Packers Discussion: How many Green Bay players are roster locks?

It’s a little bit of a dead period in camp, where we can finally all catch our breath after Friday’s preseason game against the Denver Broncos. Why not embrace debate? How many players do you think have a roster spot locked in going into the preseason finale against the Arizona Cardinals, where the backups should be getting an extended look — as head coach Matt LaFleur stated last week that the starters will be getting reps in joint practice but will sit out the game?

I’m probably a little more firm

on my roster than most. Based on what I’ve seen on social media and the comment section here, I think fewer spots are up for grabs than the average fan. I’m sure I’ll have to eat crow on at least one of these locks, but this is truly how I feel about the roster going into the final week of the preseason.

I am going to throw this disclaimer, though: This is assuming that players are healthy and they aren’t traded. If we ship a cornerback out or move on from an expiring contract, like defensive lineman Karl Brooks, I don’t really see that differently than them being rosterable in this exercise.

With that being said, here’s my stab at who the roster locks are right now:

Quarterback

1. Jordan Love

I don’t think we’re even at the point where the Packers will call Tyrod Taylor versus Kyle McCord a competition at this point, but it’s worth noting that Taylor has not played well in the preseason, while McCord, despite limited tools, has performed significantly better through two games. We opened up a thread earlier this weekend for your thoughts on the subject. Maybe Green Bay’s QB2 for the 2026 regular season is on another team right now. Either way, I’ve officially moved off my stance that Taylor is a roster lock after his performance against the Broncos.

Running Back

1. Josh Jacobs
2. MarShawn Lloyd
3. Chris Brooks

Barring a suspension or an injury, I think it’s going to be difficult for Green Bay to keep RB4 Pierre Strong Jr., but I do think he will be a priority signing for them on the practice squad. I had Strong making the practice squad in our latest 53-man roster projection.

Receiver

1. Christian Watson
2. Matthew Golden
3. Jayden Reed
4. Savion Williams
5. Bo Melton
6. Skyy Moore

Usually I stay away from nailing down six receivers making the roster, but this year is a little different. Unlike in the past, where receivers have moved around all over, it seems like this year’s Packers have defined roles for pass-catchers, including their direct backups. Matthew Golden is the X, and his backup is Bo Melton. Christian Watson is the Z, and his backup is Savion Williams. Jayden Reed is the slot, and his backup is Skyy Moore.

On top of that, Williams (lead blocker on punt returns, punt gunner on punt and returner on kickoff), Melton (jammer on punt returns and gunner on punt) and Moore (returner on both punts and kicks) are also in line for significant special teams snaps.

I wouldn’t call J. Michael Sturdivant a “roster lock” at this point, but I will say he’s my guess for the next man up at the position. He’s one spot lower than Isaiah Neyor in the pass-catching pecking order right now, but they have him training on various special teams roles (similar to Williams), which really helps out if there’s ever an injury at receiver or defensive back. The same cannot be said of Neyor, who is more of a true receiver than a special teams contributor. Sturdivant’s special teams contributions go back to college, where he was the lead blocker on Florida’s kickoff team.

It’s worth mentioning here, too, that Williams and Sturdivant both dropped out of the game on Friday with injuries. Williams played two plays before injuring his ankle, and Sturdivant was evaluated for a concussion. We don’t know anything about their injuries other than that, but should learn more on Monday in LaFleur’s pre-practice press conference. LaFleur didn’t speak to the media on Saturday, as he subbed in offensive assistants and special teams coordinator Cam Achord for interviews, after LaFleur was slated for an appearance.

Tight End

1. Tucker Kraft
2. Josh Whyle

Tight end was a position where the Packers were already thin, and then Luke Musgrave injured his neck and has spent all of camp on the physically unable to perform list. The next man up is Drake Dabney, but I’m not sure Green Bay even needs to keep him on their initial 53-man roster to play him in Week 1. I could also see the team claiming a player at the position at cutdowns.

Offensive Line

1. Zach Bako-Bewele
2. Jordan Morgan
3. Sean Rhyan
4. Aaron Banks
5. Anthony Belton
6. Jacob Monk
7. Jager Burton
8. John Williams
9. Darian Kinnard

Maybe I’m naive, but I still think it’s going to be hard for the team to get rid of Darian Kinnard, who is technically the 10th offensive lineman in the pecking order right now, after he was their top sub in 2025. They spent a pick on him last summer, gave him a new contract and paid him $1 million in guarantees.

