A new look at the Green Bay Packers’ 53-man roster has surfaced just as training camp approaches, and ESPN Green Bay insider Rob Demovsky has already put his projection on paper.
That matters because the Packers are entering the 2026 NFL season with real pressure hanging over them. Matt LaFleur and Green Bay are coming off a brutal collapse in the Wild Card playoff round last season against the Chicago Bears, and even though Ed Policy opted not to make sweeping changes, the message is pretty clear: the margin for error is shrinking. LaFleur and general manager Brian Gutekunst both got contract extensions, but if the Packers fall short again in 2026, more changes could be on the way.
For now, though, Green Bay still has the kind of roster that keeps Super Bowl talk alive. The biggest concern is the health of superstar pass rusher Micah Parsons, who is expected to miss at least the first half of the season while recovering from a torn ACL. That leaves the Packers with some uncertainty heading into camp, but also a chance for other players to carve out roles.
Demovsky’s projection gives a first real snapshot of what the roster could look like when the dust settles. His predicted group includes three running backs: Josh Jacobs, MarShawn Lloyd and Chris Brooks.
At receiver, he has six players making the cut: Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Matthew Golden, Savion Williams, Bo Melton and Skyy Moore, with Moore listed as the kick returner.
Up front, Demovsky projects nine offensive linemen: Jordan Morgan, Aaron Banks, Sean Rhyan, Anthony Belton, Zach Tom, Darian Kinnard, Jager Burton, Jacob Monk and Travis Glover.
He also included four specialists in the mix: Lucas Havrisik (K), Trey Smack (K), Daniel Whelan (P) and Matt Orzech (LS).
It’s still early, of course, and training camp plus preseason action could shuffle the board in a hurry. Players surprise every year, and LaFleur’s staff still has plenty of time to sort through the competition.
Even so, the projection points to a Packers roster with enough talent to stay in the NFC race while Parsons works his way back. Gutekunst has built a group with talent on both sides of the ball, and Green Bay still has another shot to chase the championship expectations that have followed the franchise for the last couple of years.
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