The Packers’ 53-man roster is set, but Brian Gutekunst still has room to hunt. With the 2026 NFL season about a week away, Green Bay doesn’t need a blockbuster move to make itself better. The easier path is the one right in front of it: other teams’ practice squads.
That route could give the Packers a quick upgrade or two without paying the kind of price that comes with a trade. And there are a handful of players around the league who look like they could help right now in Green Bay.
J’Mari Taylor is one name that fits the bill at running back. The Jacksonville Jaguars back didn’t put up eye-popping preseason production, but he still forced six missed tackles, broke three runs of 10 or more yards and scored a touchdown. He plays with power, brings a compact frame and looks like a back who can carve out a role if he gets the right coaching.
Another backfield option is Dean Connors of the Los Angeles Rams. He’s not the kind of runner who is going to pile up big rushing totals, but he gave Los Angeles something Green Bay doesn’t really have in its running back room: real receiving juice.
Connors caught seven passes for 53 yards and three touchdowns this preseason, and he was dangerous after the catch. He also showed he can handle kick returns.
If the Packers want help on defense, Kaimon Rucker and two cornerbacks stand out. Rucker, an outside linebacker with the Baltimore Ravens, flashed hard in the preseason with six pressures, a sack and a quarterback hit.
He also logged five run stops in three games, even with two missed tackles, and he has enough versatility to handle that “buck” linebacker role while also dropping into coverage. He’s still raw, but the tools are there.
At corner, Brent Austin of the Denver Broncos and Fred Davis II of the Washington Commanders both made their cases. Austin played outside, in the slot and even some in the box, and he added value on special teams across several units.
He was solid in coverage and a willing tackler, though his worst outing came against the Packers. Davis II had a strong preseason of his own, allowing a QB rating of just 53.3 when targeted while also helping in the run game.
His special teams value and ability to move around in the secondary make him interesting for the back end of a roster.
Then there’s Nick Leverett, who could help Green Bay on the interior of the offensive line. The Dallas Cowboys had enough quality up front to push him out, but Leverett brings center and guard flexibility, along with clear improvement as a pass-blocker this preseason. He also fits as a run-game mover and looks like the kind of depth piece every team wants when the games start counting.
For a Packers team still looking to tighten a few screws, these are the kinds of moves that make sense. There’s no need to swing wildly. Sometimes the cleanest upgrade is sitting on another team’s practice squad.
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The bigger appeal is how the exercise sketches out the full roster picture across offense, defense and special teams, giving a glimpse of where the Packers may already feel settled and where more turnover could still be coming. It is still only a projection, of course, but for a fan base that pays close attention to every roster detail, the lineup offers an interesting snapshot of what Green Bay might look like in 2026. [Read more 🡒]