Tag: depth chart

Updated Lions 90-man depth chart, post-2020 draft

Here is an updated look at the Detroit Lions 90-man comprehensive depth chart following the 2020 NFL Draft.

The Detroit Lions currently have 90-players on their active roster and with (a modified) Spring camp underway, it’s a great time to do a roster check and see where things stand after the 2020 NFL Draft.

Note: you will see some players listed more than once as they have multiple roles and starters will be listed in bold.

Quarterback

  • Matthew Stafford
  • Chase Daniel
  • David Blough

Running back

  • Kerryon Johnson
  • D’Andre Swift
  • Bo Scarbrough
  • Ty Johnson
  • Jason Huntley
  • Wes Hills

Third Down back

  • Jason Huntley
  • Ty Johnson
  • Jamal Agnew — gadget option

Fullback/H-back

  • Nick Bawden (FB)
  • Isaac Nauta (H-B)
  • Luke Sellers (FB)

Wide receiver

  • Kenny Golladay
  • Marvin Jones Jr.
  • Danny Amendola
  • Marvin Hall
  • Quintez Cephus
  • Geronimo Allison
  • Chris Lacy
  • Travis Fulgham
  • Geremy Davis
  • Tom Kennedy
  • Victor Bolden

Slot receiver

  • Danny Amendola
  • Quintez Cephus
  • Jason Huntley (RB)
  • Tom Kennedy
  • Victor Bolden

Tight end

  • T.J. Hockenson
  • Jesse James
  • Isaac Nauta
  • Hunter Bryant
  • Matt Sokol

Starting offensive line

  • LT — Taylor Decker
  • LG — Joe Dahl
  • C — Frank Ragnow
  • RG — Jonah Jackson
  • RT — Halapoulivaati Vaitai

Reserve offensive line

  • LT — Tyrell Crosby, Dan Skipper
  • LG — Logan Stenberg, Oday Aboushi
  • C — Beau Benzschawel, Russell Bodine
  • RG — Kenny Wiggins, Joshua Garnett, Caleb Benenoch
  • RT — Tyrell Crosby, Dan Skipper, Matt Nelson

Interior defensive line

  • Da’Shawn Hand — DT/BIG DE
  • Danny Shelton — NT/3T
  • Nick Williams — DT
  • John Penisini — NT/3T
  • Kevin Strong — DT/BIG DE
  • John Atkins — NT
  • Jashon Cornell, DT/BIG DE
  • Frank Herron — DT/BIG DE
  • Olive Sagapolu — NT

EDGE Rushers

  • Trey Flowers — DDE, 3T
  • Romeo Okwara — DDE, 3T, JACK
  • Julian Okwara — JACK, OTB LB
  • Austin Bryant — JACK, DDE
  • Jonathan Wynn — DDE, 3T
  • Anthony Pittman — JACK, OTB LB

Off-the-ball linebacker

  • Jamie Collins — WILL, JACK, MIKE 
  • Jahlani Tavai — MIKE, WILL
  • Jarrad Davis — MIKE, WILL
  • Christian Jones — WILL, JACK
  • Reggie Ragland — MIKE, JACK, WILL
  • Jalen Reeves-Maybin — MIKE, WILL
  • Mile Killebrew — WILL
  • Jason Cabinda — MIKE, WILL
  • Elijah Lee — WILL, MIKE
  • Christian Sam — WILL, MIKE

Cornerback

  • Jeff Okudah
  • Desmond Trufant
  • Justin Coleman
  • Amani Oruwariye
  • Darryl Roberts
  • Mike Ford
  • Jamal Agnew
  • Tony McRae
  • Dee Virgin
  • Michael Jackson

Slot cornerback

  • Justin Coleman
  • Jamal Agnew
  • Tony McRae

Safety

  • Tracy Walker — JOKER
  • Duron Harmon — Single-high
  • Will Harris — SS/Slot/Single-high
  • Jayron Kearse — SS/WILL
  • C.J. Moore — Single-high
  • Jallen Elliott — Single-high
  • Jeremiah Dinson — Slot DB
  • Bobby Price — JOKER

