Packers Roster: The biggest question for every unit going into camp

The Green Bay Packers’ summer roster is mostly set, as the team has just one open roster spot available at the time of this article. I took the time to go position-by-position through the Packers’ roster and pin down what the biggest question I have for each position group going into camp, the things I’ll be keeping an eye on when real practices begin.

As a reminder, OTAs start next week (voluntary workouts started pre-draft, and there haven’t been any reported holdouts) and minicamp will kick off on June 9th.

Quarterbacks

Who will be the backup quarterback?

Jordan Love is locked into the starting job for the foreseeable future, so the quarterback drama in Green Bay is going to have to come at the backup position. Tyrod Taylor, a 36-year-old with 62 NFL starts under his belt, is certainly more veteran than Kyle McCord, a 2025 draft pick who spent last season on the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad. With that being said, though, Taylor only received $700,000 in guarantees in his contract, less than kicker Brandon McManus — who was released from Green Bay post-draft — made from the Packers this offseason. Taylor’s contract doesn’t really lock him into a roster spot, even if he has an inside track for the job.

Running Backs

Is MarShawn Lloyd going to stay healthy?

The Green Bay Packers chose to bring back blocking back Chris Brooks over ball-carrier Emanuel Wilson this offseason, which will give MarShawn Lloyd the opportunity to be the number two ball-carrier in Green Bay behind Josh Jacobs in 2026. Here’s the problem: The 2024 third-round pick has only played in one game over two seasons due to a brutal stretch of injuries.

Obviously, with that track record, the question is whether Lloyd can stay on the field or not. If he can’t, it opens the door for a roster spot for Pierre Strong Jr., Damien Martinez or undrafted rookie Jaden Nixon.

Receivers

How will the trio of Watson, Reed and Golden gel?

With Jayden Reed under contract for years to come and the Christian Watson extension likely coming, the Packers’ receiver room will revolve around the trio of Watson, Reed and 2024 first-round pick Matthew Golden moving forward.

Here’s the thing, though: We haven’t really seen them play together.

Last season, in part because of injuries to both Watson and Reed, these receivers were only on the field together for all of 14 snaps, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats. Here’s the good news: On those 14 plays, the Packers averaged 11.4 yards per play. They were mostly on the field together for obvious pass situations, as the team threw 12 times out of those 14 snaps.

Reed, famously, has been a slot-only receiver for the Packers. Still, Green Bay likes to move Watson inside in obvious passing situations, too, to get better matchups. On top of that, Golden didn’t play a ton of true outside receiver snaps last year, as he was often motioned from inside out or outside in, rarely stagnant whenever he wasn’t playing a true slot role — which he did frequently when Reed was injured.

What does a Watson, Reed and Golden offense look like? We have no idea. We have about a quarter of a game of plays to go off of from 2025.

Tight Ends

Will the Packers find a #2 Y tight end?

Tucker Kraft should be back on the field by the start of training camp, and he’s not a liability blocker, so that helps Green Bay in the in-line tight end department. With that being said, neither Luke Musgrave nor Josh Whyle, the other returning tight ends from the Packers’ 53-man roster, is a plus blocker. Musgrave has been used in-line for most of his Green Bay career, with below-average results as a blocker, while Whyle has been used as more of a “move” tight end in obvious passing situations.

After the draft, general manager Brian Gutekunst admitted the team wanted to hit the in-line tight end market, but that value didn’t present itself (not surprising considering the crazy run at the position on Day 2). Still, Green Bay, with its run-first offense, will need a better answer than Musgrave or Whyle as in-line blockers if Kraft ever does go down. Look for the team to continue to bring in bodies throughout the summer.

Offensive Linemen

How will the depth play out?

With Sean Rhyan receiving a new contract and Aaron Banks having money converted into a new signing bonus this offseason, the Packers’ starting lineup of Jordan Morgan, Banks, Rhyan, Anthony Belton and Zach Tom (left to right) seems pretty locked in for the next two years or so. Tom, according to his own statement, should return from his partial patellar tendon tear before the start of training camp, for what that’s worth.

