One of the Green Bay Packers’ three sixth-round draft choices is finally on the 53-man roster.
GM Brian Gutekunst activated offensive lineman Simon Stepaniak from the reserve/non-football injury list to the roster on Wednesday, completing a long journey back to action for the 209th overall pick in the 2020 draft.
Stepaniak (6-4, 316) played in 41 games for Indiana, including 30 starts at right guard. He tore his ACL during practice last December, forcing him to miss Indiana’s bowl game and all of the pre-draft process.
The Packers still took him in the sixth round. He missed the entire offseason and training camp while recovering from the injury on the reserve list. After returning to practice last month, he’s finally healthy and ready to play.
The Packers could use the extra depth along the offensive line with center Corey Linsley and guard Lane Taylor on injured reserve.
Stepaniak was the third of three sixth-round picks for the Packers in 2020, following after Jon Runyan and Jake Hanson. Runyan has played snaps as a reserve, while Hanson is on the practice squad’s injured reserve list.
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