Packers’ Biggest Roster Battles Before Final Preseason Game

From backup quarterback to the last men on the depth chart at various positions, plenty is at stake for the Green Bay Packers as they conclude the preseason against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday.

Packers receiver Bo Melton scores a touchdown vs. the 49ers in the playoffs. / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Exactly 96 days ago, the Green Bay Packers stepped onto Ray Nitschke Field for the first practice of organized team activities. It was 33 days ago when training camp kicked off.

All the blood, sweat and tears will reach a crescendo when the Packers host the Baltimore Ravens in the final preseason game. Plenty is at stake.

Here are the biggest remaining battles.

No. 2 Quarterback

The backup quarterback is ensconced in glass that comes with the label “Break glass in case of emergency.”

The Packers didn’t need to break any glass last year, with Jordan Love starting and finishing all 17 games. Not every team is so lucky. Last season, 67 quarterbacks started at least one game and 63 threw at least 35 passes. Of course, not all of that is injury-related, but you get the point.

Sean Clifford was the backup last year as a rookie but hasn’t taken a Year 2 jump in terms of consistency. Because he’s made too many big mistakes – the kind of mistakes that cost teams games – rookie Michael Pratt remains in the mix.

Nos. 5-6 Receiver

The Packers have a lot of depth at receiver. Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed and Dontayvion Wicks are locked into four spots. If the Packers wind up keeping six, who will earn those final two spots?

It seems to be a three-horse race between Bo Melton, a seventh-round pick by Seattle in 2022, Grant DuBose, a seventh-round pick in 2023, and Malik Heath, an undrafted free agent in 2023 who beat them both out for a job 12 months ago.

All three have a great case to state. After spending most of last season on the practice squad, Melton became a key player down the stretch. He had an outstanding training camp but dropped three passes at Cleveland. DuBose came on strong as camp progressed but dropped two passes at Denver. Heath is a tough guy who got behind Ravens speedster Nate Wiggins for a big gain at the joint practice.

“When you have so many ballers in the room, some people can be forgotten,” Melton said last week. “And that’s the thing with our room. It’s not normal to have so many guys. You look at all of us, most NFL teams don’t have that.

“I don’t know how they deal with it, but I deal with it by just playing every single day and when you get the ball, they start to remember you. ‘Oh yeah! Him!’ You know what I mean? But it’s just a blessing to be put in the position we’re in. Not every team has this many receivers who can ball. That’s a blessing.”

Right Guard

First-round pick Jordan Morgan appeared to have won the job before suffering a shoulder injury, which reopened the door for Sean Rhyan, who played well in extensive playing time down the stretch last year.

They are listed as co-No. 1s on the team’s unofficial depth chart.

Morgan missed the first two preseason games and probably won’t play against the Ravens, either. A strong performance could lock Rhyan into the No. 1 unit for Week 1.

“I think whether it’s Sean Rhyan or Jordan Morgan, I feel comfortable,” Love said on Thursday.

No. 3 Offensive Tackle

This is a bit of an usual position for the Packers, who’ve had good offensive tackle depth during the Matt LaFleur era.

This is a vital position. Last year’s swing tackle, Rasheed Walker, started 15 games. Yosh Nijman started 21 games in 2021 and 2022. Rick Wagner started nine games in 2020.

Andre Dillard appeared to have taken control of the swing-tackle role before suffering a shoulder injury at Denver. He didn’t practice all week and almost certainly won’t get an opportunity to seal the deal vs. the Ravens.

In 27 pass-protecting snaps in the preseason, he allowed zero pressures.

“No. 1 thing you’re looking for is pass protection,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said. “You’ve got to protect the quarterback. That is a tackle’s biggest responsibility there. That’s the biggest thing we look at.”

Kadeem Telfort and Caleb Jones are the other players in the competition. Telfort (undrafted in 2023) and Jones (undrafted in 2022) have played zero snaps on offense in their careers. The Packers could turn to the waiver wire after Tuesday’s roster cuts but competent offensive tackles don’t grow on trees.

Kicker

This battle might have already been won by Anders Carlson. Carlson got on a bit of a roll while his main challenger, veteran Greg Joseph, fell apart over the last week.

Still, Carlson needs to get across the finish line. It’s an apples-to-oranges comparison, but Carlson’s 82.2 percent success rate on the practice field would have ranked only 23rd out of 31 kickers with at least 20 attempts last regular season. So, that’s not good enough. He will have to make kicks on Saturday.

If not, the team could look to the waiver wire, where eight other teams have kicking competitions.

Bottom of Depth Charts

- The Packers usually keep nine or 10 offensive linemen. Do they have that many worth keeping this year? Rasheed Walker, Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Zach Tom, Rhyan, Morgan and rookie Jacob Monk are locks. If Dillard is No. 8, who will be No. 9?

- Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine are locks at corner. It’s been a strong competition with Corey Ballentine, Robert Rochell and rookie Kalen King in the race for the fifth (and sixth?) spot.

- Can Brenton Cox force his way onto the roster as a fifth defensive end? He’s had a good training camp, including a sack last week at Denver. Or will the Packers carry a total of nine defensive linemen because Colby Wooden can play tackle and end?

- Tight end Tyler Davis, linebacker Kristian Welch and safety Zayne Anderson might be afterthoughts on offense or defense, but is their value on special teams so high that at least one of them will get on the roster?

“I think any time you’re talking about, whether it’s the fifth receiver or the third runner, some of your backup linebackers, your fourth safety, your fifth corner, those guys have to be able to contribute on special teams,” LaFleur said.

“I think that’s pretty standard around the league, but also, you want someone that can come in and help you on the offensive side of the ball and, right now, we’ve got a great competition.”

More Green Bay Packers Training Camp News

Yesterday's joint practice capped exactly one month of training camp practices for the #Packers.

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— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 23, 2024

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