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Green Bay Packers 2023 depth chart prediction following roster cuts

This is what you’ll see this season.

By Justis Mosqueda
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Seattle Seahawks v Green Bay Packers Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

Now that waiver claims have been processed, leading to the addition of two new Green Bay Packers, we finally have an idea of what Green Bay’s roster is going to look like entering the regular season. Based on our preseason charting of first-team snaps, we’re going to give you an updated look at what we believe is going to be the Packers’ depth chart for the team’s Week 1 matchup against the Chicago Bears.

Offense

Quarterback

  1. Jordan Love
  2. Sean Clifford

Running Back

  1. Aaron Jones
  2. AJ Dillon
  3. Emanuel Wilson

Outside Receiver

  1. Christian Watson/Romeo Doubs
  2. Christian Watson/Romeo Doubs
  3. Malik Heath
  4. Samori Toure
  5. Dontayvion Wicks

Slot Receiver

  1. Jayden Reed

Tight End/Fullback

  1. Luke Musgrave
  2. Tucker Kraft/Josiah Deguara
  3. Tucker Kraft/Josiah Deguara
  4. Ben Sims

Tackle

  1. David Bakhtiari (LT)
  2. Zach Tom (RT)
  3. Rasheed Walker
  4. Yosh Nijman
  5. Caleb Jones
  6. Luke Tenuta

Guard

  1. Elgton Jenkins (LG)
  2. Jon Runyan Jr. (RG)
  3. Royce Newman
  4. Sean Rhyan

Center

  1. Josh Myers

The offensive backfield is pretty cut and dry for the Packers. Jordan Love is going to be starting under center and running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon will continue to split the load, as they have over the last two seasons.

At wide receiver, Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs are the starting outside receivers with rookie second-round pick Jayden Reed starting in the slot, a role he nearly exclusively played in the preseason. The next man up at outside receiver, based on how the Packers lined up without Doubs — who dealt with a hamstring injury — in the preseason finale, is undrafted rookie free agent Malik Heath.

Heath was one of the breakout players in the preseason for Green Bay. His receptions and receiving yards not only led the team, but finished top-seven around the league this summer.

At tight end, Luke Musgrave took all but one snap that Love was on the field for during this preseason. It’s clear as day that he’s going to be the team’s number one tight end. Behind him, rookie third-round pick Tucker Kraft and veteran “fullback” Josiah Deguara each seem to have their own sub-packages in head coach Matt LaFleur’s offense.

The offensive line is interesting, as there’s plenty of depth at the tackle position and little depth on the interior offensive line. The Packers seem to be confident in four tackles: David Bakhtiari, Zach Tom, Rasheed Walker and Yosh Nijman, who all got time with the first-team offense during training camp.

At guard, the next man up is Royce Newman, followed by Sean Rhyan, but Tom has also received some playing time at guard. It’s possible that if one of Elgton Jenkins or Jon Runyan Jr. goes down that Tom could kick inside, bringing Walker off the bench to play tackle.

The team also only rosters one true center, though, Jenkins, Tom and Runyan have all spent game action or practice time at the position. The truth of the matter is that if Myers is ever injured, a starter elsewhere on the offensive line will move to center so that the team can get their “best five” on the field.

Defense

Defensive End

  1. Kenny Clark
  2. Devonte Wyatt
  3. Colby Wooden
  4. Karl Brooks

Nose Tackle

  1. T.J. Slaton

Outside Linebacker

  1. Rashan Gary
  2. Preston Smith
  3. Lukas Van Ness/Justin Hollins/Kingsley Enagbare
  4. Lukas Van Ness/Justin Hollins/Kingsley Enagbare
  5. Lukas Van Ness/Justin Hollins/Kingsley Enagbare
  6. Brenton Cox Jr.

Inside Linebacker

  1. De’Vondre Campbell
  2. Quay Walker
  3. Isaiah McDuffie
  4. Eric Wilson

Outside Cornerback

  1. Jaire Alexander
  2. Rasul Douglas
  3. Carrington Valentine

Slot Cornerback

  1. Keisean Nixon

Safety

  1. Darnell Savage
  2. Rudy Ford
  3. Jonathan Owens
  4. Anthony Johnson Jr.
  5. Zayne Anderson
  6. Dallin Leavitt

The starters on the interior defensive line are going to be Kenny Clark (end), Devonte Wyatt (end) and T.J. Slaton (nose), with Clark and Wyatt playing the nickel looks on passing downs and Clark and Slaton playing the nickel looks on running downs. Behind them are Colby Wooden and Karl Brooks, two rookie Day 3 selections. Wooden is ahead of Brooks, at the moment, based on their preseason rotation, but you can argue that Brooks had the better summer and could overtake him eventually. The team doesn’t have a true backup nose tackle following the release of 2022 seventh-round pick Jonathan Ford, but assume that Clark will move back to his previous starting role there if Slaton ever exits the lineup.

Outside linebacker is a bit of a question mark, as LaFleur claimed this week that pass-rusher Rashan Gary will begin the season on a “pitch count.” Each of Lukas Van Ness, Justin Hollins and Kingsley Enagbare got a start at outside linebacker opposite of Preston Smith this season, which makes it difficult to know who would benefit the most from Gary playing fewer snaps. Undrafted free agent rookie Brenton Cox Jr. is sixth on the depth chart, though.

At inside linebacker, De’Vondre Campbell missed some preseason time with an ankle injury, which allowed Isaiah McDuffie to get injury replacement snaps alongside Quay Walker this summer. Eric Wilson is fourth in the pecking order here but is a key contributor on special teams.

Cornerback is a position where the Packers don’t carry many numbers, at the moment, but for good reason. The starters are going to be Jaire Alexander and Rasul Douglas on the outside and Keisean Nixon in the slot, at least until Eric Stokes (ankle) is activated off of the physically unable to perform list.

Stokes is ineligible to participate in Green Bay’s first month of the regular season, due to the fact that the initial 53-man roster began with him on that PUP list. The only true backup cornerback on the team is Carrington Valentine, who started as an injury replacement for Alexander (groin) this preseason and got a few looks as a backup slot option in the final week of camp.

While the team hasn’t come out and said it, the probable starter at safety opposite of Darnell Savage is Rudy Ford, who started the final two preseason games at the position. The next man up is Jonathan Owens, a late free-agency signing, who started Week 1 of the preseason. Behind that trio is the developmental project that is sixth-round rookie Anthony Johnson Jr. and two expected special teams contributors in the recently-claimed Zayne Anderson and veteran Dallin Leavitt.

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