Way-Too-Early Green Bay Packer 53-Man Roster Projection

With the addition of five free agents, eight draft picks and 11 undrafted rookies, Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst has successfully ratcheted up the level of competition.

“I think we helped our football team,” Gutekunst said at the end of the draft.

Here’s a Packers roster projection. The goal isn’t so much about getting the names right as laying out where they are strong and where they have some question marks.

Quarterbacks

Returning players: Jordan Love, Malik Willis, Sean Clifford.

Veteran additions: None.

Rookies: None, though Taylor Elgersma will get an opportunity as a tryout player.

Strength of group: A competent backup quarterback can save the season. Just ask the Packers, with Willis coming out of the bullpen to win two starts and another in relief. He’ll be entering his final season under contract, so it will be interesting to see if the Packers sign Elgersma to see if he can be groomed into a potential No. 2.

Roster prediction (2): Love, Willis.

Running Backs

Returning players: Josh Jacobs, MarShawn Lloyd, Emanuel Wilson, Chris Brooks.

Veteran additions: None.

Rookies: Amar Johnson (undrafted), Jalen White (undrafted).

Strength of group: Strong, so long as Lloyd can stay healthy after being sidelined again and again (and again) last season. The third-round pick played in only one game as a rookie. Wilson and Brooks provided quality depth but could be challenged by Johnson, who rushed for 1,222 yards and caught 30 passes in 2024 at South Dakota State.

Roster prediction (3): Jacobs, Lloyd, Wilson.

Receivers

Returning players: Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Bo Melton, Malik Heath, Tulu Griffin (futures contract), Julian Hicks (practice squad), Cornelius Johnson (practice squad).

Veteran additions: Mecole Hardman.

Rookies: Matthew Golden (first round), Savion Williams (third round), Julian Fleming (undrafted).

Strength of group: It’s a heck of a lot stronger now than after Watson suffered his torn ACL at the start of Week 18. After signing Hardman in free agency, the Packers used top-100 picks on Golden, who has game-breaking speed, and Williams, who is a terror in the open field. Assuming the Packers will keep six, an there’s no reason to believe they won’t, Heath, Melton and Hardman will battle for the last spot. Heath’s physicality is an asset; Hardman is a proven returner.

Roster prediction (6): Doubs, Reed, Wicks, Golden, Williams, Heath (with Watson on PUP).

Tight Ends

Returning players: Tucker Kraft, Luke Musgrave, Ben Sims, John FitzPatrick, Messiah Swinson (practice squad), Johnny Lumpkin (futures contract).

Veteran additions: None.

Rookies: None.

Strength of group: This is a quality group, as evidenced by the Packers not adding anyone to it. The key will be Musgrave, who had such a promising rookie season but disappeared long before last year’s ankle injury required surgery. Will Kraft and Musgrave form a dynamic duo, or will Kraft be singing a solo, as was the case last season?

Roster prediction (4): Kraft, Musgrave, Sims, FitzPatrick.

Offensive Line

Returning players: LT Rasheed Walker, C Elgton Jenkins, RG Sean Rhyan, RT Zach Tom, T/G Jordan Morgan, T Kadeem Telfort, C/G Jacob Monk, T/G Travis Glover, G Donovan Jennings (practice squad), G Marquis Hayes (practice squad), C Trey Hill (futures contract).

Veteran additions: LG Aaron Banks.

Rookies: Anthony Belton (second round), John Williams (seventh round), Tyler Cooper (undrafted), J.J. Lippe (undrafted), Brant Banks (undrafted).

Strength of group: The Packers have a whopping 17 blockers on their 90-man roster. From that group, some depth should emerge after the line imploded in the playoffs with Morgan (shoulder) on injured reserve and Jenkins exiting early (stinger). That depth could be hugely important in 2025 to deal with potential injuries and in 2026 with Walker, Tom and Rhyan entering their final season of their rookie contract. As a reminder, Telfort played in 16 games last year, Monk and Glover were draft picks last year and Jennings was a coveted undrafted free agent, so the end-of-the-roster battle will be heated.

Roster prediction (9): Walker, Banks, Jenkins, Rhyan, Tom, Morgan, Belton, Monk, Williams.

Defensive Tackles

Returning players: Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, Colby Wooden, Carl Brooks, James Ester (practice squad), Keith Randolph (futures contract), Nesta Jade Silvera (futures contract).

Veteran additions: None.

Rookies: Warren Brinson (sixth round), Nazir Stackhouse (undrafted).

Strength of group: This group could be trouble. Wooden, a 2023 fourth-round pick, hasn’t lived up to expectations. Brooks, a sixth-round pick in 2023, didn’t take a Year 2 jump after a promising rookie season. They are third and fourth on the depth chart after TJ Slaton signed with the Bengals. If neither Brinson nor Stackhouse are ready-made run stoppers, this could be a position the Packers look to bolster at the end of August.

Roster prediction (5): Clark, Wyatt, Wooden, Banks, Brinson.

Defensive Ends