Stock Report After Packers' Uninspiring Loss to Jets

Kristian Welch and Colby Wooden helped combine for a stop to get the Packers the ball back, but it was Stackhouse who made the play happen.

It’s early, and a lot can change, but it’s hard to imagine Stackhouse not having a really good chance at making the initial roster out of training camp.

Brenton Cox/Kingsley Enagbare/Barryn Sorrell

The starting defensive front was not much to write home about in their brief cameo, but their backups certainly did the job in their first taste of preseason action.

Brenton Cox and Kingsley Enagbare are likely to make the roster, but certainly not locks at this point of the offseason.

Both players were active. Cox had a tackle for loss following a Mecole Hardman fumble that helped put the Packers’ defense ahead of the sticks.

Enagbare feasted on the Jets’ backup tackles with two pressures by our count coming in the second quarter.

Of the Packers’ rookie class, Sorrell may have had the best performance of anyone who played an extended number of snaps.

He had a pressure on his first snap on the field, and another in the second quarter.

In what was an otherwise forgettable night, the Packers have to feel a little better about their depth at defensive end.

Amar Johnson

The Packers' offense had a forgettable night for most of the night, but Amar Johnson was able to provide some electricity for the home crowd in the fourth quarter.

Johnson has missed a chunk of camp with an injury, which put him behind the 8-ball to make a run at a roster spot, or perhaps more realistically a spot on the practice squad.

Johnson ran through a couple of arm tackles on his way to a 39-yard touchdown, showing off good vision and contact balance to get the Packers on the scoreboard.

That one rush was worth more than the Packers' other two leading rushers combined in an otherwise forgettable night on offense. Perhaps Johnson will get reps sooner in next week's game against the Colts.

Falling

Starting Defensive Front

Realistically, the results of this game do not matter, but one of the worst feelings for any football team is getting whipped up front.

The Packers’ defense certainly found itself getting beat up front early and often as the Jets’ offense marched up and down the field.

Justin Fields’ only drive of the game saw the Jets’ offense go 79 yards with relative ease.

The Jets piled up 59 years rushing on 5.4 yards-per-carry in the first quarter. In total, the Packers were outgained 139-21 in the first quarter.

That’s embarrassing regardless of who is playing, or what the stakes are.

This is a run defense that improved dramatically a season ago, but is working on replacing TJ Slaton, who signed with the Cincinnati Bengals this offseason.

The Packers’ only real attempt to replace Slaton specifically was to add Warren Brinson, and Nazir Stackhouse from Georgia. Brinson was picked in the sixth round. Stackhouse was undrafted.

Stackhouse along with the help of Kristian Welch made a play to stop the Jets’ second drive, but the early effort simply was not good enough for a group that is set to face one of the best offensive lines in football in less than a month.

Malik Heath

Malik Heath is in a fierce competition for a spot on the roster. He’s made the team each of the last two years, but that’s the life of a player on the roster bubble in the NFL. Your job is never truly safe.

Heath’s spot on the team is contingent on the Packers choosing to keep a sixth receiver.

Even if they do that, there are other guys fighting for that spot.

Heath got the nod with the first team offense over Mecole Hardman, but did not make the most of his opportunity.

Jordan Love found Heath in the flat and slung the ball out to him. Heath had green grass in front of him with a chance to pick up the first down.

The only problem was he forgot to bring the football with him.

Heath started to run before securing the catch, and paid the price. Heath dropped the ball.

He’d add another drop in the second quarter on a bootleg from Malik Willis.

In a normal world, one play is not going to be the difference between making the roster versus not, but that’s the type of situation that the receiver position finds itself in.

Heath needs to make the most of every opportunity he has, unfortunately for him tonight, he did not.

Mecole Hardman

Speaking of receivers that had a tough night at the office, Mecole Hardman would certainly apply.

Hardman realistically is on this team to win the job as a returner.

His first two impressions did not go well.

He fielded a punt inside the five, where he was immediately brought to the ground, setting their offense back.

He dropped a pass on his first target of the night just one play later. Those compounding mistakes helped result in Malik Willis getting strip-sacked, which the Jets recovered in the endzone for a touchdown.

Not to be outdone, Hardman’s second return was one that he muffed.

He attempted to field a ball that bounced, and instead misplayed the ball. The fumble gave the Jets the ball in prime scoring territory, which they took advantage of, kicking a field goal.

Hardman is a veteran and should be immune from making mistakes like that.

Hardman winning the last receiver spot on the roster would make things easier on some other decisions for special teams.

He could, in theory, take Keisean Nixon and Jayden Reed out of the return game.

Instead, the return job remains wide open, with Hardman taking a massive step back in tonight’s preseason opener.

Jacob Monk

Sometimes the best thing that can be said about an offensive lineman is that your name was never called during the game.

Jacob Monk, certainly did not have that luxury in his first bit of preseason action.

Monk played right guard after the starting lineup left the game. He was called for two penalties and beaten badly for a sack in the second quarter alone.

He moved to center in the second half, and got flagged for another holding penalty.

He was a healthy scratch for most of the second half of the season, and the Packers found ways to actively keep him off the field during their 22-10 playoff loss to Philadelphia last spring.

Monk has been one of the first men off the bench for the offensive line during camp, and had a prime opportunity to secure a spot as a primary reserve on the interior with Travis Glover being placed on injured reserve last week. Unfortunately for Monk, his performance tonight should open the door for some of the other reserves on the offensive line to jump in and take his spot.