Packers 53-man roster predictions following preseason opener

Linebackers (9)

Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Rashan Gary, Kyler Fackrell, Reggie Gilbert, Blake Martinez, Oren Burks, Ty Summers, James Crawford

Unsurprisingly, starters Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith and Blake Martinez didn’t play in the preseason opener. One player who did play was rookie Ty Summers, and he went a long way to showing why he deserves a spot on the 53-man roster.

Summers was possibly the standout performer for the Packers in this game. He finished with 10 tackles, more than anyone else in the game. He did also badly miss a tackle in the first half, but overall, Summers had a great game.

One concern was that starter Oren Burks left the game early with a shoulder injury. Hopefully, it was just a precaution to take him out of the game and it won’t be a serious injury.

Rashan Gary didn’t have any sacks in his debut, but he came close on a couple of occasions and played well. I’m excited to see how he develops in his rookie season and plays in this defense featuring Za’Darius and Preston Smith.

Most of the starters at linebacker didn’t play in this game, but the biggest takeaway was the performance by Summers. It was no guarantee he’d make the roster, but it will be difficult not to keep him now after Thursday’s game.