The Green Bay Packers are entering a big week – highlighted by joint practices and a preseason game against the New Orleans Saints – but the last few days were big, too: Matt LaFleur’s team opened the preseason in San Francisco on Friday night, and Elgton Jenkins, Robert Tonyan and Christian Watson all came off the PUP list on Sunday.
The roster is starting to take shape. The final two preseason games with help dictate where it ends up in some key spots, but it’s becoming far less of a guessing game at this point in the process.
Here’s an updated 53-man roster projection:
OFFENSE (26)
QB (2): Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love
RB (3): Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon, Tyler Goodson
WR (7): Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Sammy Watkins, Romeo Doubs, Christian Watson, Amari Rodgers, Juwann Winfree
TE (5): Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis, Josiah Deguara, Dominique Dafney, Tyler Davis
OL (9): Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Jon Runyan Jr., Royce Newman, Yosh Nijman, Zach Tom, Sean Rhyan, Jake Hanson, Cole Van Lanen
Thoughts: Getting back Jenkins and Tonyan helps bolster the depth at two position groups that looked shaky through the first two weeks of camp. Are five tight ends necessary with Tonyan back? Davis, who really struggled in San Francisco, might now be on the fringe. Winfree makes it as the seventh receiver, but he’s dealing with a new injury, so he needs to hurry back, especially with Watson back in the fold. Van Lanen is the placeholder until David Bakhtiari comes off the PUP list. Goodson has the burst to beat out Patrick Taylor for the No. 3 running back job.
DEFENSE (24)
DL (6): Kenny Clark, Jarran Reed, Dean Lowry, TJ Slaton, Devonte Wyatt, Jack Heflin
OLB (5): Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, Jonathan Garvin, Kingsley Enagbare, Tipa Galeai
ILB (4): De’Vondre Campbell, Quay Walker, Isaiah McDuffie, Krys Barnes
CB (5): Jaire Alexander, Rasul Douglas, Eric Stokes, Keisean Nixon, Shemar Jean-Charles
S (4): Adrian Amos, Darnell Savage, Vernon Scott, Shawn Davis
Thoughts: Keeping only 24 on this side of the ball might not fly, but is there really a fifth inside linebacker, sixth cornerback or fifth safety worth keeping? Dallin Leavitt’s shoulder injury complicates things a little bit. Could he be headed for IR? If the Packers want him back at some point in 2022, he’ll need to be on the first 53-man roster. It’s certainly possible the Packers would be fine with Scott and Davis as backups and then having players like Innis Gaines and rookie Tariq Carpenter as reserves on the practice squad. Heflin is going to force the Packers to keep six defensive linemen.
SPECIAL TEAMS (3)
K (1): Mason Crosby
P (1): Pat O’Donnell
LS (1): Jack Coco
The kicker situation is increasingly turbulent, and Crosby needs to get back as soon as possible. O’Donnell is locked in, but Coco has to really fight to make the 53. He beat out Steven Wirtel, but the Packers will be on the lookout for an upgrade at long snapper.
