Packers 53-man roster predictions after first week of training camp

Running backs (4)

Jamaal Williams, Ty Montgomery, Devante Mays, Aaron Ripkowski

Aaron Jones’ two-game suspension opens up a spot on the 53-man roster. More on that in a moment.

The question atop the depth chart is who will get the start in Week 1. Will it be Jamaal Williams or Ty Montgomery?

Based on a recent report by Rob Demovsky of ESPN, Williams seems the most likely to start in the season opener:

"“Williams has gotten the bulk of the work with the starters during normal down-and-distance situations while Montgomery has handled the two-minute and no-huddle drives where his receiving skills could come back into play”"

That’s interesting, but also not all that surprising. Without Jones — who is currently out with a hamstring injury and will also be unavailable for the first two weeks of the season — it makes sense for Williams to take the early-down work, with Montgomery being used more as a receiving back.

Jones’ role when he returns in Week 3 remains unknown, but for now it opens the opportunity for Devante Mays. Mays only had four carries in his rookie season, fumbling twice, but he has an excellent chance to put that behind him and show the coaches what he can do.

If Mays plays well, he could force Mike McCarthy to keep him on the roster even when Jones is back from suspension.