 6, 2014
- Cheese Curds: Green Bay Packers News and Links for July 7, 2014
- Packers 2013 Top Plays Recap: Top Ten Best Plays of the Year
- Packers Featured Heavily in NFL's Top 20 Games of 2013
- Packers' 2014 Roster Preview: Returning Quarterbacks
- Packers' 90-Man Roster Countdown: Players 5-1
