The Packers’ roster picture is starting to take shape, but it’s still anything but settled.
Training camp has already forced Green Bay to juggle more than a few moving parts, and the preseason opener against Pittsburgh plus Tuesday’s practice only added to the shuffle. The cornerback rotation has widened, Aaron Banks is back in team drills, and several key names - Micah Parsons, Luke Musgrave, Jordon Riley, and Matt Orzech - are still on the PUP list. That matters because the way the Packers handle those injuries could end up steering the final 53-man roster.
Here’s how the projected group breaks down right now:
Quarterback - 2 - Jordan Love, Tyrod Taylor
Running Back - 3 - Josh Jacobs, MarShawn Lloyd, Chris Brooks
Wide Receiver - 7 - Christian Watson, Matthew Golden, Jayden Reed, Savion Williams, Bo Melton, Skyy Moore, J. Michael Sturdivant
Tight End - 3 - Tucker Kraft, Josh Whyle, Drake Dabney
Offensive Line - 10 - Jordan Morgan, Aaron Banks, Sean Rhyan, Anthony Belton, Zach Bako-Bewele, Jacob Monk, Jager Burton, Donovan Jennings, John Williams, Darian Kinnard
One of the biggest changes in that offensive group is at receiver. The first pass at the roster had Pierre Strong Jr. as a fourth running back and only six wideouts, but J.
Michael Sturdivant has pushed that thinking. His mix of size, speed, and special-teams background gives Green Bay a real reason to keep seven receivers.
Isaiah Neyor is still in the conversation too after strong showings in practices, so that spot is not exactly locked down.
Tight end is tied directly to Musgrave’s situation. He’s on the PUP list with a neck injury, which makes Drake Dabney the cleanest temporary fit alongside Kraft and Whyle.
But that can change fast if Musgrave is activated before cuts. Kraft is back working with the team after a long recovery from knee surgery, and Whyle has been getting plenty of run with Musgrave sidelined.
The offensive line is also more fluid than the numbers suggest. Banks is back with the group, but he hasn’t fully reclaimed all of the first-team left guard reps, which has kept rookie Jager Burton very much in the mix.
Matt LaFleur said Burton is making the call tougher, and Jacob Monk is also pressing for guard work. On the right side, Zach Bako-Bewele is still working back toward full participation.
So while the roster can be mapped out, the Week 1 starting five is still far from certain.
On defense, the most notable shift is Jonathan Ford moving ahead of Nazir Stackhouse for the last interior defensive line spot. Ford has carved out a real role as a true nose tackle with the first-team unit in the preseason opener and has kept getting starting opportunities in practice. That specialized usage has made him harder to leave off.
The cornerback battle is messier. Keisean Nixon was once viewed as the clear favorite, but he’s been rotating through second- and even third-team work at times.
Carrington Valentine, Brandon Cisse, Benjamin St-Juste, and Nixon have all seen first-team reps, which makes the outside corner competition feel very real. Kamal Hadden is back in team drills and working with the safeties, giving Green Bay another hybrid option and a possible challenge to Domani Jackson.
A four-safety group is another calculated gamble, especially with how much Green Bay usually leans on that position for special teams. Still, Xavier McKinney, Evan Williams, and Javon Bullard are the established core, and Kitan Oladapo has expanded his role by working in the slot while Bullard has been out. Given the injuries in the secondary, the Packers could still decide to keep a tenth defensive back by trading a seventh receiver or another depth piece.
Special teams may be the most unsettled part of all. Trey Smack has strengthened his grip on the kicking job after making all three field-goal attempts against Pittsburgh, including a 58-yarder.
Another 58-yard make was wiped out by a penalty, but the performance still left a mark. Daniel Whelan is the other stable specialist, while Cal Adomitis has handled snapping duties with Orzech dealing with a calf injury.
The Packers still list Orzech first on the depth chart, and Brian Gutekunst said Tuesday the veteran could be back in about a week, which would give him time to retake the job before cutdown day.
So the projected 53 is workable, but it’s not exactly carved in stone. Sturdivant versus Neyor, Ford’s rise at nose tackle, the crowded cornerback room, and the Orzech-Adomitis decision all remain open. And if Musgrave, Parsons, or Riley move off injured lists before the deadline, the whole thing could shift again.
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