If the team keeps 10 offensive linemen, the 10th will probably be guard/center Donovan Jennings, but the team already has so many guard/center bodies that I’m not sure if he’ll 100 percent make the team.

Defensive Line

1. Devonte Wyatt
2. Karl Brooks
3. Javon Hargrave
4. Warren Brinson
5. Chris McClellan

This is sort of self-explanatory, as the real competition in the defensive line room right now is for the sixth spot. Currently, Nazir Stackhouse, Anthony Campbell and Jonathan Ford are all making their cases for what will probably be the last spot on the team — unless Karl Brooks (contract year) gets traded or there’s an injury. I go back and forth between Campbell and Ford making the team, so Week 3 of the preseason will be a big deal there.

Edge Defender

1. Lukas Van Ness
2. Barryn Sorrell
3. Brenton Cox Jr.
4. Collin Oliver
5. Dani Dennis-Sutton

With Micah Parsons starting the year on the PUP list, this one seems like a layup. The bigger question with his position, from a numbers standpoint, is if the team will cut one of Brenton Cox Jr. (one year remaining on his contract) or Collin Oliver (three years remaining on his contract) once Parsons returns.

Off-Ball Linebacker

1. Zaire Franklin
2. Edgerrin Cooper
3. Isaiah McDuffie
4. Ty’Ron Hopper
5. Nick Niemann

This is another easy one. This is the same group that the team had in 2025, but instead of Quay Walker playing the Mike, it’s Zaire Franklin. Nick Niemann is a core special teams player, which is why he’s likely to make the 53-man roster. Niemann played 16.3 special teams snaps per game last year, which, if he had stayed healthy for 17 games, would have ranked second on the team behind only special teams captain Isaiah McDuffie.

Niemann is going to help the Packers cover their butts, as Zayne Anderson (now a Miami Dolphin) and Arron Mosby (likely a practice squadder) probably won’t be on Green Bay’s 53-man roster in Week 1. They were two of the five most-played special teamers on the 2025 team.

Outside Cornerback

1. Keisean Nixon
2. Carrington Valentine
3. Brandon Cisse
4. Benjamin St-Juste

I think the Packers will probably keep a fifth outside cornerback, but that’s still a little up in the air right now. Domani Jackson, a rookie sixth-round pick, just returned to practice last week after undergoing an offseason surgery to his core. In his preseason debut, he was a spot behind Jaylin Simpson, who was on the team’s practice squad for most of 2025, in the pecking order. Simpson had a better performance against the Broncos, but he put up some bad film in Week 1 against the Steelers.

Safety/Slot

1. Xavier McKinney
2. Evan Williams
3. Javon Bullard
4. Kitan Oladapo
5. Kamal Hadden

I’m going to combine the safety and slot positions here, since they have a lot of overlap. Kamal Hadden was the team’s preferred slot defender after returning to the field from his season-ending ankle injury, and he looked a lot more comfortable there than Kitan Oladapo, who is still the next man up at the safety position — and has done well there. Hadden doesn’t help as much on special teams as other backup safeties in the past, but I just think the team is gonna keep him for depth at the slot position. Plus, he has reps banked as an outside cornerback in an emergency, too.

Kicker

1. Trey Smack

This is your kicker.

Punter

1. Daniel Whelan

This is your punter.

Long Snapper

• None

As long as the team continues to hold onto Matt Orzech, I don’t want to say the job is 100 percent going to Cal Adomitis. General manager Brian Gutekunst stated last week that Orzech should return to practice from the PUP list this week, so we’ll probably see a last-minute long snapper battle in camp.

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So how many roster spots are actually up for grabs, discounting injuries, the possibility of suspensions or trades? Personally, I have six spots on the 53-man roster.

The obvious positions that need to be filled are backup quarterback, the sixth defensive lineman and the starting long snapper, so there go half of those “open” spots. The third tight end position is going to be interesting, because, again, I’m not sure Drake Dabney needs to be on the 53-man roster if that is the team’s plan for the position until his practice squad elevations expire.

The final three roster spots, the truly “choose your own adventure” positions on the roster, were given out to the following players in my latest 53-man roster projection:

• WR7 J. Michael Sturdivant
• OL10 Donovan Jennings
• CB5 Domani Jackson

In all likelihood, whoever fills these last three spots will be among the healthy scratches to start the year, as the Packers can only carry 46 players on a gameday roster.

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What do you guys think? What do you see differently? Let us know in the comments section.

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