The Green Bay Packers will finish the preseason on Thursday night against the Kansas City Chiefs and then begin making cuts in preparation for Saturday afternoon’s 53-man roster deadline.
Here’s where the Packers stand at every position going into the finale:
Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers, now 35 and five years removed from his last MVP season, will go into Week 1 without playing a single snap during the preseason. Don’t let that worry you. The success of Rodgers and the new offense won’t be determined by 10-20 meaningless snaps running vanilla plays in a meaningless game. He’s confident in the scheme and ready for Week 1.
Behind Rodgers, the backup battle is coming down to the wire, with Tim Boyle gaining significant ground on DeShone Kizer by producing in all three preseason games, including an impressive start against the Raiders in Winnipeg. Kizer has more experience, Boyle has been better during games. They both look more decisive making decisions, but neither is superbly qualified to be a No. 2 quarterback. If Boyle wins the job, will GM Brian Gutekunst admit his mistake and dump Kizer? Rookie Manny Wilkins’ best bet is a chance to return on the practice squad.
Running back
Starter Aaron Jones has all the tools of an elite back and is now spearheading the attack of a run game tailormade to his abilities. Prediction: If he’s healthy for the majority of the season, Jones is going to produce Pro Bowl level numbers, and he’s going to be a problem both as a runner and receiver. The Packers love his slashing style and Matt LaFleur wants to get the ball to the backs in the passing game.
Backup Jamaal Williams does all the little things right but lacks an elite trait. He’s James Starks with better dance moves. The real intrigue at running back is behind the two third-year veterans. Third-year back Tra Carson is leading the race to be the No. 3, but rookie Dexter Williams and Keith Ford will have a chance to earn the job in the finale. The Packers can do better than Carson. Williams is talented but hasn’t been consistent enough. It’s possible the team’s third running back is currently on another’s team roster.
Fullback
Danny Vitale took full advantage of the opportunities granted by a fullback-friendly offense and locked up a roster spot early in training camp. The Packers will ask him to run, catch and pass protect on any down or distance. Does Matt LaFleur want to keep a second fullback? And can Gutekunst really afford to keep one? Probably not, but Malcolm Johnson and Tommy Bohanon will both get a final shot to earn a spot against the Chiefs. Stashing a second fullback on the practice squad makes a lot of sense.
Receiver
Davante Adams is a two-time Pro Bowler who produced another standout training camp, Marquez Valdes-Scantling is locked in as the perimeter receiver opposite Adams and Geronimo Allison has spent most of camp operating from the slot. They’ll start Week 1. Jake Kumerow is so reliable and consistent and Trevor Davis has big-play ability as a pass-catcher and returner. They’ve all but locked up roster spots during the preseason. That’s five. What to do from there?
Equanimeous St. Brown has a significant ankle injury and will miss time to start the regular season. He could make the 53 and immediately go on IR. Darrius Shepherd has Randall Cobb-like qualities and has done nothing but produce during camp and the preseason. The quarterbacks love him and he’s a traditional slot receiver, something the roster lacks. Allen Lazard is 6-5 and looks more explosive after losing weight. He’s done enough to make the roster. J’Mon Moore hasn’t kept up and is almost certainly on his way out of Green Bay. Last year’s fourth-round pick has been a big bust.
Tight end
The top four – Jimmy Graham, Marcedes Lewis, Robert Tonyan and Jace Sternberger – haven’t changed since the start of camp. The Packers are confident Graham can produce a bounce-back year, even though he’s already battling a finger injury. Lewis is in great shape and will be used more, Tonyan has playmaking ability as a move tight end and Sternberger is a third-round pick developing in the system. Evan Baylis is versatile and has put himself in a position to land on the practice squad.
Offensive tackle
David Bakhtiari and Bryan Bulaga provide one of the NFL’s best tackle tandems. Jason Spriggs (injured reserve) won’t play for the Packers in 2019 (or possibly ever again), so Alex Light is the new favorite to be the No. 3 tackle. He’s been solid during the preseason. Billy Turner, the starter at right guard, is the top backup at right tackle. Yosh Nijman and Gerhard de Beer could be practice squad candidates.
