In addition to quarterback Michael Pratt, the Green Bay Packers made three other notable cuts of recent seventh-round picks on the reveal of the team’s initial 53-man roster: second-year receiver Grant DuBose, rookie Kalen King and second-year safety Anthony Johnson Jr.
Dubose, a seventh-round pick in the 2023 draft, had a strong summer but lost out in a deep position group at receiver. King, a seventh-round pick in the 2024 draft, made a bunch of splash plays this summer — including a pick of Jordan Love in practice and a forced fumble in the preseason finale — but might have lacked the day to day consistency to make the 53-man roster. Johnson Jr., a seventh-round pick in the 2023 draft who started games for the Packers as a rookie, lost out on a roster spot to special teamer Zayne Anderson and fifth-round rookie Kitan Oladapo.
The Packers also released Pratt, a seventh-round pick who failed to win the backup quarterback job and may now be leaving Green Bay altogether.
DuBose lost out to Malik Heath, who made the roster for the second straight year. It’s possible DuBose could return on the practice squad and continue the competition during the regular season.
The Packers kept only five cornerbacks, and veteran Corey Ballentine was the pick over King and Robert Rochell. King, an All-American at Penn State in 2023 who saw his draft stock plummet in 2023, might need a year on the practice squad before he’s ready to contribute. The Packers were training him to play in the slot.
Johnson Jr. might have been the most shocking cut of them all. He had moments as a rookie starter at safety last season and was playing fast and physical on both defense and special teams this summer. It appears the Packers picked Anderson’s value on special teams over Johnson Jr.’s potential. A converted cornerback, Johnson Jr. was coming into his own at safety in Green Bay but now has an uncertain future.
Of course, it’s possible all three will return to the Packers on the practice squad and be elevated to the roster at some point in 2024. All three can play. And while there’s a real risk of being claimed on waivers, usually the risk is overblown — only a couple dozen players get claimed every year.