Back with the Green Bay Packers after a stint in Chicago, Jonathan Ford is fighting for his place again as Green Bay tries to deepen the middle of its defensive line.
The Packers are 48 days away from the start of the 2026 NFL season, and the opener comes fast: Sunday, Sept. 13 against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It’s an NFC North matchup right out of the gate, and Week 2 at MetLife Stadium against the New York Jets and Week 3 against the Atlanta Falcons at Lambeau Field only add to the early pressure.
With the Packers viewed as being in a Super Bowl window, every game carries weight. That’s the backdrop for this countdown of the top 50 Packers heading into 2026, and Ford lands at No. 48.
Green Bay drafted Ford in the seventh round in 2022, taking him No. 234 overall after he spent five years at Miami. His calling card has always been obvious: size. At 6-foot-5 and 338 pounds, he brings the kind of mass you simply can’t coach.
Ford has spent much of his NFL run on practice squads. Chicago signed him off Green Bay’s practice squad late in the 2024 season, and he appeared in four games that year before playing in eight more in 2025.
When the Bears cut him to create room for rookie guard Luke Newman, the Packers brought him back to help fill the void left by the injured Devonte Wyatt. Green Bay then re-signed him to a one-year deal this offseason.
His 2025 line was modest: six total tackles, including two solo stops, and a half “stuff” across eight games with Chicago and one with Green Bay.
There’s still a path here. As Dan Saia of Cheesehead TV put it, "Ford's experience and familiarity with the organization make him a legitimate contender (to make the roster), and he could ultimately earn a practice-squad role if he fails to crack the initial 53-man roster."
That seems to be the lane for Ford. The Packers traded starting defensive lineman Colby Wooden this offseason, and Devonte Wyatt is working back from a major injury. Second-year players Warren Brinson and Nazir Stackhouse can help as depth behind Wyatt and veteran signee Javon Hargrave, but Ford’s veteran status and sheer size give him a real shot to stick around.
If he misses the initial 53, Green Bay will almost certainly try to keep him on the practice squad and preserve him for possible call-ups during the season.
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