The Green Bay Packers have trimmed their roster to 53 players, built their practice squad, and now focus on a Week 1 showdown with the Minnesota Vikings.
General manager Brian Gutekunst would be the first to tell you that roster building is a year-round process, as he proved by acquiring two players via trade on cutdown day. But the majority of his work is complete.
The Packers have undeniable strengths that make them Super Bowl contenders. No team is perfect, though, and the updated depth chart reveals some glaring concerns.
Predicting the Packers' depth chart and breaking down the concerns
Quarterback
Position | Player |
|---|---|
1 | Jordan Love |
2 | Tyrod Taylor |
Concern #1
Malik Willis is gone, which means the Packers likely feel less confident about winning games without Jordan Love than they have for the past two seasons. Tyrod Taylor's disappointing performances in the preseason didn't exactly help.
Kyle McCord outplayed Taylor in the three exhibition contests, capped off by his four-touchdown performance in the finale against the Arizona Cardinals. It helped land McCord a trade to the Miami Dolphins, with the Packers receiving a 2028 sixth-round pick in return.
Green Bay had opportunities to add another quarterback, had it wished. Will Levis was among the quarterbacks waived on cutdown day, and the Dallas Cowboys surprisingly cut Joe Milton. The Packers didn't put in a waiver claim for either, and Milton has now returned to the Cowboys' practice squad.
Can Taylor lead the Packers to victories if and when they need him? That's the concern.
Running back
Position | Player |
|---|---|
1 | MarShawn Lloyd |
2 | Kaleb Johnson |
3 | Chris Brooks |
Concern #2
The NFL placed Josh Jacobs on the commissioner exempt list, which means he can't practice or play. For how long? That remains to be seen. It's unclear if Jacobs will even play for the Packers this season.
As a result, Green Bay traded for second-year running back Kaleb Johnson, who is coming off a rough rookie season with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He averaged just 2.5 yards per carry, and it's never an encouraging sign when a team is willing to give up on a third-round pick after only one season.
The Packers now lack experience at running back. Johnson and MarShawn Lloyd have played a combined 61 career snaps with 34 carries. We could see a running back-by-committee approach, including Chris Brooks. Green Bay will need Lloyd to stay healthy and reach his potential quickly, and for Johnson to enjoy more success than he did in Pittsburgh.
Wide receiver
Position | Player |
|---|---|
1 | Christian Watson |
2 | Matthew Golden |
3 | Jayden Reed |
4 | Bo Melton |
5 | Skyy Moore |
6 | J. Michael Sturdivant |
No major concerns
The Packers are (mostly) healthy at wide receiver, at last. Christian Watson missed the first six games last season while recovering from a torn ACL, while Jayden Reed only played seven games due to foot and collarbone injuries. And by the time they were both out there together, the Packers had lost Tucker Kraft.
Savion Williams will miss at least four games on injured reserve, but there's so much to love about this room. A top three of Watson, Reed, and Matthew Golden oozes potential. Bo Melton and Skyy Moore can contribute, while rookie J. Michael Sturdivant is the wild card after an impressive summer.
Tight end
Position | Player |
|---|---|
1 | Tucker Kraft |
2 | Jonnu Smith |
3 | Mark Redman |
4 | Josh Whyle |
No major concerns
Ask this question a week ago, and you would've received a completely different answer.
Green Bay had been wiped out by injuries at tight end, most notably Luke Musgrave's neck injury, which leaves his status for this season uncertain. But Brian Gutekunst made two last-minute moves, signing free agent Jonnu Smith and trading for Mark Redman.
The Packers may have solved the problem. Smith gives Jordan Love another excellent receiving option – he is only two seasons removed from making the Pro Bowl. Redman won't catch many passes but stood out in the preseason as a blocker. That's exactly what Green Bay needed. Add in Kraft returning to 100 percent, and the Packers have reason for encouragement.
Offensive line
Position | Player |
|---|---|
LT | Jordan Morgan |
John Williams | |
LG | Aaron Banks |
Jager Burton | |
C | Sean Rhyan |
RG | Jacob Monk |
Donovan Jennings | |
RT | Zach Bako-Bewele |
Anthony Belton | |
Travis Glover |
Concern #3
If one position group could derail the Packers' season, it's right here. The offensive line.
Jordan Morgan has looked comfortable at left tackle, which is promising, but he'll face the first real test in Week 1. Zach Bako-Bewele is a star, but it's unclear if he'll be 100 percent in time for Week 1. He is still working his way back from a significant knee injury that ended his 2025 season in December.
