Green Bay Packers: Final 53-man roster prediction

The first week of Green Bay Packers Training Camp is in the books and before we get too far into August, here is my prediction for the final 53-man roster.

It’s hard to believe that football is finally back but we made it! And before we know it NFL rosters will be cut down from 90 to 53 and the regular season will be starting.

While we do know who a majority of the players on the Green Bay Packers’ 53-man roster will be, given the number of new faces as well as an almost entirely new coaching staff, there are still a number of questions that need to be answered.

One of which is who will win the battle at the bottom of the receivers’ depth chart? And does coach Matt LaFleur value keeping more players at one position over another?

The answers to those questions should be answered through Training Camp and into the preseason, but before we get to that point, here are my final predictions for the Packers’ 53-man roster.

Quarterbacks (2): Aaron Rodgers, DeShone Kizer

Last year the Green Bay Packers kept three quarterbacks on the roster, but my guess is that they’ll go back to carrying two this season and use that roster spot elsewhere.

While Tim Boyle has become a fan favorite, I don’t expect the Packers to give up on Kizer after one season, given the overall offensive issues last season as well as the price they paid to acquire him.

Running backs (3): Aaron Jones, Jamaal Williams, Dexter Williams

The running back is going to play a much more prominent role under coach Matt LaFleur and that includes in the passing game as well. The Packers have an already established one-two punch of Jones and J. Williams and rookie Dexter Williams is a very good fit for the zone running scheme that LaFleur will deploy.

Fullback (1): Danny Vitale

Yes, the fullback will make its triumphant return to Green Bay in the form of “Muscle Man” Danny Vitale.  While LaFleur didn’t have a fullback on the roster in Los Angeles or Tennessee, the position does play an important role in his offense.

49ers’ coach Kyle Shanahan who has a similar offensive philosophy to LaFleur has said that the fullback will always have a place in his offense. I expect Vitale – who was a proven pass catcher at Northwestern – to find similar success as Kyle Juszczyk has in San Francisco, which will provide Rodgers with another weapon.

Tight end (4): Jimmy Graham, Marcedes Lewis, Robert Tonyan, Jace Sternberger

We know that Graham has a pretty tight hold as the first tight end and Lewis’ ability as a blocker is something that LaFleur covets, but we all need to keep our eyes on Robert Tonyan. He has worked out with 49ers’ star George Kittle over the offseason and has been taking plenty of reps with the first team in Training Camp.

While Sternberger was the first skill-position taken in this year’s draft, fans should temper expectations as we rarely see first-year tight ends produce. And based on his role in Camp thus far, it would appear that the Packers don’t plan on using him a ton this season.

Wide receiver (6): Davante Adams, Geronimo Allison, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Equanimeous St. Brown, Trevor Davis, J’mon Moore.

We know with certainty that Adams, Allison, MVS, and EQ are all locks to make the roster but at the bottom of the depth chart, there will be battles for those final spots.

Last season the Packers kept seven receivers on the roster, but given the larger role that the running game will play as well as the tight end usage under LaFleur, I expect Green Bay to carry just six this season.

While Moore had a rough rookie season, I don’t foresee the Packers giving up on him before his sophomore season even begins. And when it comes to Davis v. Jake Kumerow, both players have garnered praise from Rodgers and the coaching staff this offseason but I think Davis’ return ability on special teams is the deciding factor.

Offensive line (9): Bryan Bulaga, David Bakhtiari, Corey Linsley, Lane Taylor, Billy Turner, Elgton Jenkins, Cole Madison, Alex Light, Jason Spriggs

The Green Bay Packers are pretty set at this position and have some depth along the line which is nice to see. I rounded out the bottom of the depth chart with Cole Madison who has been a favorite of Brian Gutekunst and the coaching staff and has impressed in Training Camp.

While Jason Spriggs has come under fire for his performance in the past, last season once he began to get consistent reps his play improved. Also, finding tackles that you can rely on are tough to come by in the NFL.

Lastly is Alex Light who didn’t see much action last season but brings versatility as he can play multiple positions on the offensive line. And this Packers team has been built on versatility.

Defensive line (6): Kenny Clark, Dean Lowry, Montravius Adams, Kingsley Keke, Tyler Lancaster, Fadol Brown

Although there was a bit of a shakeup with the departure of Mike Daniels, this unit is in good hands lead by Clark, Lowry, and Adams. On the back end, we have Lancaster who did well as a run defender last season and rookie Kingsley Keke.

One possible wildcard to keep your eyes on is Fadol Brown. Although limited last season we saw flashes of him being an impact player and so far through Camp I’ve been quite impressed with what I’ve seen. If he keeps playing at this level, he is going to make it really difficult for the Packers to keep him off of the final roster.

EDGE (4): Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Rashan Gary, Kyler Fackrell

This position has gotten an almost complete makeover from last season and for good reasons. The roster spots for EDGE seems to be pretty straight forward as I think the Packers are done with the Reggie Gilbert experiment and Kendall Donnerson ends up on the practice squad.

Inside linebacker (4): Blake Martinez, Oren Burks, James Crawford, Ty Summers

This is another position that I feel is pretty straight forward. Martinez and Burks will play big roles on the defense, while Crawford was a special teams stand out last season. The battle for the final spot comes down to Summers and undrafted rookie Curtis Bolton, but I think Summers experience at TCU as well as being one of the most athletic inside linebackers in the draft will win him the job.

Cornerback (7): Jaire Alexander, Tramon Williams, Kevin King, Josh Jackson, Ka’dar Hollman, Tony Brown, Natrell Jamerson

For whatever reason, the Green Bay Packers always seem to have injury issues in the secondary, so I am predicting that they will carry seven cornerbacks this season.

On the back end, Tony Brown I believe has shown enough flashes between last season and Training Camp to stick around and Ka’dar Hollman has been a pleasant surprise so far, even taking reps with the first-team defense.

Rounding out this group I am going with Natrell Jamerson because of his athleticism and versatility. The two staples of this Brian Gutekunst Packers team. Jamerson can play corner, as well as safety, and was a return man during his time at Wisconsin.

Safety (4): Adrian Amos, Darnell Savage, Josh Jones, Raven Greene

Raven Greene has been turning heads through the offseason programs and early Training Camp. With the uncertainty surrounding Josh Jones, Greene was taking the reps as the team’s nickel and dime linebacker.

While for the longest time I wasn’t sure what the Packers would do with Jones, it appears that he is embracing his role as a hybrid linebacker and has moved on from demanding a trade. Although things could change, I’m expecting Jones to stay for the 2019 season.

Special teams (3): Mason Crosby, J.K. Scott, Hunter Bradley

The only real question mark – and some may not even call it that – is Mason Crosby who is in a kicking competition with Sam Ficken. My expectations are that Crosby’s experience will help him prevail but I do think that Ficken will give him a run for his money. And we just saw with Mike Daniels that the Packers aren’t afraid to cut a veteran to save some cap space.