This is the time of year when there isn’t much news coming from the NFL. So when it comes to finding things to read about your favorite team, it might be hard to locate. But we are going to do our best today and give you something to ponder when it comes to the Green Bay Packers. In this article, we do a very early projection for the offensive side of the Green Bay Packers 53-Man roster.
Green Bay Packers 53-Man Roster Projection: The Offense
A lot of things can change from now until Week 1 of the 2023 NFL season. Injuries, player signings, and player releases will all play a part in creating the Green Bay Packers 53-man roster. So this Packers roster projection won’t be perfect, but it will give fans something to discuss.
General manager Brian Gutekunst will have difficult decisions to make when it comes to the Packers final cutdowns. There is a very good chance that there will be members of the opening game Green Bay Packers 53-man roster that don’t even participate in the Packers training camp late this summer. Gutekunst has said NFL rosters are constantly turning, so picking up players late in camp is a strong possibility.
But even with knowing that, our Packers roster projection will stick with players who will be in training camp with the Packers late this summer. Today, we focus on the offensive side of the ball, predicting which offensive players will make up the Green Bay Packers 53-man roster.
Quarterback (2)
In: Jordan Love, Danny Etling
With Aaron Rodgers gone, this is now the Jordan Love show. Gutekunst handpicked Love to be Rodgers’ successor, so Gutekunst’s fate rests in Love’s hands. The Packers will go as far as Jordan Love can take them.
You know what’s a beautiful mystery? That Sean Clifford was selected in the fifth round of this year’s NFL Draft. While we don’t think Danny Etling is the answer and the Packers very well could pick up a veteran quarterback late in camp to backup Love, we do know Clifford shouldn’t be on the opening game roster. Still, it wouldn’t be shocking if Gutekunst hands Clifford the backup job, since he was the one that picked him, but we can’t predict that. Clifford shouldn’t be anywhere near the Green Bay Packers 53-man roster. In fact, he shouldn’t even make the practice squad.
Running Backs (3)
In: Aaron Jones, AJ Dillon, Tyler Goodson
Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon will once again be the Packers top two running backs, but expect to see a lot of Dillon this season. It appears this will be Jones last season as a Packer, so the Packers need to find out if Dillon can become the top ball carrier.
The number three running back spot comes down to Tyler Goodson, Patrick Taylor, and rookie Lew Nichols. We have always found Taylor to be underrated and Nichols is a Gutekunst pick. But Goodson appears to be more talented and explosive than the two.
AJ Dillon adds to his rushing TD total.
📺: #MINvsGB on CBS
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/ePbCm6rlT4 pic.twitter.com/hpY3QKEs57— NFL (@NFL) January 1, 2023
Wide Receiver (6)
In: Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Samouri Toure, Dontayvion Wicks, Grant Dubose
Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, and Samouri Toure will be the top four wide receivers for the Packers this season. All four are Gutekunst’s picks, so if they don’t perform well, Gutekunst will face a lot of (justifiable) criticism.
This Packers roster projection has two more wide receivers joining the team. Those two last spots will fall to Dontayvion Wicks and Grant Dubose, both selected in this past April’s NFL Draft. Not on this list is Bo Melton. Melton was picked off of waivers last season but didn’t do enough to earn a spot here.
Tight End (3)
In: Luke Musgrave, Tucker Kraft, Josiah Deguara
Some readers will think that keeping three tight ends on the Packers roster projection is pretty light. But head coach Matt LaFleur has shown that he doesn’t put a lot of value in the position. Musgrave and Kraft are the present and future of the tight end position for the Packers. You might as well let them play and learn on the fly. We do believe the Packers will carry at least two tight ends on their practice squad though.
Josiah Deguara has the ability to line up at fullback, which increases his value to the team. Not putting Tyler Davis on this projection was easy. Sure, he played a lot of snaps on special teams last season, but he didn’t play them well. Also, he isn’t a good blocker and he has hands of stone.
Offensive Line (9)
In: David Baktiari, Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Jon Runyan, Yosh Nijman, Zach Tom, Sean Rhyan, Caleb Jones, Rasheed Walker
We believe that the Packers will go heavy on offensive linemen heading into this season. Injuries hurt the Green Bay Packers offensive line last season and they don’t want to be caught light this season.
David Bakhtiari, Elgton Jenkins, Josh Myers, Jon Runyan Jr., and Yosh Nijman are expected to be the starters to kick off the season. However, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Myers replaced early. A former second-round selection of Gutekunst’s, Myers played poorly last season and enters this season on the hot seat. Zach Tom played center in college and played it well. He or Elgton Jenkins could take over for Myers if he continues to struggle.
Tom and Sean Rhyan will be the top backups at guard. We went heavy on tackles, with Caleb Jones and Rasheed Walker making the roster, but we felt the potential in both make them worthy to make the roster.
Main Photo: Mark Hoffman – USA Today Sports
