Getty Head coach Matt LaFleur of the Green Bay Packers looks on in the second half against the New York Jets during a preseason game at Lambeau Field on August 21, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
With the preseason in the books, the Green Bay Packers now have a little more than 48 hours to make final decisions on their first 53-man roster of the 2021 season, particularly when it comes to the bottom of their depth chart and the players who will make up the majority of their special teams unit this year.
The Packers have about 30 or so players on their current training-camp roster who can be classified as locks to make the team between contract commitments and overall contributions to the team, including stars such as Aaron Rodgers, Aaron Jones, Davante Adams, David Bakhtiari, Za’Darius Smith, Kenny Clark and Jaire Alexander.
The same cannot be said, however, for a few starters and former draft picks who have spent much of the summer on the roster bubble and could soon be looking for work with another team.
Here’s one final projection for the Packers’ initial 53-man roster, which will need to be finalized before the league-wide deadline at 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday, August 31:
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Quarterbacks
GettyJordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers throws a pass against the Houston Texans in the first half during the preseason game at Lambeau Field on August 14, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Makes the cut (2): Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love
Misses the cut: Kurt Benkert
The Packers carried three quarterbacks throughout the entire 2020 season, but those were extenuating circumstances. Love, a prized first-round pick, needed time to develop and former backup quarterback Tim Boyle (now in Detroit) was better equipped to step in as their backup quarterback had something happened with Rodgers due to his knowledge of the system. Now, Love has a year of learning and two preseason games under his belt that make him an easy choice as Rodgers’ primary backup. Maybe the Packers will try retaining Benkert for their practice squad, but keeping a third quarterback seems a bit excessive with a pair of first-round picks ready to roll.
Running Backs
GettyKylin Hill #32 of the Green Bay Packers is tackled by Siran Neal #33 of the Buffalo Bills during the first quarter at Highmark Stadium on August 28, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York.
Makes the cut (3): Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon, Kylin Hill
Misses the cut: Dexter Williams, Patrick Taylor
Since the beginning of camp, the Packers have been clear to their running backs that the third spot in the rotation was the only one up for grabs coming into 2021, but it hasn’t looked much like a competition for a few weeks now thanks to Hill’s impressive preseason efforts. The 2021 seventh-round pick carried the ball 19 times for 64 yards and caught another four passes for 40 yards across three exhibition games, scoring two of the Packers’ three preseason touchdowns while also adding value as a kick returner. No disrespect to Williams (17 carries, 82 yards) or Taylor (23 carries for 89 yards and two catches for 22 yards), but Hill has done all he can to validate the Packers’ selection.
Wide Receivers
GettyMalik Taylor #86 of the Green Bay Packers runs for yards after a catch during a game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Lambeau Field on December 06, 2020 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Makes the cut (6): Davante Adams, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Allen Lazard, Randall Cobb, Amari Rodgers, Malik Taylor
Misses the cut: Juwann Winfree, Equanimeous St. Brown, Reggie Begelton, Damon Hazelton
It is awfully telling that conversations about the Packers’ wideout battle this summer have revolved mostly around whether they would keep six or seven for the active roster. For one reason or another, the top five receiving spots have been locked since the first week of camp, leaving a small window for the remaining roster hopefuls to make the team. Devin Funchess seemed a likely choice until he suffered a hamstring injury in practice that landed him on injured reserve (and led to him being released with an injury settlement). Winfree was also promising in early camp practices but has been sidelined for the past several weeks with an injury, too. That clears the way for Taylor — who caught 14 passes for 185 yards — to stick around as the sixth man, especially since his next-closest challenger, St. Brown, didn’t play at all in the preseason.
Tight Ends
GettyDominique Dafney #49 of the Green Bay Packers runs the ball after making a catch during the first half against the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium on August 28, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York.
Makes the cut (4): Robert Tonyan, Marcedes Lewis, Josiah Deguara, Dominique Dafney
Misses the cut: Jace Sternberger (suspended until Week 3), Bronson Kaufusi
Technically, the Packers have some more time to mull their decision on Sternberger. The 2019 third-round pick is suspended for the first two games of the season and won’t count against their 53-man roster total until he returns in Week 3, but is there anything left to justify Sternberger occupying a roster spot? He looked average to bad as both a blocker and pass-catcher during their preseason finale against the Buffalo Bills and doesn’t appear to have much special teams value, either. Barring an injury to one of the other four, Sternberger is almost certainly a delayed cut.
Offensive Linemen
GettyDavid Bakhtiari #69 of the Green Bay Packers works out during training camp at Ray Nitschke Field on June 08, 2021 in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin.
Makes the cut (10): David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Royce Newman, Billy Turner, Dennis Kelly, Ben Braden, Jon Runyan Jr., Yosh Nijman, Cole Van Lanen
Misses the cut: Lucas Patrick, Jake Hanson, Coy Cronk, Jacob Capra
Patrick could be the most questionable cut on this list, but there is plenty of reason to doubt the starting right guard’s status with the team. The Packers’ guard spots have been interchangeable throughout the camp with Newman, Runyan, Braden and Van Lanen also getting a crack at manning the interior. If the Packers believe at least one of them is ready for a starting role, it could mean the end for Patrick. The Packers would save $1.975 million in cap space if they cut loose Patrick at the deadline. Or, given his starting experience, they could potentially find a trade partner for him and get back a better return. Maybe Patrick keeps his job due to his utility as a backup center behind Myers, but he could just as easily end up on the cut pile.
