Ranking Every Player on Packers’ Roster, Part 2: ‘I’m Going to Wreak Havoc’

The Green Bay Packers will take a 90-player roster to the field for their first practice of training camp on July 23.

In a Packers On SI tradition, we will rank every player on the roster. This isn’t just a list of the best players. Rather, we take talent, contract, draft history, importance of the position and depth at the position into consideration.

More than the ranking, we hope you learn a little something about every player on the roster.

No. 85: DE Deslin Alexandre

As a senior at Pittsburgh in 2022, Deslin Alexandre matched his career high with 5.5 sacks. He went undrafted and spent his rookie training camp with the Jets. The Packers signed him to a futures contract after the 2023 season. He competed for a roster spot at training camp last year, recorded one tackle for loss in the preseason, failed to make the 53 and spent the entire season on the practice squad.

In 2022, he won the Jason Witten Man of the Year Award, the collegiate version of the NFL’s Walter Payton Man of the Year honor.

“He is a great leader and a role model for young athletes,” Witten said. “He came to the U.S. from Haiti at a young age and overcame a lot of challenges to become a great player and leader, both on campus and in the community. He is a perfect example of what a college student-athlete can be.”

No. 84: WR Julian Hicks

Julian Hicks was one of the great stories of last year’s draft. Hicks wasn’t drafted and wasn’t signed. He was invited to the Packers’ rookie camp as a tryout player, where he earned his spot onto the 90-man roster. He didn’t make the 53 but he showed enough to earn a season-long spot on the practice squad.

Hicks opened his college career at Central Michigan in 2018 and Akron in 2019 – two teams that lost a lot of games. In 2020, he caught two passes during the COVID-impacted season. In 2021, he was limited to one game by thumb surgery and a torn ankle ligament.  

“I really didn't know how to feel at the time,” Hicks told The Times Union during a breakout 2022. “I wanted to stop playing football. I told Coach G (then-Albany coach Greg Gattuso) the following day I might have been done with it, but he told me to give it some time to think on it. So, I did, and I kept praying and now I'm here. So, (I’m) just blessed.”

In 2023, he caught 50 passes for 820 yards and 11 touchdowns to help Albany reach the FCS semifinals.

Hicks, who had a 23-yard catch at Cleveland last preseason, missed most of this year’s offseason practices due to injury. With the additions of Matthew Golden, Savion Williams and veteran Mecole Hardman, making the 53 would be hard for any young receiver.

No. 83: DT James Ester

James Ester went undrafted out of Northern Illinois last year. He had three tackles and one deflected pass in the preseason, failed to crack the 53-man roster and spent the entire season on the practice squad.

Ester made his mark at NIU. He started 43 games and was a four-year team captain. Plus, in 2023, he was a semifinalist for the Campbell Trophy – aka the Academic Heisman.

“James is a guy who came into our program, he has developed and is very deserving of this honor,” Huskies coach Thomas Hammock said. “He's an excellent student, a strong player and a great leader who understands what leadership takes both in the good times and through adversity. James is the heartbeat of our defense, he's given his all to this program and he's got a very bright future.

No. 82: DT Keith Randolph

Keith Randolph is an intriguing man of mystery for a Packers defense that could use some help up front.

He was a 42-game starter at Illinois who earned all-Big Ten honors in 2022 (third team) and 2023 (honorable mention). During his final three seasons, he had 10 sacks, 23 tackles for losses, 144 total tackles and two interceptions. Entering the 2024 draft, NFL.com projected him as a late-round prospect.

“He's not twitchy off the snap or with his field movements, but Randolph has managed to stack up tackles at a relatively high rate during his tenure at Illinois,” Lance Zierlein wrote in his scouting report.

Randolph signed with the Bears – collecting $220,000 guaranteed – but was released at the end of training camp. And that was that. Randolph was out of the league the rest of the season until the Packers signed him to a futures contract in January.

“I’m going to rush the passer and stop the run,” Randolph told The Draft Network before the 2024 draft. “I’m planning on being a dominant defensive lineman. I’m going to do my job at a high level while adding versatility to the line of scrimmage. I’m going to have a lot of fun while I’m doing it. The No. 1 goal is obviously to help the team win games. I just want to come in and help the team win. I’m going to wreak havoc in the backfield.”

No. 81: OT Brant Banks

At Rice, Brant Banks started 13 games at left guard in 2023 and 12 games at right tackle in 2024. According to PFF, he allowed two sacks and 11 total pressures during his final season.

For his career, which included four seasons at Nebraska and two seasons at Rice, he played 795 snaps at left guard and 814 snaps at right tackle. How about left tackle? He played 55 snaps at that position, which is where he spent the offseason practices in Green Bay. With the No. 3 offense, he was paired frequently with second-round pick Anthony Belton as the right tackle.

Banks played sparingly at Nebraska. In 2019, he played in one game on the football team but was added to the basketball team’s roster for the Big Ten Tournament to add depth to a roster plagued by injuries and suspensions. He played 3 minutes in the team’s first-round loss to Indiana. The Houston native averaged 11.5 points and 7.6 rebounds during his final season of high school ball.