Third-safety

  • Will Harris
  • Jayron Kearse
  • Jeremiah Dinson

Kicking team

  • Matt Prater — placekicker
  • Don Muhlbach — long snapper
  • Jack Fox — punter, holder, kickoffs
  • Aaryn Siposs — punter, holder, kickoffs
  • Steve Wirtel — long snapper

Kick returns

  • Jamal Agnew — kick returner and punt returner
  • Jason Huntley — reserve kick returner
  • Danny Amendola — reserve punt returner
  • Chris Lacy — reserve kick returner

Top special teams gunners

  • Tony McRae
  • C.J. Moore
  • Dee Virgin
  • Mike Ford

Top special teams non-gunners

  • Jalen Reeves- Maybin
  • Jayron Kearse
  • Miles Killebrew
  • Elijah Lee
  • Geremy Davis
  • Jason Cabinda

Lions roster at a glance

Why did the Saints choose Andrus Peat over Larry Warford?

The New Orleans Saints signed injury-prone left guard Andrus Peat to a big contract extension while cutting repeat-Pro Bowler Larry Warford.

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If you were to go back to the initial days and weeks after the 2019 season wrapped up, polling fans on which of the New Orleans Saints guards would be around in 2020 and beyond, most would probably have suggested right guard Larry Warford rather than left guard Andrus Peat.

Warford is an ironman, with 107 starts under his belt (including the playoffs) and three trips to the Pro Bowl in each of his first three years in New Orleans, even if his play trailed off last season. Meanwhile, Peat has been perceived as an injury-prone anomaly who finally found his footing after washing out at left tackle, right tackle, and right guard, too. To his credit, Peat was also voted into the Pro Bowl in 2018 and 2019.

The analysts at Pro Football Focus graded Warford as a top-10 guard last year (clocking in at No. 8, with an overall grade of 75.8) while Peat was, well, less impressive (ranked at No. 70, due to a 48.5 grade).

Obviously, the Saints disagreed with the wisdom of the crowd. Peat was signed to a massive contract extension with $33 million in guarantees, whereas Warford was released after the team drafted his replacement in the first round (even if the jury’s out on whether rookie phenom Cesar Ruiz will slot in at guard or push Erik McCoy out of the center spot). Why did the Saints do that?

In all likelihood, this wasn’t an easy this-or-that decision. Smart teams like the Saints do thoughtfully allocate salary cap dollars to different position groups and specific players, but they probably didn’t sign Peat to a long-term contract with Warford’s uncertainty in mind. But what if they did?

Internal projections might have looked more favorably on Peat than Warford, if the team’s actions are any sign. Peat is just 26 years old and his issues have largely been connected to injuries — he missed a six-week chunk of the 2019 season with a broken arm, after 2018 was derailed by a concussion, sprained ankle, and broken hand, all of which followed a season-ending broken leg in 2017. He’s never suited up for a 16-game season, but the Saints are apparently betting big that he’ll begin to. If he can stay healthy, his level of play would probably skyrocket.

As for Warford: he’s turning 29 in June and has grappled with conditioning problems, which may have contributed to his less-than-satisfactory performance last year. The Saints were said to be unhappy with his game tape throughout the offseason, but it’s still surprising that they chose to punt on an accomplished player. If the goal all along was to upgrade from Warford, keeping him around as a backup along with the also-expensive Nick Easton (due more than $5.3 million against the salary cap this year) didn’t make sense. It’s worth noting that young reserves like Will Clapp and Cameron Tom have also logged meaningful NFL snaps.

Schematically, Warford hasn’t been the best fit in New Orleans. As pointed out by Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football, he was timed as one of the slowest guards in the NFL back at the Combine, which stands out in a bad way on one of the league’s fastest offensive line groups. Upgrading to a more mobile blocker like Ruiz or McCoy at his spot would do a lot to bring back the carefully-timed screen plays New Orleans was once known for.

