Getty Florida's Jacob Copeland catches a pass against Vanderbilt's Elijah Hamilton.
In the penultimate practice of training camp, a familiar face was missing from the Green Bay Packers’ offensive line rotation.
Jake Hanson, a former sixth-round pick, was waived with an injury designation by the team on Tuesday. If he clears waivers, he’ll revert back to the Packers’ injured reserve until both sides agree to an injury settlement. If a settlement is reached, Hanson will immediately become a free agent.
A lineman with past experience at center and both guard spots, Hanson was in the running to compete for a backup job with one exhibition contest to go before the conclusion of the preseason. However, he sustained a shin injury in last week’s loss to the New England Patriots. It’ll prove to be catastrophic for his chances of securing a spot on the Packers’ 53-man roster, which he’s managed to do each of the past two seasons.
Not only did Hanson make last year’s initial roster, but he opened the season as the Packers’ starting right guard. The experiment lasted just one week after he struggled on the road in the opener versus the Minnesota Vikings.
The Packers also announced the signing of Elijah Hamilton as the corresponding roster move. He’s a cornerback who went undrafted out of Louisiana Tech last spring.
Loss of Hanson Helps Paint a Clearer Picture
For the most part, the Packers’ offensive line is coming together. Head coach Matt LaFleur has always been adamant in his pursuit of getting the “best five” on the field. As of right now, that group consists of David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Jon Runyan Jr. and Zach Tom. Barring something unforeseen, that’s the unit that will open the regular-season campaign protecting quarterback Jordan Love.
Bakhtiari, obviously, has yet to play in the preseason and it’ll likely stay that way even through next week. Last week, the Packers started Rasheed Walker — one of the general manager Brian Gutekunst’s eight seventh-round selections dating back to 2022 — at left tackle in Bakhtiari’s place. According to Pro Football Focus, he played more pass-blocking snaps than anyone else on the offensive line against the Patriots and didn’t surrender a single pressure.
Along with Walker, the Packers also have Yosh Nijman and Caleb Jones to lean on at tackle if the opportunity were to arise. They don’t have the same luxury at the interior with Royce Newman and Sean Rhyan — both of which have endured their ups and downs this summer — listed as backups.
It Won’t Be Easy for Hamilton to Make a Splash
With an embarrassment of riches at the cornerback position following the emergence of seventh-round rookie Carrington Valentine, the Packers won’t be asking too much of Hamilton. He enters a crowded room with very little space for opportunity between Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, Rasul Douglas and Valentine. They’d also prefer to look in the direction of Corey Ballentine and Shemar Jean-Charles before Hamilton will be tasked with playing defensive snaps.
If all goes well for Hamilton between his arrival in Green Bay and cut-down day, he could potentially find himself as a prime practice squad candidate. The Packers will need bodies to get through the remainder of the preseason.
After four seasons at Vanderbilt, Hamilton transferred to Louisiana Tech. He played in 12 games for the Bulldogs, tallying 23 total tackles and failing to secure a single interception over the duration of his collegiate career. He briefly signed with the Miami Dolphins after going undrafted but didn’t make it to the end of training camp last summer. Following his release, he played with the St. Louis Battlehawks of the XFL.