At the interior spots? Alarm bells. Aaron Banks has struggled to stay healthy this summer and is coming off a disastrous first season in Green Bay. Starting Jacob Monk at right guard is a huge gamble. Rookie Jager Burton was a positive at camp. He impressed throughout the summer and could continue to knock on the door of the starting five.
There are far too many question marks at the three interior spots until proven otherwise. ESPN's Mike Clay ranked the Packers' offensive line 24th in the NFL. It's hard to argue with that.
Defensive line
Position | Player |
|---|---|
1 | Devonte Wyatt |
2 | Javon Hargrave |
3 | Karl Brooks |
4 | Chris McClellan |
5 | Jonathan Ford |
6 | Warren Brinson |
7 | Anthony Campbell |
No major concerns
The Packers added reinforcements in the offseason, and they have strong depth along the line when everyone is healthy.
What's less clear is exactly how the depth chart will shake out. We can assume Devonte Wyatt and Javon Hargrave will start, but beyond that, it remains uncertain. Jonathan Ford has taken starting snaps at nose tackle but also played deep into preseason games. Is Chris McClellan ready to start as a rookie? Karl Brooks?
It's a good problem to have. Jonathan Gannon will rotate his linemen, and the Packers have strong depth.
Edge rushers
Position | Player |
|---|---|
1 | Lukas Van Ness |
2 | Barryn Sorrell |
3 | Brenton Cox Jr. |
4 | Dani Dennis-Sutton |
Concern #4
The same can't be said for the pass-rushers. Micah Parsons remains sidelined, although he could potentially return sooner than anticipated. Parsons must miss at least four games while he's on the PUP list. The countdown will be well and truly on after that. The same goes for Collin Oliver, who is on injured reserve with a designation to return.
It piles the pressure on Lukas Van Ness as the leader of this group, along with Barryn Sorrell, who is projected to start alongside him. Brenton Cox Jr. has struggled to stay healthy in recent years, while Dani Dennis-Sutton is a wild card. He's a rookie with huge upside, but can Green Bay's fourth-round pick make an impact in the opening weeks of the season while Parsons is out?
The Packers could have a pass-rush problem until No. 1 returns.
Linebackers
Position | Player |
|---|---|
1 | Edgerrin Cooper |
2 | Zaire Franklin |
3 | Isaiah McDuffie |
4 | Ty'Ron Hopper |
5 | Nick Niemann |
No major concerns
Green Bay has a settled linebacker group. Pick any 53-man roster prediction from the summer, and it likely had these five. That hasn't changed. The Packers are set.
Cornerbacks
Position | Player |
|---|---|
1 | Brandon Cisse |
2 | Keisean Nixon |
3 | Benjamin St-Juste |
4 | Carrington Valentine |
5 | Kamal Hadden |
No major concerns
Perhaps it's being too optimistic to have no major concerns at cornerback, but hear me out.
Brandon Cisse has looked like a CB1 all summer long. That'll be put to the test in the regular season, but the early signs are encouraging. Keisean Nixon isn't the most popular player among Packers fans, but he'll be far better suited to a No. 2 role. Nixon is an up-and-down player but is a capable starter even if he never becomes a star.
Unlike last year, the Packers have options. Carrington Valentine and Benjamin St-Juste can both step in and provide solid play. Green Bay simply didn't have that last year.
Nobody is pretending this is a shutdown unit and among the league's best, but the Packers don't need to rush to the free-agent pool and add a corner before Week 1. Not yet, at least.
Safeties
Position | Player |
|---|---|
1 | Xavier McKinney |
2 | Evan Williams |
3 | Javon Bullard |
4 | Kitan Oladapo |
No major concerns
Similar to linebacker, the Packers are settled here. Javon Bullard will play primarily in the slot but can also cover the two safety positions, with Kamal Hadden handling the nickel duties. Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams are one of the league's best duos at the position.
Specialists
Position | Player |
|---|---|
K | Trey Smack |
P | Daniel Whelan |
LS | Matt Orzech |
No major concerns
I should clarify: there are no major concerns here. There are some smaller worries, though.
Trey Smack eased some fears by going perfect in the preseason. It earned him the No. 2 spot in FanSided's preseason KVA (Kick Value Added) rankings. But his turbulent practice performances will ensure Packers fans endure some anxious moments when he steps onto the field.
Then there is long snapper. The Packers clearly preferred veteran Matt Orzech over stand-in Cal Adomitis, but the latter played every snap during training camp. Adomitis was part of a kicking unit that didn't miss in the preseason, not Orzech. The veteran dealt with a calf injury all summer and is only now returning. Will the Packers regret trying to fix something that wasn't broken?
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