So, the answer to our original question is that the Saints probably didn’t compare Peat and Warford before making a call. They did see an opportunity to get better up front by moving on from Warford, and separately took a chance on Peat putting his injuries behind him.

These sort of decisions are made with second- and third-year outlooks in mind, and the Saints must have preferred the vision of a 28-year-old Peat forming an interior trio with McCoy and Ruiz in 2021 rather than a 30-year-old Warford on a new contract. We’ll learn sooner or later whether they made the right choice.

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This stat shows just how good Ben Cleveland has been for Georgia football

This stat shows just how good Georgia football OG Ben Cleveland has been during his time at UGA.

Georgia offensive lineman Ben Cleveland is heading into his fifth season with the Bulldogs.

Cleveland signed with Georgia as a five-star recruit in the class of 2016 out of Stephens County High School in Toccoa, Georgia. He committed with Jacob Eason in July of 2014.

After redshirting his freshman season, Cleveland has become one of Georgia’s most important offensive linemen during his time in Athens.

He’s started 16 games over the last three years, but projects to be a full-time starter this season after the departures of Andrew Thomas, Isaiah Wilson, Solomon Kindley and Cade Mays.

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And with Matt Luke taking over the offensive line following Sam Pittman leaving for the Arkansas job, Luke is in good hands with Cleveland on that line.

Per Brent Rollins of Pro Football Focus, Cleveland has not allowed a single sack or quarterback hit throughout his last 323 pass-blocking snaps. He’s also only allowed seven quarterback pressures.

The 6-foot-6, 335-pound offensive guard decided to stick around for one more season, noting that earning his degree is most important to him.

 

Denver Broncos depth chart prediction: Tight end

Which tight ends will make the Broncos’ 53-man roster?

As we continue our 2020 depth chart prediction series for the Denver Broncos, today we’re going to be looking at the tight end position.

Previously, we predicted the QB and RB depth charts.

TE1: Noah Fant 

Believe it or not, Fant didn’t begin last season as the team’s No. 1 tight end. After a strong rookie season, he’s a lock to serve as the primary TE in 2020.

TE2: Nick Vannett 

Vannett will probably be used primarily as a blocker so he’s not an exciting player but his experience might help him beat out Albert Okwuegbunam for TE2 duties, at least initially.

TE3: Albert Okwuegbunam

Okwuegbunam will be an exciting prospect to watch because he played with quarterback Drew Lock in college. That connection could help him rise up the depth chart during the season.

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Denver Broncos depth chart prediction: Running back 

Who will serve as the Broncos’ third-string running back this season?

As we continue our 2020 depth chart prediction series for the Denver Broncos, today we’re going to be looking at the team’s backfield.

Related: Quarterback depth chart prediction for Broncos. 

Here’s a look at how Denver’s running back depth chart might shake out.

RB1: Melvin Gordon 

The Broncos didn’t give Gordon a two-year, $16 million contract to have him serve as a backup. Gordon will start, sharing carries with Phillip Lindsay.

RB2: Phillip Lindsay

Lindsay is technically being “demoted” but that doesn’t mean he won’t be an important part of the offense. Lindsay should get plenty of touches in 2020 and splitting time with Gordon should help him stay fresh.

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Vols’ projected 2020 offensive depth chart 3.0

Vols’ projected 2020 offensive depth chart 3.0.

KNOXVILLE — Tennessee held two practices before spring football was canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Vols are scheduled to kickoff the 2020 season against Charlotte on Sept. 5 at Neyland Stadium.

Projections are based on current player personnel on roster, including 2020 signees, for Tennessee’s offense following the Early Signing Period and National Signing Day.

