Comparing Unofficial Packers Depth Charts

The Green Bay Packers unveiled their first unofficial depth chart on Monday. Here’s how it matches up with the reality through 11 practices of training camp.
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GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers published a depth chart as part of their Dope Sheet preview of Friday’s preseason opener at San Francisco.

The depth chart is unofficial and produced by the team’s PR staff and not coach Matt LaFleur. However, it is a decent representation of the pecking order at every position.

Below is a position-by-position look at the team depth chart (in plain text) compared to what’s been on display at Ray Nitschke Field (in italics), with comments following each.

Offensive Line

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Left tackle

Yosh Nijman, Cole Van Lanen, Rasheed Walker

Yosh Nijman, Cole Van Lanen, Caleb Jones, Rasheed Walker

Having missed the start of camp and struggling upon his return, seventh-round pick Walker has a lot of ground to make up.

Left guard

Jon Runyan, Michal Menet

Jon Runyan, Cole Van Lanen, Michal Menet

Runyan has been one the standbys on a line that has a lot of questions. Van Lanen is in good position to make the roster as a backup at most spots, including here.

Center

Josh Myers, Cole Schneider, Ty Clary

Josh Myers, Jake Hanson, Michal Menet, Cole Schneider, Ty Clary

Schneider, an undrafted rookie who is out with an ankle injury, has never been the No. 2 center.

Right guard

Jake Hanson, Sean Rhyan, George Moore

Royce Newman/Jake Hanson, Sean Rhyan, George Moore

We’ll go with co-starters here to reflect the open competition. In reality, Rhyan has been the second- and third-string right guard. He’s taken approximately 1.1 billion snaps in training camp.

Right tackle

Royce Newman, Zach Tom, Caleb Jones

Royce Newman/Zach Tom, Caleb Jones, Rasheed Walker

We’ll go with co-starters here to reflect the battle. Jones, the absolutely massive undrafted free agent, has gotten some second-team looks.

Offensive Skill Positions

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Quarterback

Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love, Danny Etling

Aaron Rodgers, Jordan Love, Danny Etling

No explanation needed.

Running back

Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon, Patrick Taylor, Tyler Goodson, BJ Baylor

Aaron Jones/AJ Dillon, Patrick Taylor, Tyler Goodson, BJ Baylor

We’ll go with co-starters here. In a two-minute drill on Monday, for instance, Dillon was the running back.

Tight end

Marcedes Lewis, Josiah Deguara, Tyler Davis, Dominique Dafney, Alize Mack, Sal Cannella

Marcedes Lewis, Josiah Deguara, Tyler Davis, Dominique Dafney, Alize Mack, Sal Cannella

Tight end is a hard spot because it’s not really one position. Without Robert Tonyan, it’s not as if Davis is the No. 3 tight end. But, if you were to ask the coaches how they’d rank the group, this is probably accurate.

Receiver

Allen Lazard, Juwann Winfree, Malik Taylor

Allen Lazard, Juwann Winfree, Malik Taylor

Receiver

Sammy Watkins, Romeo Doubs, Danny Davis, Osirus Mitchell

Sammy Watkins, Romeo Doubs, Danny Davis, Osirus Mitchell

Receiver (slot)

Randall Cobb, Amari Rodgers, Samori Toure, Ishmael Hyman

Randall Cobb, Amari Rodgers, Samori Toure, Ishmael Hyman

The Packers like their receivers to line up here, there and everywhere, so it’s not quite as clear-cut as a depth chart makes it out to be. When Lazard needs a breather, for instance, it’s not as if Winfree would be the next man up. Lazard is the obvious No. 1 receiver, and Watkins, Doubs and Cobb round out the clear-cut top four.

Defensive Front Seven

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Defensive line

Dean Lowry, Jack Heflin, Akial Byers

Dean Lowry, Jack Heflin, Akial Byers

Kenny Clark, T.J. Slaton, Jonathan Ford

Kenny Clark, T.J. Slaton, Jonathan Ford

Jarran Reed, Devonte Wyatt, Chris Slayton

Jarran Reed, Devonte Wyatt, Chris Slayton

Like at receiver, this is a cleaner picture than the reality. If, for instance, Lowry needed a breather, Heflin would not be the next man up. If you had to rank the top group in order, you’d have Clark, Lowry/Reed, Slaton and Wyatt.

