Post Minicamp 2022 Green Bay Packers 53-Man Roster Prediction
By Paul Bretl
Post Minicamp Green Bay Packers 53-Man Roster Prediction
Cornerback (6): Jaire Alexander, Rasul Douglas, Eric Stokes, Keisean Nixon, Shemar Jean-Charles, and Rico Gafford.
At this point in the offseason, Keisean Nixon appears to be CB4 on this roster based on the reps in practice and he could end up seeing his fair share of snaps in the slot this season. Shemar Jean-Charles brings added slot depth, which is an area where this cornerback position is lacking, as well as a potential special teams contributor.
Perhaps the biggest surprise on this roster prediction is that I’m going with Rico Gafford — who just converted from wide receiver — as the sixth cornerback–and once again, the big reason is special teams. Gafford has played under Bisaccia, he has also been taking reps with the second special teams unit in practice as a gunner, and he has blazing 4.22 speed.
Safety (5): Adrian Amos, Darnell Savage, Tariq Carpenter, Vernon Scott, and Shawn Davis
We know who the first two safeties on the depth chart will be, but the big question is, do the Green Bay Packers roster four or five? Given how the math worked out for me, I decided to keep five.
Tariq Carpenter brings rare size and athleticism to the safety position, standing 6’3″ – 230 pounds while posting a 4.52-second 40-time. He has the makings of being a standout special teams player under Bisaccia, where he played over 400 snaps at Georgia Tech, according to PFF ($$).
Meanwhile, Shawn Davis has consistently been the third safety during the few practices open to the media, and Vernon Scott was on the 53-man roster all last season, despite being inactive for every game. So there must be something there that the team sees in him—not to mention that Scott brings versatility to the position and, once again, is a potential special teams help.
Next. Packers Showcasing Added Emphasis on Special Teams. dark
Specialists (3): Pat O’Donnell, Mason Crosby, and Steven Wirtel
O’Donnell is the only punter on the roster, and I believe there is too much risk in relying on the inexperience of Dominik Eberle as the field goal kicker. Also, it’s not as if all those missed field goals last season fall 100% on Crosby, the blocking was often bad, and we saw inconsistent snaps and holds as well.
Hopefully, there is some competition at long-snapper, but at this stage of the game, I’ll choose Wirtel’s experience to win out.