NEXT: Tennessee’s 2020 offensive depth chart projection 3.0

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Denver Broncos depth chart prediction: Quarterback

Who will serve as the Broncos’ backup quarterback this season? Will Denver carry a quarterback on the practice squad?

Now that the NFL Draft has wrapped up, we’re going to be taking a position-by-position look at the Broncos’ roster to estimate a way-too-early depth chart prediction. Today, we’re starting the series at quarterback.

QB1: Drew Lock 

This is an obvious prediction. After going 4-1 as a starter last year, Lock earned the trust of Denver’s front office and will go into the 2020 season as the undisputed starter.

QB2: Jeff Driskel

The Broncos signed Driskel in part because he has a similar playing style to Lock. He can move around in the pocket to extend plays and he’s probably more athletic than Lock. If anything happens to Denver’s QB1, they’ll turn to a backup who has eight career starts under his belt.

QB3: Brett Rypien

After starting last season on the Broncos squad, Rypien served as Brandon Allen’s backup for three games before going back down to the practice squad when Lock returned from injury. Rypien’s best bet to stick around with the team will be on the practice squad again.

QB4: Riley Neal

Neal’s college stats aren’t overly impressive (57.8 completion percentage, nine TDs and five INTs at Vanderbilt) and he’ll be considered a big underdog in competition with Rypien for the practice squad QB role.

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Projecting Wisconsin’s defensive depth chart for the 2020 season

Earlier this week I took an early look at what Wisconsin’s offense will look like come Week 1. Today we shift focus to the other side of…

Earlier this week I took an early look at what Wisconsin’s offense will look like come Week 1. Today we shift focus to the other side of the football, and predict how Jim Leonhard‘s defense will line up when the season, hopefully, gets underway in September.

2019 saw the Badger defense rank No. 6 in the country and No. 2 in the Big Ten in yards-per-game allowed, No. 7 in the nation and No. 2 in the conference in rush-yards-per-game, No. 13 in the nation and No. 4 in the conference in pass yards and saw the team shut out four opponents on its way to a Big Ten Championship and Rose Bowl appearance.

Much of the unit’s success was due to insane senior year production from linebackers Zack Baun and Chris Orr, guys who combined for 24 sacks, 33.5 tackles-for-loss, 153 total tackles and four forced fumbles.

The two now gone to the NFL, Baun with the New Orleans Saints and Orr with the Carolina Panthers, leaves two massive holes on Leonhard’s defense with their potential replacements having big shoes to fill.

Here’s an early look at what the defensive unit will look like when football season comes around.

 

Defensive Line

Starters: Isaiahh Loudermilk (defensive end), Garrett Rand (defensive end), Keeanu Benton (defensive tackle)

Backups: Matt Henningsen, Bryson Williams, Boyd Dietzen

The line will be one of the strongest units on the Badger defense this season.

With the team only saying goodbye to backup defensive end David Pfaff after the 2019 season, Leonhard now welcomes back two seniors in Rand and Loudermilk on the edge, a true-sophomore in Benton at tackle after he showed insane potential filling in as a true-freshman and a healthy Williams to complement Benton up front.

The two names to watch along the line as the season progresses are Benton, again only a true-sophomore, and Loudermilk, the one of the group who has the best shot at earning all-conference honors.

After several years of injury-riddled defensive lines, the unit will be a deep one in 2020 and will go a long way to help Leonhard try to find the production lost in the departures of Baun and Orr.

 

Linebacker

Starters: Jack Sanborn (inside), Leo Chenal (inside), Noah Burks (outside), Izayah Green-May (outside)

Backups: Mike Maskalunas, Jaylan Franklin, Spencer Lytle, Maema Njongmeta

As documented above, the linebacker position is the only defensive unit experiencing significant turnover heading into 2020.

The bright spot, though, is coach Paul Chryst seems to need to reload the position every year as names including T.J. Watt, T.J. Edwards, Ryan Connelly, Jack Cichy and now Baun and Orr enter the NFL, and he never has trouble doing so.