Defensive Linemen
GettyJack Heflin #90 and Rahsan Gary #52 of the Green Bay Packers work out during training camp at Ray Nitschke Field on June 09, 2021 in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin.
Makes the cut (6): Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry, Kinglsey Keke, T.J. Slaton, Tyler Lancaster, Jack Heflin
Misses the cut: Abdullah Anderson, Carlo Kemp, Willington Previlon
There might not be a more impressive undrafted rookie on the Packers’ roster this year than Heflin. The former Iowa product looked formidable as both a run-stopper and pass rusher throughout the preseason, generating six total pressures, five stops, four quarterback hits and five quarterback hurries over 118 defensive snaps. Even if the Packers decide to only keep five defensive linemen for the 2021 season, Heflin might still get the nod over Tyler Lancaster. The rest of the decisions, however, are easy with all three starters returning and fifth-round rookie T.J. Slaton adding another valuable rotational piece to the mix.
Inside Linebackers
GettyKerrith Whyte #35 of the Buffalo Bills runs the ball as Isaiah McDuffie #58 of the Green Bay Packers makes a tackle during the second half at Highmark Stadium on August 28, 2021 in Orchard Park, New York.
Makes the cut (5): Krys Barnes, De’Vondre Campbell, Ty Summers, Oren Burks, Isaiah McDuffie
Misses the cut: De’Jon Harris, Ray Wilborn
McDuffie might still be a name worth keeping on bubble watch, but the 2021 sixth-rounder did himself a favor with a strong final preseason performance against the Bills. He logged a team-high nine tackles and chipped in for half of a sack, helping to make up for his elongated injury absence in the early weeks of camp. The subtraction of Kamal Martin (2020 fifth-round pick) also seemingly cleared another spot in the rotation. Meanwhile, Barnes and Campbell are expected to be the Packers’ two starters at the position and Summers and Burks are both stalwart contributors on special teams; although, Burks is likely embarking on a last-chance campaign.
Outside Linebackers
GettyRashan Gary #52 of the Green Bay Packers celebrates sacking Jared Goff #16 of the Los Angeles Rams , in the third quarter during the NFC Divisional Playoff game at Lambeau Field on January 16, 2021 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Makes the cut (4): Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Rashan Gary, Johnathan Garvin
Misses the cut: Tipa Galeai, Chauncey Rivers, Delontae Scott
Assuming the Packers decide to keep six defensive linemen, it would make sense for them to limit their outside ‘backer room to just four players. The trinity of the Smiths and Gary has the potential to be one of the most devastating pass-rushing units in the league in 2021 and shouldn’t be expected to share many, if any, rotational reps with the fourth man. Packers outside linebackers coach Mike Smith has also been adamant that the fourth spot would belong to someone who could help them replace Randy Ramsey’s value on special teams, making Garvin (2020 seventh-round pick) a logical choice over the rest of the field. The one thing that could change the picture here is Za’Darius Smith’s back injury. If the Packers believe he won’t be ready for Week 1, it could make sense for them to keep a fifth man — either Galeai or Rivers.
Cornerbacks
GettyEric Stokes #21 of the Green Bay Packers works out during training camp at Ray Nitschke Field on June 08, 2021 in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin.
Makes the cut (6): Jaire Alexander, Kevin King, Chandon Sullivan, Eric Stokes, Shemar Jean-Charles, Kabion Ento
Misses the cut: Isaac Yiadom, Stephen Denmark, Rojesterman Farris II
There might not be a position on the Packers’ roster that got a more extensive look than cornerback this summer. Despite two draft picks being used to acquire Stokes (first-rounder) and Jean-Charles (fifth-rounder), the Packers have been obsessed with finding a quality depth piece and special teams asset for the sixth spot in the rotation. They traded away Josh Jackson to acquire Yiadom after the first week of the preseason. They also offloaded Ka’dar Hollman to the Houston Texans last week for draft capital. After all that work, though, Ento still appears to be the best man for the job despite some poor tackling in the preseason finale. Yiadom may have starting experience on his resume, but he hasn’t shown enough of it to justify sticking around.
Safeties
GettyHenry Black #27 of the Green Bay Packers runs with the ball during Green Bay Packers Training Camp at Lambeau Field on August 20, 2020 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Makes the cut (4): Adrian Amos, Darnell Savage Jr., Henry Black, Vernon Scott
Misses the cut: Christian Uphoff, Innis Gaines
The Packers lost their top rotational safety when they were forced to place Will Redmond on injured reserve last week, but replacing him won’t be too challenging considering how the other backups have stepped up this summer. Black and Scott have been impressive in both camp reps and the preseason, each looking ready to take the next step in Year 2 for the team. Neither should have much trouble picking up Redmond’s special teams snaps, either. The biggest lingering concern is how prepared either would be if the Packers needed them to step up for an injured reserve, but that’s a worry for another day.
Specialists
GettyMason Crosby #2 of the Green Bay Packers celebrates a field goal with JK Scott #6 during the first quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on October 18, 2020 in Tampa, Florida.
Makes the cut (3): Mason Crosby, JK Scott, Hunter Bradley
Misses the cut: JJ Molson.
The Packers originally began the offseason with two players at each of their three specialist positions, but Molson was the only backup specialist left standing by the second week of the preseason, seemingly putting an end to any legitimate roster competition. Since then, however, the Packers have seen some ugly play out of both Scott and Bradley, enough to make people wonder whether the team trading for a replacement might be a better choice. For now, Scott and Bradley get to keep their jobs, but don’t be surprised if the Packers change their mind once the final cutdown deadline passes and more talent hits the free-agent market.