Offensive guard
Turner has been great all camp and is locked in as a starter at right guard. The mystery is at left guard. Incumbent starter Lane Taylor is battling rookie Elgton Jenkins for the job. If Jenkins wins the job, is Taylor gone? The rookie looks like the real deal and probably needs to play. Getting rid of Taylor would still be a risk. Lucas Patrick and Justin McCray give the Packers two tough, experienced backups who can play guard and center. Can Cole Madison, the fifth-round pick from 2018, win a job? He’s been up and down during camp and is now dealing with a knee injury.
Center
Corey Linsley is the undisputed starter. Patrick, McCray and Jenkins can all play center behind him.
Defensive line
The Packers like veterans Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry and Montravius Adams as the three preferred starters in the three-man front. Clark is a budding star, Lowry is a dependable three-down player and Adams has the potential to be a disruptive force, although the Packers still want more down-to-down consistency. Tyler Lancaster provides a quality run-stopper and rookie Kingsley Keke can rush the passer from the inside. Fadol Brown and James Looney could make a push for a roster spot in the preseason finale. Brown is big and versatile, while Looney has improved significantly in his second season.
Outside linebacker
Za’Darius Smith has been great all summer and looks on the verge of producing a monster first season in Green Bay. He might be the most important player on the defense. Preston Smith isn’t as flashy but he just gets the job done consistently, and Kyler Fackrell will be a situational rusher after tallying 10.5 sacks last season. The wildcard is rookie Rashan Gary, who often dominated during camp practices but has been quiet during games. The Packers will refine his role and play him in spots to start his rookie season. He still needs a lot of development. The battle on the edge is between Reggie Gilbert, the reliable veteran, and Randy Ramsey, the talented undrafted free agent. Complicating the matter is Gilbert’s knee injury. Ramsey has some juice as a long, explosive edge rusher.
Inside linebacker
Blake Martinez has produced back-to-back seasons with over 140 tackles and is one of the leaders on the defense. He’ll call plays. But who plays next to him? Oren Burks is recovering from a partially torn pectoral muscle, Curtis Bolton could miss significant time with a knee injury, Ty Summers is a seventh-round rookie who missed too many tackles in the preseason, James Crawford has done nothing to suggest he’s anything more than a special teams contributor and Brady Sheldon probably isn’t ready to be on a 53-man roster. This is a prime position for a waiver claim. It’s unclear who will be playing next to Martinez come Week 1.
Cornerback
The top five are set in stone with Jaire Alexander, Tramon Williams, Kevin King, Tony Brown and Josh Jackson. Alexander could be a star, Williams is playing in the slot and Brown has impressed while taking first-team snaps from King, who is hurt again. If there’s a roster decision to make, it’s behind the top five. Rookie Ka’dar Hollman has really surprised as a press corner and is the favorite to be the sixth guy. Can Chandon Sullivan make more plays in the finale and earn a roster spot? He’s been around the ball all summer. Kabion Ento could make for an intriguing practice squad player. He’s made several impressive plays during practices.
Safety
The starters will be Adrian Amos, the dependable veteran from Chicago, and rookie Darnell Savage, who brings the kind of speed, coverage versatility and playmaking ability that the Packers have lacked at safety since losing Nick Collins. Raven Greene has locked in his role as the third safety and go-to dime linebacker. He’s one of the most improved players on the roster. Who will be the fourth safety? Natrell Jamerson and Will Redmond have both struggled to make tackles. Ibraheim Campbell (knee) remains on PUP. Tray Matthews could make a late push, but it’s possible the Packers will need to go to the waiver wire to find a stopgap option until Campbell is ready.
Special teams
Punter JK Scott has looked fantastic all summer and might be ready to become a field-flipping weapon. His hangtime has been consistently terrific. At kicker, Mason Crosby hasn’t done anything to cost himself the job. The same goes for Sam Ficken, but he needed to be clearly better than Crosby to beat out the veteran. Long snapper Hunter Bradley has been fine. Not good, but good enough.