This year the name that will step into the role as the leader of the position group and one of the leaders of the entire defense is the junior Sanborn, the team’s leader in tackles and interceptions in 2019 and a guy already receiving NFL-caliber reviews.

With Sanborn will be Chenal at inside linebacker, a true-sophomore who showed flashes during limited playing time in 2019, Burks, a starter as a junior last season who produced seven tackles-for-loss, 36 total tackles, 5.5 sacks and one interception across from Baun, and Green-May, a physically-impressive junior who got injured early in the season after an impressive fall camp.

There will probably be an adjustment period as Chenal and Green-May step into starting roles but the presence of Sanborn, TheDraftNetwork’s No. 72 overall prospect for the 2021 NFL Draft, will pay dividends for Leonhard as he works to make the transition easy and return the position to its 2019 form.

Behind the four probable starters is the senior Maskalunas, a former walk-on who has a shot to play a rotation role, and a bevy of young talent including incoming four-star recruits Nate Herbig and Kaden Johnson and three-star recruit Malik Reed.

 

Secondary

Starters: Caesar Williams (cornerback), Faion Hicks (cornerback), Eric Burrell (safety), Reggie Pearson (safety)

Backups: Rachad Wildgoose, Donte Burton, Collin Wilder, John Torchio

The secondary, like the defensive line, returns their entire unit from the 2019 campaign.

This will be the story with the 2020 Badger defense, as aside from the obvious at linebacker the unit returns nearly its entire core from 2019, a recipe that has led to success in recent years for Chryst and Leonhard.

The probable starters at cornerback are the senior Williams, a guy who showed out late in the season and was a big reason the Badgers were able to reclaim the axe against Minnesota, and Hicks, a junior with tons of college experience.

The backups behind Williams and Hicks for the deep Badger secondary are likely to be Wildgoose, another upperclassman with plenty of experience, and Burton, a sophomore who is set to take over a starting role after Williams and Hicks’ time in Madison is done.

At safety Leonhard will deploy TheDraftNetwork’s No. 158 overall prospect for the 2021 NFL Draft in Burrell, a senior who finished 2019 with 55 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss, two sacks, two interceptions and two forced fumbles and was recently named by ProFootballFocus as the No. 8 returning player in the Big Ten for the 2020 season, and Pearson, a sure-tackling junior who impressed a season ago as a true sophomore recording 60 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss and two forced fumbles.

The unit, again returning every contributor from 2019, will be one of the best in the conference as Leonhard works to return the defense to its 2019 form.

 

The experience all over the defensive unit returning to Madison, as outlined above, will be key during today’s unique time as not only is a September start to the season in question, but it is increasingly unlikely that summer camps will be able to occur in-person.

Unlike other schools in the conference who need to usher in an almost-entirely new unit on defense, Wisconsin has the experience all over the field that will make the transition from quarantine to the field a lot smoother as the plans for the upcoming season round into form.

Sam Pittman on Georgia’s 2020 offensive line: ‘They’ll be fine’

Former Georgia football OL coach Sam Pittman is confident in UGA’s 2020 offensive line depth chart.

Georgia fans were devastated to hear the news of the departure of former offensive line coach Sam Pittman in December.

Pittman assembled the best offensive line Georgia, and quite possibly college football, has ever seen … and he has the evidence to prove that.

The Dawgs had three offensive linemen go in the first 111 picks in the 2020 NFL Draft. Two went in the first round: Andrew Thomas fourth to the New York Giants and Isaiah Wilson 29th to the Tennessee Titans.

Georgia had never had two offensive linemen selected in the first round of the same draft, and Thomas became the highest-drafted Bulldog offensive lineman in school history.

Solomon Kindley was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the fourth round of the draft.

Pittman took the head coaching job at the University of Arkansas, which triggered Kirby Smart’s hiring of former Ole Miss head coach Matt Luke to fill Pittman’s position in Athens.

