The Packers’ tight end room just got a lot more crowded, and Drake Dabney may be the name sitting closest to the edge.
Green Bay’s signing of Jonnu Smith changed the picture at the position, whether the team views him as insurance for Tucker Kraft while he works back to full speed or as another answer after Luke Musgrave’s injury-plagued start has left questions about his ceiling. Either way, Smith’s arrival sends a clear signal that the Packers are still searching for the right mix near the bottom of the roster.
That leaves Dabney in a tricky spot. The undrafted rookie has a real chance to force the issue, but he may also need to prove it in the Cardinals game to keep his roster hopes alive.
“If the Packers’ three tight ends on the 53-man roster were going to be players who competed during training camp, then Drake Dabney pretty obviously was going to win the No. 3 job,” wrote Bill Huber of Packers OnSI. “After the addition of Smith? Who knows.”
At 6-foot-5 and 246 pounds, Dabney brings a sizable frame to the mix. He also arrives with a productive college résumé, having caught 84 passes over five seasons at Baylor and TCU for 1,066 yards and eight touchdowns.
Smith gives Green Bay a veteran presence and more depth at a spot that still needs consistency behind Kraft. And while Dabney’s path just got tougher, the undrafted route still leaves him a lifeline: if the Packers move on from him, there’s at least a chance he lands back on the practice squad.
In Other News...
Jordan Love Called This Cardinals Practice Moment His Lowest Point
A joint practice with the Cardinals gave the Packers a useful tune-up, but it also left Jordan Love with one sequence he would rather forget. After getting down to the five-yard line, Green Bay came away empty on that series, and Love pointed to it as the low point of the day. For a quarterback and offense still sharpening timing in August, those are the kinds of snaps that tend to linger longer than the cleaner ones.
Tucker Kraft also came out of the session with a moment worth monitoring, taking a late hit after returning from a torn ACL. The good news for Green Bay is that Kraft said he is playing without concern for his knee, a reassuring note as the Packers turn from practice to their preseason game against Arizona. For a team trying to build momentum while protecting key pieces, the next few days will matter just as much as the work already put in. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Could Find Late Roster Help From A Familiar Dolphins Connection
Matt LaFleur has spent plenty of this offseason watching familiar faces head for Miami, with former Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley taking over as the Dolphins head coach and ex-Packers executive Jon-Eric Sullivan moving in as general manager. The shuffle has created an unlikely Green Bay-Miami bridge at a time when the Packers are still sorting out the back end of their roster, and that kind of connection can matter when teams start looking for last-minute help before the cutdown deadline.
Two Dolphins names to keep an eye on are Lonnie Johnson Jr. and Jaylen Wright, both of whom could fit the Packers search for depth in spots where competition is still unsettled. Green Bay does not need splashy moves this time of year as much as it needs practical ones, and a familiar pipeline to Miami could give the front office another route to fill out the roster if the right opportunity opens up. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Pass Rush Already Has A Roster Question Fans Cant Ignore
The Packers pass rush already looks like one of the more interesting roster debates of the summer, and it has little to do with September opener talk. Micah Parsons is still working back from a torn ACL, which leaves Green Bay with a clear need for edge help, and the rest of the group still has work to do before anyone can call the spot settled. That creates a familiar late-summer opportunity: if a young pass rusher shakes loose after final roster cuts, the Packers could be right in the mix.
Chris Braswell of the Buccaneers is one name to watch if he becomes available, and he fits the kind of waiver claim Green Bay would have reason to explore. The Packers do not need another reminder that pass rush depth matters over a long season, especially with Parsons unavailable and the competition behind him still sorting itself out. For now, the question is less about one opening-day role and more about whether Green Bay can find a usable answer before the market closes. [Read more 🡒]