Packers: Predicting which players make 53-man roster on offense

Offensive line (9)

In: David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Lucas Patrick, Billy Turner, Dennis Kelly, Royce Newman, Jon Runyan Jr., Ben Braden

Out: Cole Van Lanen, Yosh Nijman, Jake Hanson, Coy Cronk, Jacob Capra, Zack Johnson

This is a group where you have to tip your cap to Brian Gutekunst because this offensive line room has tremendous depth. I feel confident in saying all nine players mentioned above are essentially locks to make the team barring any surprise cuts/trades leading up to week one.

The only question right now is if the team keeps 10 players on the line or not. With Bakhtiari’s health in question, it wouldn’t be inconceivable to see the team keep a 10th player on the line.

The only players I think have a real chance at claiming that potential spot are Cole Van Lanen and Yosh Nijman. Nijman had a decent showing in the first preseason game, but also got beat badly by a reserve edge rusher that led to Jordan Love getting strip sacked – and ultimately hurt. I still view Nijman as a player who is more upside than productive at this point. The Packers could do better with a roster spot than Nijman.

The hometown kid, Cole Van Lanen, has an uphill battle to make the roster after the addition of tackle Dennis Kelly. Van Lanen has been moved around a ton during camp and is someone I think the Packers have a ton of interest in getting a better look at.

If given the time, he has the talent to develop into the swing-tackle of the future. Van Lanen will make the roster if Brian Gutekunst fears that another team will put in a claim, because the franchise invested a draft pick on him so that they could put some time into him – hoping for a payoff down the road.

If there is no concern about the claim being placed, the Packers could sneak him onto the practice squad so they can continue to develop the Wisconsin native into a contributor, possibly as soon as next year.