The Athens Banner-Herald spoke with Pittman about his old players, and the future of the Georgia offensive line.

“I was proud of them,” Pittman told the Athens Banner-Herald.  He was referring to the guys who stepped up in last year’s Sugar Bowl for the absent Andrew Thomas and Isaiah Wilson, who sat out for obvious reasons. “Jamaree Salyer did well. Warren Ericson was in there and played well. Cade (Mays) jumped out to left tackle and, of course, I know he’s not at Georgia anymore. The new guys, I felt like they played about what they played and Coach (Luke) did a nice job of getting them ready. I was really happy, and happy to see them win the game. I was happy for the kids because they finally got a chance to step in there and prove that they’re good football players as well.”

Coach Luke will be without a key piece he thought he would have the Dawg’s 2020 offensive line, Mays. The tackle entered the transfer portal this offseason and transferred to Tennessee, his father’s alma mater.

Pittman had some nice things to say about rising junior guard Salyer.

“Jamaree played quite a bit more this year than he had in the past. He actually played a lot of ball. To look at him, you’re going, man, he’s probably not a tackle but he is a tackle and he’s going to be a really good player. He’s kind of a natural pass protector.”

The Dawgs will also have rising junior center Trey Hill returning, who is a likely NFL prospect.

Pittman was not the slightest bit worried about Georgia losing so much talent to the NFL draft, even though the Dawgs are now conference foes to him.  Pittman knows there is a surplus of talented linemen at Georgia and has plenty of confidence in Matt Luke taking over what he started.

“There’s plenty of talent on that line there even though they lost several kids but they recruited well like Georgia always does,” Pittman said. “Xavier Truss is a kid that’s got a lot of talent. They’ll be fine. They’ve got a really good offensive line coach there. They’ll be fine.”

Analyzing Packers’ post-draft depth chart

Breaking down the Packers’ depth chart at every position following the 2020 draft.

The Green Bay Packers made nine picks in the 2020 NFL draft, selecting a quarterback, running back, tight end, linebacker, three offensive linemen, a safety and an edge rusher.

Although the Packers will add to the roster via undrafted free agency, a good chunk of the 90-man roster is now set, allowing for analysis of the team’s depth chart coming out of the draft.

For the sake of clarity, all rookies (in italics) will be placed at the bottom of the depth chart at their respective positions.

Quarterback

Aaron Rodgers
Tim Boyle
Manny Wilkins
Jordan Love

Analysis: Love, the team’s first-round pick, provides a long-term developmental option and a short-term backup. The Packers love his talent and upside, but understand his need for growth and development. In theory, the Packers could keep three quarterbacks on the roster if Boyle comes out of training camp as the No. 2. Wilkins looks like the odd man out.

Running back

Aaron Jones
Jamaal Williams
Dexter Williams
Tyler Ervin
Damarea Crockett
Elijah Wellman (FB)
A.J. Dillon

Analysis: The addition of Dillon puts Dexter Williams on notice. If Dillon, Jones and Jamaal Williams are roster locks, and Ervin is a good bet as a returner, it’s going to be really difficult for Williams to stick around for a second season. This offense doesn’t really need a traditional fullback, especially if Josiah Deguara slides into an H-back role.

Wide receiver

Davante Adams
Allen Lazard
Marquez Valdes-Scantling
Devin Funchess
Jake Kumerow
Equanimeous St. Brown
Darrius Shepherd
Malik Taylor
Reggie Begelton

Analysis: Surprisingly, there are no new additions here from the draft. The Packers are rolling with the nine above and maybe a UDFA or two. GM Brian Gutekunst and coach Matt LaFleur sound content with the group, although a veteran free agent could be an option between now and camp. They’ll be banking on Funchess becoming a consistent contributor and the young receivers taking a big jump. It’s a gamble, and the Packers might be greatly overestimating their in-house talent here.

