With the 2026 season closing in, the Packers are staring down a stretch that should tell us plenty about where this team stands. Green Bay opens on Sunday, Sept. 13, at U.S. Bank Stadium against the Minnesota Vikings, then heads to MetLife Stadium in Week 2 to face the New York Jets before finally returning to Lambeau Field in Week 3 for a matchup with the Atlanta Falcons.
That’s a demanding early run, especially with the belief that the Packers are in a Super Bowl window right now. Every game carries weight, and that makes the first few weeks feel even louder.
As part of its preseason look at the roster, PackersRoundtable has started counting down the Top 50 Packers heading into 2026, and the latest name off the board is offensive lineman Sean Rhyan at No. 19.
Rhyan’s value starts with the job he took over last season. The Packers moved him from guard to center after Elgton Jenkins suffered a season-ending injury, and Rhyan handled the switch well enough to earn a three-year, $33 million contract extension. He came into the league as a third-round pick out of UCLA in 2022 and is listed at 6-foot-5, 321 pounds.
Center is one of the most demanding spots on the field. It’s where the line gets organized, the protection calls get made, and the checks start.
It also means handling the snap on every offensive play, which puts a premium on trust as much as talent. In Rhyan’s case, the Packers clearly trust him - and Jordan Love does, too.
There are limits to what he did in 2025. PFF graded him poorly as a pass protector, ranking him 40th among 40 qualified centers, though it was more favorable on his run blocking, where he came in 17th. He gave up 28 total pressures, including one sack and eight hits, and was charged with five penalties.
Still, Rhyan is set to open 2026 as Green Bay’s starting center, and the Packers are counting on him to keep growing into the role while giving Love better protection.
The rest of the rankings from No. 50 through No. 20 are:
No. 50, J. Michael Sturdivant
No. 49, Nazir Stackhouse
No. 48, Jonathan Ford
No. 47, Ty'Ron Hopper
No. 46, Kitan Oladapo
No. 45, Bo Melton
No. 44, Dani Dennis-Sutton
No. 43, Jager Burton
No. 42, Chris Brooks
No. 41, Josh Whyle
No. 40, MarShawn Lloyd
No. 39, Carrington Valentine
No. 38, Warren Brinson
No. 37, Nick Niemann
No. 36, Barryn Sorrell
No. 35, Benjamin St-Juste
No. 34, Trey Smack
No. 33, Karl Brooks
No. 32, Savion Williams
No. 31, Luke Musgrave
No. 30, Chris McClellan
No. 29, Collin Oliver
No. 28, Darian Kinnard
No. 27, Javon Hargrave
No. 26, Anthony Belton
No. 25, Jacob Monk
No. 24, Matt Orzech
No. 23, Skyy Moore
No. 22, Tyrod Taylor
No. 21, Isaiah McDuffie
No. 20, Lukas Van Ness
In Other News...
Packers Suddenly Have A Familiar Tight End Decision To Make
Josiah Deguaras latest stop in the NFL ended quickly, as the former Packers tight end was released by the San Francisco 49ers less than a month after signing a one-year deal. Since his rookie contract in Green Bay expired, Deguara has bounced between practice squads and active rosters, a reminder of how hard it can be to stick in a league that keeps asking versatile players to keep proving themselves.
Now the question circles back to Green Bay, where tight end depth is thin enough to make a familiar name part of the conversation again. A reunion would not come as a surprise given the Packers need at the position, and Deguaras familiarity with the team only adds to the appeal, even if nothing is settled yet. [Read more 🡒]
Jordan Love Just Got The Respect Packers Fans Want Him To Earn
Jordan Loves rise in Green Bay is starting to show up in places that matter beyond the Packers own building. FOX Sports slotted him eighth among NFL quarterbacks, putting him ahead of names like Justin Herbert and Jared Goff, a notable sign of how far his standing has come after the Packers committed to him with a four-year, $220 million deal in 2024. Love backed up that confidence with a solid previous season, throwing for 3,381 yards and 23 touchdowns as Green Bay continued to build around him.
Now the conversation shifts from proving he belongs to showing he can keep climbing. The Packers open the 2026 season against the Minnesota Vikings, and Love enters the year with the expectation that his play will keep trending upward, especially with the league starting to treat him like one of its better quarterbacks rather than just a young starter on the rise. For Packers fans, the ranking is a reminder that the respect is finally catching up, but the bigger test is still ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Linked To A Trade That Could Reshape Their Defense
A potential defensive shake-up has put Joey Porter Jr. in the conversation around Green Bay, with one trade proposal floating the idea of the Steelers dealing the cornerback to the Packers. The timing is notable because Porter is still on Pittsburghs physically unable to perform list with a back injury, and the lack of a contract extension only adds another layer to a situation that already feels unsettled.
For Green Bay, the appeal is obvious: the Packers have the draft capital to make a move if they decide the fit is right, and Porter would bring another young piece to a defense that already has Micah Parsons working his way back from surgery. It is the kind of addition that could change the look of the unit in a hurry, even if the real question is whether Pittsburgh would ever be willing to part with him. [Read more 🡒]