The big question for me is what the second line of the depth chart is going to look like. Outside of Darian Kinnard and 2026 draft pick Jager Burton, I don’t really see 100 percent roster locks at the position. The final two to four roster spots (if the Packers stay healthy) could come down to any of Travis Glover (2024 draft pick), Jacob Monk (2024 draft pick), Donovan Jennings (53-man roster member), Brant Banks (53-man roster member, short-term), John Williams (2025 draft pick), Dalton Cooper (pre-draft visitor in 2025), Josh Gesky (pre-draft vistor in 2026) or Dillon Wade. Both Gesky and Wade received $215,000 in guarantees to sign with the Packers as undrafted free agents, more than any Green Bay player got to sign as a UDFA in 2025.

Defensive Linemen

Who starts at nose tackle?

I think this is one of the bigger questions I’ll pose in this article, since it has to do with the starting lineup.

Last year, the Packers lost two nose tackles in T.J. Slaton (free agency) and Kenny Clark (Micah Parsons trade), leading Colby Wooden to start at the nose for Green Bay. This offseason, Wooden was traded to Indianapolis for linebacker Zaire Franklin, opening up a spot on the starting lineup.

Since then, the Packers have signed Javon Hargrave and have drafted Chris McClellan, but neither has been a full-time nose tackle over their careers. Hargrave was a nose tackle last year in Minnesota, for example, but was a B-gap player in both San Francisco and Philadelphia, his last stint with new Green Bay defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon. McClellan played both the A and B gaps at Missouri.

Devonte Wyatt is locked into a starting job at the 3-4 defensive end spot, but the other end and also nose tackle jobs are still up in the air. Hargrave will start at either end or tackle, but that last spot could go to any of McClellan (end or tackle), Warren Brinson (end or tackle), Karl Brooks (end) or Nazir Stackhouse (tackle).

Edge Defenders

When will Micah Parsons return?

We don’t have to lie to ourselves. This is a story we’re all going to be tracking this summer. On paper, Micah Parsons should be back on the field sometime in mid-September. The issue is that if Parsons starts the season on the physically unable to perform list, saving Green Bay a roster spot, then he’ll miss the first four weeks of the 2026 season before returning in Week 5. Timing is going to be very important.

Off-Ball Linebackers

Green dot watch?

This is maybe the most straightforward unit on the Packers’ roster right now. Zaire Franklin is expected to be the starting Mike linebacker with Isaiah McDuffie backing him up. Edgerrin Cooper is expected to be the starting Will linebacker with Ty’Ron Hopper backing him up.

Nick Niemann has the inside track to being the fifth “linebacker” in a heavy special teams role, with Kristian Welch pushing him. It seems unlikely that Green Bay will be keeping more than five off-ball linebackers as they transition to a 3-4 defense.

Maybe the biggest question is who on the defense will wear the green dot. If it’s Franklin (instead of a safety), there’s a chance the team plays some Dime or Penny sets (which Gannon has done in the past) with only Franklin on the field while Cooper watches from the sideline.

Cornerbacks

Who starts opposite Keisean Nixon?

Brandon Cisse was drafted in the second round, but that’s not a promise for playing time. The 20-year-old could beat out Carrington Valentine, Benjamin St-Juste and Kamal Hadden in camp, but we haven’t seen it yet. Remember, over the last two decades plus, Packers first-round picks have only averaged about six starts per season as rookies.

Draft and develop often means giving rookies a light year on the front end of their careers. Green Bay could really use a guy like Cisse catching on early to help them in the secondary, though. I’m sure people will be paying attention to the rotations at the position at every open practice that the Packers have this summer.

Safeties

Will a fifth emerge?

Generally, the Packers have been keeping five safeties on the 53-man roster as of late, mostly because their cornerbacks haven’t been contributing much on special teams. That should change in 2026, as cornerback Benjamin St-Juste is a true special teams ace.

With St-Juste in the cornerback room, is a fifth safety necessary? That’ll be the big question at the position going into cutdowns.

Right now, it seems clear that Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams will be starting at safety with Javon Bullard starting in the slot and Kitan Oladapo being the backup at both positions. Jonathan Baldwin, Mark Perry and Murvin Kenion have a chance of making this team, but they’ll need to have impressive summers to convince the Packers to keep five on their opening day roster.

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