Getty Marcedes Lewis #89 of the Green Bay Packers makes the catch for the touchdown in the fourth quarter as Deone Bucannon #29 of the New York Giants defends at MetLife Stadium on December 01, 2019 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.The Green Bay Packers defeated the New York Giants 31-13.
The Green Bay Packers have officially released their Week 1 depth chart for the 2020 NFL season with a few slight surprises in starting roles.
Many of the Packers’ starters listed for Sunday’s season opener at the Minnesota Vikings were names expected to claim top jobs, either because they held the role last year or — in the case of new middle linebacker Christian Kirksey — were signed specifically to fill out a vital role on the roster.
The starting tight end job, however, was one of the few positions that remained up for grabs after the conclusion of last month’s training camp along with the two spots on the right side of the offensive line and the inside linebacker position opposite Kirksey.
Here’s how things shook out for the Packers heading into their first game of the year:
Packers 2020 Depth Chart: Week 1 vs. Vikings
Offense
WR: Davante Adams | Equanimeous St. Brown
LT: David Bakhtiari | Yosh Nijman
LG: Elgton Jenkins | Jon Runyan
C: Corey Linsley | Lucas Patrick
RG: Lane Taylor | Lucas Patrick
RT: Billy Turner | Rick Wagner
TE: Marcedes Lewis | Robert Tonyan | Jace Sternberger/Josiah Deguara
WR: Allen Lazard | Malik Taylor
WR: Marquez Valdes-Scantling | Equanimeous St. Brown
QB: Aaron Rodgers | Tim Boyle | Jordan Love
RB: Aaron Jones | Jamaal Williams | Tyler Ervin/AJ Dillon
Analysis: The Packers’ top tight end job opened up when Jimmy Graham was released during the offseason, seemingly pitting Jace Sternberger, a 2019 third-round pick, against fourth-year Robert Tonyan for the right to seize a bigger role in the offense. Instead, the Packers tabbed veteran Marcedes Lewis as TE1 for their opener with a pandemic-hindered offseason limiting Tonyan and Sternberger’s on-field work. Lewis’ pass-blocking prowess should come in handy for what’s expected to be an elevated rushing attack in 2020. The remaining offensive jobs are about as expected; though, Billy Turner could be swapped out for Rick Wagner on game day if Turner’s injury hasn’t improved.
Defense
DE: Dean Lowry | Montravius Adams
NT: Kenny Clark | Montravius Adams
DE: Tyler Lancaster | Kingsley Keke
OLB: Preston Smith | Randy Ramsey | Jonathan Garvin
ILB: Christian Kirksey | Ty Summers
ILB: Oren Burks | Ty Summers
OLB: Za’Darius Smith | Rashan Gary
CB: Jaire Alexander | Chandon Sullivan | Ka’dar Hollman
CB: Kevin King | Josh Jackson | Parry Nickerson
S: Adrian Amos | Will Redmond | Vernon Scott
S: Darnell Savage Jr. | Raven Greene
Analysis: Now is the time for Oren Burks, a 2018 third-round pick, to shine after a pectoral injury cost several games at the start of 2019 and left him physically limited for the remainder of the year. He worked hard and transformed his body during the offseason, but it needs to translate to on-field success. Otherwise, the Packers could be in trouble at ILB with fifth-round rookie Kamal Martin on IR and Ty Summers — who took only special teams snaps in 2019 — the lone backup for the position. The same type of depth concerns linger for the defensive line, which features many returning players whom the Packers expect to make a jump in 2020. It will be interesting to see how the Packers deploy their pass rushers (the Smith Bros. and Rashan Gary) in the first week with defensive coordinator Mike Pettine wanting to get all three of them on the field together at some point.
Special Teams
K: Mason Crosby
P: JK Scott
H: JK Scott
PR: Tyler Ervin | Josh Jackson
KR: Tyler Ervin | Chandon Sullivan
LS: Hunter Bradley
Analysis: There isn’t much to break down about special teams with most of the personnel being the only of their position. Tyler Ervin, who was re-signed this offseason after revitalizing the Packers’ return game in 2019, will look to continue his progress not only as a specialist but as a member of the offense. If not, the Packers have two reliable alternatives with Chandon Sullivan and Josh Jackson, who each played more than 45% of special teams snaps last year.
Follow the Heavy on Packers Facebook page for the latest breaking news, rumors and content!
READ NEXT: Packers Host Ex-Seahawks Veteran Center for Workout: Report