Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst added 13 new players via the NFL Draft in April. It was the most picks Gutekunst has made since taking over as the Packers general manager. The 13 rookies, plus the undrafted free agents the Packers signed, will push existing players for jobs come training camp. Fans should expect some heated battles for positions. The 2023 Green Bay Packers roster might look a lot different than it has in recent seasons.
Players Who Might Not be Locks to Make the 2023 Green Bay Packers Roster
Don’t let certain daily Packers podcasts fool you. The Packers aren’t reloading in 2023. The reality is that they are rebuilding.
With Aaron Rodgers shipped to the New York Jets, the Packers won’t be contending for a berth in the Super Bowl. Sure, in a very weak NFC North, they might have a chance to win the North. But even that seems like a pipe dream. The truth is that Gutekunst and the Packers are building for the future.
The Green Bay Packers roster is going to be a lot younger in 2023. It wouldn’t be farfetched to see at least 10 of their recent draft picks make the opening-day roster. If that becomes a reality, there are several veterans who might be out of work come the last day of cuts. Here are several players who might be on the chopping block when Gutekunst puts together the roster.
Royce Newman, Offensive Line
Brian Gutekunst has made it a habit of putting his own draft picks above other players. It does make some sense. Gutekunst and his staff believe in their own players, so it would be expected that he would put his own picks above other players.
But Gutekunst might have to put his loyalties aside so he can put the best players on the Green Bay Packers roster. That might mean parting ways with former 2021 fourth-round pick Royce Newman.
As a rookie, Newman started 16 games, primarily at right guard. In that season, he flashed some promise. But down the stretch, Newman played much like you would expect out of a fourth-round rookie. His play dropped so much that he was benched for the Packers playoff game against the San Francisco 49ers.
In 2022, Newman started off as the Packers starting right tackle. While Newman was a tackle in college, it was pretty evident that he can’t play there in the NFL. Newman ended up starting just six games in 2022.
Entering 2022, there is a good chance that Newman might be the odd man out. If the season were to start today, the most likely starting offensive line would be David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Jon Runyan Jr., and Yosh Nijman. Even as a backup, Newman will face a lot of competition. Expected to back up Bakhtiari and Nijman are Zach Tom and Caleb Jones. At guard, Newman will be competing against Sean Rhyan and Rasheed Walker. It will be a numbers game and it will be an uphill fight for Newman to make the Green Bay Packers roster.
Tyler Davis, Tight End
There isn’t a position that saw more upgrading this off-season than the tight end position. Gutekunst added Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft in the second and third rounds of this year’s NFL Draft. Musgrave is already turning heads with his pass-catching potential. Kraft is well-rounded and should be a major piece in the Packers offense this season and in seasons to come.
Musgrave and Kraft will be joining Josiah Deguara in the Packers tight ends room. Deguara wasn’t utilized like he should have when Rodgers was leading the offense but with Rodgers gone, he should see increased playing time. Unlike Musgrave and Kraft, Deguara has the capability of lining up in the backfield as a fullback. If Matt LaFleur is going to lean on the run game, which is expected with Jordan Love in his first year as a starter, Deguara could see a lot of playing time.
If the Packers carry just three tight ends, it appears that Tyler Davis will be the odd man out. But even if they do carry four, Davis shouldn’t be the fourth tight end. He has failed to show any promise during his time on the Green Bay Packers roster. He struggles to catch the ball and doesn’t do much as a blocker either. It is curious why he is still even on the roster.
Shemar Jean Charles, Cornerback
Similar to Newman, Shemar Jean Charles is another member of Gutekunst’s 2021 NFL Draft class. Jean Charles was selected in the fifth round out of Appalachian State. It was expected that he would compete for the Packers nickel spot and also contribute on special teams.
However, it appears that Keisean Nixon will be the Packers starting cornerback when the 2023 season kicks off. With Nixon in front of him, and cornerback Eric Stokes expected to return from injury, Jean Charles will be left to just contribute on special teams.
But even there he isn’t a lock to contribute this season. Special teams coordinator Rich Bisaacia has his favorites on his unit, players like Dalin Leavitt, Tariq Carpenter, Rudy Ford, and Isaiah McDuffie are his core players. That might leave Jean Charles in a very difficult situation. Without a spot to contribute, it would seem that the Packers would be better off with someone else at Jean Charles roster spot.
Jonathan Garvin, Outside Linebacker
Gutekunst spent a first-round pick on outside linebacker prospect Lukas Van Ness in this year’s NFL Draft. The selection of Van Ness doesn’t bode well for Jonathan Garvin’s future as a Green Bay Packer.
Even with Rashan Gary expected to miss part of this season while recovering from an injury, there doesn’t seem to be a spot for Garvin on the roster. With Van Ness in the fold and Preston Smith, Kingsley Enagbare, and Justin Hollins ahead of Garvin, it will be a long shot for Garvin to make the Green Bay Packers roster.
Garvin showed some pass-rushing potential at the University of Miami (FL) but he hasn’t shown that potential with the Packers. He has only one and a half sacks in the NFL and those all came in 2021. Garvin also doesn’t bring much to special teams, which would be the only spot he could contribute on.
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