The Green Bay Packers head into their final game of the preseason this week against the Arizona Cardinals. With training camp officially over and the team looking to solidify its 53-man roster, it also means it's the final week for players on the fringe of the team to make a case for themselves.
Heading into the game against the Cardinals, the Packers have several very interesting cases to be made by players on the bubble.
Backup running backs, defensive linemen, and even the ongoing long snapper conundrum have to be addressed soon. With the final preseason game upon us, let's look at some of the players who will likely be on the Packers' roster bubble heading into it.
The Packers players with the most on the line in the preseason finale vs. Cardinals
RB Pierre Strong Jr.
Strong had a great kickoff return in Denver and has looked solid enough in his limited opportunities. However, the Packers are likely looking for more solid play from the running back position, especially with Josh Jacobs' future uncertain as of now.
If the team is looking at the waiver market and possibly other avenues, this makes Strong a potential bubble guy, considering the pure depth of it all. He'll have a chance to make a case for himself this week, though.
LS Cal Adomitis
The great long snapper debate continues. Veteran Matt Orzech still has yet to play in training camp or in the preseason. He has been on the PUP list for all of camp. In the interim, Adomitis has stepped up, built chemistry with kicker Trey Smack, and delivered during preseason games.
This seems less like a "bubble" situation and more like a "what will the team end up doing" one. Adomitis has clearly been the hot hand to go with, but will the team risk just activating Orzech off PUP and letting him step in without any familiarity with Smack?
WRs J. Michael Sturdivant, Will Sheppard, and Isaiah Neyor
We're lumping the three main wide receivers on the bubble into one group here. All three have played well enough to at least make it a conversation as to whether one will stay. However, the team will likely have to make some difficult decisions with this group.
Sturdivant has likely shined the most during Packers training camp and played well on special teams, which is a huge plus for a role player. Sheppard showed out last week in Denver and is also available as a return man in the punt game. Neyor has all the traits you love in a potential lotto-ticket wide receiver.
Whether one, two, or any of them make the team remains to be seen. With the Packers boasting a fairly solid wide receiver room already, it's unknown if they'll even look to keep some of the fringe guys protected and on the roster.
A trio of tight ends
The Packers entered training camp with a ton of rostered tight ends, and it seems like none of them really separated themselves enough. This led to the team signing veteran Jonnu Smith to a one-year deal, which suddenly makes the tight end position a really interesting one to watch.
Tucker Kraft seems good to go for Week 1, but besides that...that's about it. Josh Whyle was the backup before Smith's arrival, while Luke Musgrave remains on the PUP list. Nobody else has really flashed at training camp.
With Kraft, Smith, and Whyle the likely locks for the roster (and Musgrave likely to begin the season on the PUP list), it leaves the group of Drake Dabney, Messiah Swinson, and McCallan Castles all wiggling for a potential fourth tight end spot on the team. Would the Packers really carry that many? They sure love the position, but don't seem to love how any of the rostered guys have developed.
Tons of decisions to be made along the offensive line
The Packers' offensive line looks to be more or less in its starting form heading into Week 1. However, the team's depth remains a puzzle that has yet to be solved. As we go into the final game of the preseason, there's still a lot on the line for a ton of guys in the trenches.
Specifically, the group of Darian Kinnard, Donovan Jennings, and John Williams. Kinnard has just gotten back from an ankle injury and does have the blessing of being a veteran on the team, but is that enough to help him make up for the time he missed?
Jennings is another player who seems to have no defined spot on the team. Several players seem to have leapfrogged him in the pecking order, especially when it comes to guys who can fill in at multiple positions along the line. He did get some first-team reps earlier this week, though.
Williams seems the most secure in his spot, as he's played a ton of snaps at backup left tackle. Travis Glover has also played both guard and tackle over the past few weeks, though, so we'll have to see how they line up against Arizona.
Kamal Hadden and Domani Jackson
Hadden is probably the player who has done the most to secure a spot on the team over the past two weeks. Still, with Javon Bullard now back and the team already sporting two great safeties in Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams, will they keep Hadden on or risk letting him go through waivers?
Jackson has been away from the field for a bit, but is back now. He's only a rookie, so it's unknown whether the Packers would cut bait on him so quickly, but he didn't play a ton, and the team could be looking for guys who would contribute immediately, especially with the secondary as questionable as it is.
A glut of defensive linemen
The Packers' defensive line is actually one of its busiest position groups, with a ton of guys available to play. Unfortunately, this also leaves a handful of players officially on the bubble heading into the game against the Cardinals.
Players like Jonathan Ford, Nazir Stackhouse, and Arron Mosby (who is more of an edge but fits for this role) are all suddenly hoping to make a case for themselves. While guys like Anthony Campbell have been making plays and Ford seems like a lock, it means that Stackhouse and Mosby are going to have to work hard to try to change the Packers' minds.
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