Tight end

Marcedes Lewis
Jace Sternberger
Robert Tonyan
Evan Baylis
James Looney
Josiah Deguara

Analysis: The Packers really like Deguara as a move tight end and H-back option. He might get chances to play inline and in the backfield. There’s a good chance the Packers will go into 2020 with Lewis, Sternberger, Tonyan and Deguara at tight end, although Tonyan’s spot now looks more threatened. Sternberger is expected to take on a major role.

Offensive tackle

David Bakhtiari
Rick Wagner
Alex Light
Yosh Nijman
John Leglue
Cody Conway

Analysis: The Packers surprisingly didn’t add help here. Jon Runyan played left tackle at Michigan and might be an option as a swing tackle, but he will likely head inside at the next level. Is there a projected future starter on the roster after Bakhtiari and Wagner? Light struggled last season, and Nijman, Leglue and Conway are undrafted projects. Wagner is coming off a bad final season in Detroit. Acquiring a veteran might be necessary here.

Interior offensive line

Corey Linsley
Billy Turner
Elgton Jenkins
Lane Taylor
Lucas Patrick
Cole Madison
Jon Runyan
Jake Hanson
Simon Stepaniak

Analysis: Three Day 3 draft picks added depth to the group and signaled potential future changes in the middle of the line. Runyan might have future starting ability at guard, while Hanson started 49 games at center in college and could be the replacement for Linsley, who is entering the final year of his deal. Taylor can’t be long for the roster. Madison, who is coming off a torn ACL, suddenly looks like a long shot.

Defensive line

Kenny Clark
Dean Lowry
Montravius Adams
Tyler Lancaster
Kingsley Keke
Gerald Willis (claimed off waivers, not official)

Analysis: No additions here. The Packers are bringing back five players who played snaps along the defensive line last season, but this group struggled to play the run, and Clark was the only disruptive player against the pass. Clearly, they are expecting a jump from Adams and Keke to improve this position group. Adding a veteran here still makes a lot of sense.

Edge rusher

Za’Darius Smith
Preston Smith
Rashan Gary
Tim Williams
Randy Ramsey
Greg Roberts
Jamal Davis (claimed off waivers, not official)
Jonathan Garvin

Analysis: Garvin, a seventh-round pick, will compete with Williams, Ramsey, Roberts and Davis to be the fourth rusher. It’s always possible the Packers could keep five here. Gary, in his second season, will play a lot more.  The Packers like churning the bottom of the roster, particularly at edge rusher, so future additions are possible.

Inside linebacker

Christian Kirksey
Oren Burks
Ty Summers
Curtis Bolton
Kamal Martin

Analysis: The Packers added Kirksey to be the primary off-ball linebacker and drafted Martin, a player they think has the athleticism and length to play both linebacker spots in Mike Pettine’s defense. Can he be an early contributor? Collectively, Burks, Summers and Bolton must really improve for this position to avoid being a major weakness. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Packers had to make another move for a veteran at some point during the summer.

Cornerback

Jaire Alexander
Kevin King
Chandon Sullivan
Josh Jackson
Ka’dar Hollman
Kabion Ento
DaShaun Amos

Analysis: The Packers didn’t draft a cornerback, opening the door for veteran Tramon Williams to return at some point to play the slot. Then again, Gutekunst expressed confidence in Sullivan and suggested Darnell Savage might be able to play some as a nickelback. UDFAs at cornerback always have a chance to make the roster.

Safety

Adrian Amos
Darnell Savage
Raven Greene
Will Redmond
Vernon Scott

Analysis: The top four all look like good bets to make the roster. Scott is a bit of an unknown, but the Packers like his size and movement ability. He’ll need to earn a spot on the roster through special teams work. Greene is coming off a significant injury but has a specialized role, and Redmond was terrific on special teams last year.

Special teams

K Mason Crosby
P JK Scott
LS Hunter Bradley

Analysis: The Packers stood pat here, as expected. All three specialists are former draft picks.

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