Outside linebacker

Preston Smith, Jonathan Garvin, Kingsley Enagbare, Randy Ramsey, Chauncey Manac

Preston Smith, Jonathan Garvin, Randy Ramsey, Kingsley Enagbare, Chauncey Manac

Outside linebacker

Rashan Gary, Tipa Galeai, La’Darius Hamilton, Kobe Jones

Rashan Gary, Tipa Galeai, La’Darius Hamilton, Kobe Jones

At Monday’s practice, Galeai and Garvin were the No. 2 tandem. Hamilton has taken a lot of second-team reps, as well. The fifth-round pick Enagbare has been going nowhere fast. If you had to rank the whole group based on usage, you’d go Gary, Smith, Galeai, Garvin, Hamilton, Ramsey, Jones, Enagbare, Manac.

Inside linebacker

De’Vondre Campbell, Krys Barnes, Ty Summers, Ellis Brooks

De’Vondre Campbell, Krys Barnes, Ty Summers, Ellis Brooks

Inside linebacker

Quay Walker, Isaiah McDuffie, Ray Wilborn

Quay Walker, Isaiah McDuffie, Ray Wilborn

Summers has been a key player on special teams in each of his three seasons but is buried on the depth chart at linebacker as well as special teams. Of the seven inside linebackers, he is clearly No. 6.

Secondary

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Cornerback

Jaire Alexander, Rasul Douglas, Rico Gafford, Kabion Ento, Kiondre Thomas

Jaire Alexander, Rasul Douglas, Rico Gafford, Kiondre Thomas, Kabion Ento

Cornerback

Eric Stokes, Shemar Jean-Charles, Keisean Nixon, Donte Vaughn

Eric Stokes, Shemar Jean-Charles, Keisean Nixon, Donte Vaughn

Most teams play with three cornerbacks most of the time, so Douglas is a starter even if he’s not listed as one. The battle to be that fourth corner is wide open between Nixon, who held the job throughout the offseason before missing the start of camp with an injury, Jean-Charles, who moved into the No. 4 role without Nixon, and Gafford, who got a few snaps with the starters on Monday. Thomas is listed lasted on the team depth chart but has gotten plenty of second-team action.

Safety

Adrian Amos, Innis Gaines, Shawn Davis, Tariq Carpenter

Adrian Amos, Shawn Davis, Innis Gaines, Tariq Carpenter

Safety

Darnell Savage, Vernon Scott, Dallin Leavitt

Darnell Savage, Vernon Scott, Dallin Leavitt

Throughout the offseason, Davis was the No. 3 safety. When Savage went down at Family Night, Scott moved into that role. In order, it’s Amos/Savage, Scott, Davis and Leavitt. Unless he makes a late push, Carpenter will be an interesting call when final cuts are made. He’s clearly last on the pecking order but there’s so much potential.

Special Teams

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Kicker

Gabe Brkic

Gabe Brkic

Punter

Pat O’Donnell

Pat O’Donnell

Holder

Pat O’Donnell

Pat O’Donnell

Punt returner

Amari Rodgers, Romeo Doubs, Rico Gafford

Amari Rodgers, Romeo Doubs, Randall Cobb, Ishamel Hyman

Kickoff returner

Rico Gafford, Amari Rodgers, Romeo Doubs

Amari Rodgers, Rico Gafford, Romeo Doubs

Long snapper

Jack Coco, Steven Wirtel

Jack Coco, Steven Wirtel

With Mason Crosby on PUP, Brkic is batting about .500 on field goals. That’s great for baseball but bad for kicking. If Gafford has taken punt-return reps, I’ve missed them. The coaches have had Coco ahead of the incumbent Wirtel throughout training camp and were right to do so. Wirtel’s punt snaps are consistently a bit low.


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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.