A week ago, ESPN dropped an article
ranking every team in the NFL based only on their players under the age of 25.I thought this was an interesting premise. What is the future, after all, if not your young players? These are the developmental core of the team, the guys you hope will go from good to great or great to legendary. And if you happen to have a young star, so much the better! Chances are he’ll be a big part of your team for years and years to come.
The Packers didn’t fare particularly well
in ESPN’s estimation; the Worldwide Leader thinks they have too many unproven names among their youngest players. I think that’s fair, but I think we should also take a deeper look at the under-25 cohort on the Packers and see what we’re really dealing with. Who’s good, who has work to do, and who actually needs to be good for the Packers to succeed this year?
Fringe players and practice squad hopefuls (unranked)
Brenden Rice
Will Sheppard
RJ Maryland
Marlon Jones
Jaden Nixon
Kyle McCord
Kyron Drones
Drake Dabney
Analysis: This group of guys represents the very bottom of the Packers’ roster. It’s certainly possible that some of them will stick around on the practice squad (Kyron Drones is all but a sure bet on that front) and a few may make appearances on the active roster, but I don’t think there’s anyone that looks like a sure bet to make the roster at this point. Let’s check back in a year from now and see if anybody’s jumped out of this tier.
25-19: Second year guys and quasi-vets that I’m not sure what to do with
25 – John Williams
24 – Nazir Stackhouse
23 – Johnathan Baldwin
22 – Damien Martinez
21 – Savion Williams
20 – Collin Oliver
19 – Warren Brinson
Analysis: You could call this group of players “the question marks” because I don’t know if anybody knows what they are now. Some missed time due to injury (John Williams and Collin Oliver, namely), but most are just mysterious.
A few of these players got significant burn last year. Nazir Stackhouse was probably overexposed, while Savion Williams, Jonathan Baldwin, and Warren Brinson got smaller looks, either due to injury or depth chart realities. But I don’t think any of those players showed us enough to really justify ranking higher than they do now. Brinson easily has the most potential of this group as of right now.
I’d also keep an eye on Damien Martinez. Running back is, to say the least, kind of in flux right now, and there are opportunities for rapid risers if they get a couple of breaks. Given his testing background, maybe Martinez could be the one.
18-14: Promising UDFAs
18 – Dylan Barrett
16/17 – Dillon Wade, Josh Gesky
15 – Nyjalik Kelly
14 – J. Michael Sturdivant
Analysis: I’m intrigued by these five UDFA signings, and I think based on potential I’d put them ahead of the second year guys for the simple fact that we don’t know their downsides yet. That’s the enjoyable mirage of potential!
In all serious, Sturdivant and Kelly should have a chance to make some noise early. Wide receivers always look good in shorts and helmets, and the depth chart is favorable to Kelly making a jump on the edge right now. Plus, Wade and Gesky are about as interesting as it gets from an interior offensive line perspective right now.
13: The kicker
13 – Trey Smack
Analysis: I can’t put Smack higher than this, but I can’t put him behind the undrafted free agents, second year mysteries, or the fringe players. So he gets his own tier. There’s not much to say other than that.
12-9: All of the other 2026 draft picks but one
12 – Domani Jackson
11 – Jager Burton
10 – Chris McClellan
9 – Dani Dennis-Sutton
Analysis: I find all the Packers’ non-kicker draft picks exciting or interesting in their own way, so let’s just go bottom to top here.
Domani Jackson was intriguing in small doses at Alabama, but never seemed to shake the injury bug. If he can get healthy in Green Bay (no small thing, to be sure), this could be late-round value on the order of Carrington Valentine.
Jager Burton already looks to be seeing some first team reps, and there’s always a need for offensive line depth. If the Packers nab another high-value lineman on the third day of the draft, the rest of the league will be punching air again.
Chris McClellan is a bit of a mystery prospect. He clearly has physical tools and he’ll get early chances at playing time. But what will his role be? He seems to have the versatility to do just about anything an interior defensive lineman would need to do, but defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon has to put him somewhere. Where will it be?
Dani Dennis-Sutton is just the second-most intriguing draft pick only because he probably won’t get the early chances Brandon Cisse does. Cisse has a clear path to a starting role, but DDS should top out as a rotational rusher, even with Micah Parsons out for the early portions of 2026.
8-7: Better than most of the rookies, but not top tier guys
8 – Carrington Valentine
7 – Barryn Sorrell
Analysis: This tier is exactly what the descriptor says. Valentin and Sorrell are both better than pretty much every other rookie or young player, but they’re just not in the top tier. And interestingly, they seem to be headed in different directions.
Valentine was once a great story as a rookie starter and has had his moments, but his star is fading. His limits (or unwillingness) as a tackler make him a liability in the run game and against shorter passes, and the Packers have made it clear they want more competition across from Keisean Nixon this year.
Sorrel, meanwhile, looks like he’ll be a solid rotational player. It’s just that even as he ascends, it doesn’t look like he’ll be someone the Packers are counting on to succeed this year.
6-1: Guys who really have to be good
6 – Brandon Cisse
5 – Jordan Morgan
4 – Javon Bullard
3 – Matthew Golden
2 – Evan Williams
1 – Edgerrin Cooper
Analysis: Outside of Brandon Cisse, there shouldn’t be any major quibbles here, in my opinion. These are clearly the best of the under-25 crew, and every one of them needs to be good in his own way or the Packers are going to be hurting.
Cisse needs to contribute at corner pretty much immediately. Morgan needs to hold down the left tackle spot. Bullard needs to build on last year’s slot success. Golden needs to take a big step forward. Evan Williams needs to be at least as good as he was last year.
And then there’s Edgerrin Cooper, the closest thing the Packers have to a bona fide star under the age of 25 right now. With Micah Parsons sidelined for the first quarter to third of the season, Cooper is going to be counted upon to carry a lot of the playmaking load in Green Bay. Is he up to it? We’re about t find out.
