Green Bay Packers Depth Chart: What Week 1 of the preseason taught us

We’re here today to take our best stab at what the Green Bay Packers think of their current roster. Yes, there’s an open roster spot on the team right now, so there are only 90 players listed on this depth chart, not the typical 91.

We don’t know what’s happening behind closed doors, be it practices that weren’t open to the public or how players are picking up the playbook and taking meeting lessons onto the field. Even in open practices, the media can’t have their eyes on every player at all times. This is all to say: The club knows more about these players than we do.

What we do know, though, is how the Packers’ depth chart has played out in the past. We also just learned a little more information about how the team thinks of their newer players, as they showed their hand a bit with how they deployed their positional rotations in their preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. With that in mind, here is the pecking order at each position, including every player on the team, after charting the Packers’ rotations with their first- and second-team units and comparing those numbers to the overall snap counts from the game.

Quarterback

1. Jordan Love
2. Tyrod Taylor
3. Kyle McCord

With the release of Kyron Drones, the pecking order in Green Bay is Jordan Love, Tyrod Taylor and then Kyle McCord, though I’m sure some want to see McCord get more time with the second-team offense after he posted a 91.1 rating against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Running Back

1. Josh Jacobs (groin)
2. MarShawn Lloyd
3. Chris Brooks (hamstring)
4. Pierre Strong Jr.
5. Jaden Nixon
6. Damien Martinez

Neither Josh Jacobs nor Chris Brooks played against Pittsburgh, but MarShawn Lloyd played all first-team offensive snaps and received the first snaps with the second team. Pierre Strong Jr. out-snapped UDFA rookie Jaden Nixon 7-to-3, while Damien Martinez only worked with the third- and fourth-team offenses.

Receiver

1. Christian Watson
2. Matthew Golden
3. Jayden Reed
4. Savion Williams
5. Bo Melton
6. Skyy Moore
7. Isaiah Neyor
8. J. Michael Sturdivant
9. Will Sheppard
10. Kaden Prather
11. Kisean Johnson
12. Chris Hilton Jr.

To no one’s surprise, the number one offense featured Christian Watson and Matthew Golden on the outside and Jayden Reed in the slot. The only receiver who got in the mix, other than those three, was Savion Williams for one rep.

For shorthand: Think of Williams as Watson’s backup, Bo Melton as Golden’s backup and Skyy Moore as Reed’s backup. That’s how they used these players. Melton, Williams and Moore all got at least nine snaps with the second-team offense, while Isaiah Neyor got four.

Neyor played 37 total offensive snaps versus Pittsburgh to J. Michael Sturdivant’s 26 and Will Sheppard’s 16. Kaden Prather, Kisean Johnson and Chris Hilton Jr., who were all added to the Packers’ roster recently, had no more than seven offensive snaps in the game.

Tight End

1. Tucker Kraft (knee)
2. Luke Musgrave (PUP, neck)
3. Josh Whyle
4. Drake Dabney
5. Messiah Swinson
6. McCallan Castles
7. Thomas Yassmin

With both of the Packers’ top tight ends out with injuries, Drake Dabney got the “start” at tight end, but he was out-snapped 8-to-3 by Josh Whyle with the first-team offense. On the second team, Dabney played 11 snaps to Messiah Swinson’s 5. McCallan Castles and Thomas Yassmin, Green Bay’s international exemption player, each played six offensive snaps, but Castles also played 11 special teams reps to Yassmin’s 3. Castles had a big tackle on special teams, if you’re into that thing.

Offensive Line

1. Zach Bako-Bewele (RT, knee)
2. Jordan Morgan (LT)
3. Sean Rhyan (C)
4. Anthony Belton (RG/RT)
5. Aaron Banks (LG, knee)
6. Jacob Monk (G/C)
7. Jager Burton (G/C)
8. Donovan Jennings (G/C)
9. Darian Kinnard (RT/G)
10. John Williams (LT/G/C)
11. Dillon Wade (G)
12. Travis Glover (T)
13. Josh Gesky (G)
14. Dylan Barrett (G)
15. Dalton Cooper (T)
16. Brant Banks (T)

Zach Bako-Bewele and Aaron Banks both were held out of action versus the Steelers, which led the Packers to roll with a starting offensive line of Jordan Morgan, Jager Burton, Sean Rhyan, Jacob Monk and Anthony Belton (left to right). Rhyan was pulled out of the game when the second-team offense played, while the other “starters” remained in the game. Monk slid into center for Rhyan, which allowed Donovan Jennings to play right guard with the second-team unit.

Later in the game, Darian Kinnard (8 snaps, injured), John Williams (32), Dillon Wade (24), Travis Glover (18), Josh Gesky (16), Dylan Barrett (6), Dalton Cooper (6) and Brant Banks (6) played with the third- and fourth-team offenses, coming into the game in that order.

Defensive Line

1. Devonte Wyatt (knee)
2. Javon Hargrave (knee)
3. Karl Brooks
4. Warren Brinson
5. Chris McClellan
6. Jordon Riley (PUP, ankle)
7. Anthony Campbell
8. Nazir Stackhouse
9. Jonathan Ford
10. Jaden Crumedy

Green Bay’s top two defensive linemen continue to recover from knee injuries, but it is worth noting that Karl Brooks was treated like a premier starter, as he only got time with the first-team unit. The only other players who only played with first-teamers against the Steelers were: quarterback Jordan Love, receiver Christian Watson, receiver Matthew Golden, receiver Jayden Reed, center Sean Rhyan, edge defender Lukas Van Ness, edge defender Barryn Sorrell, linebacker Zaire Franklin, linebacker Edgerrin Cooper, safety Xavier McKinney and safety Evan Williams.

At this point, I’m thinking that Brooks is going to be starting in the Packers’ 3-4 base defense in Week 1, which means that Javon Hargrave will likely be playing nose tackle in those looks.

With the first- and second-team defenses, Warren Brinson played 16 snaps, Chris McClellan played 11 snaps, Anthony Campbell and Nazir Stackhouse each played 10 snaps and Jonathan Ford played 8 snaps. Ford, notably, played almost exclusively as an odd-front nose tackle head-up on the center, while the rest of the defensive linemen moved around. He has the most defined role of the Packers’ backup linemen.

Jordon Riley is likely to miss the entire 2026 season as he recovers from his Achilles tendon tear. Jaden Crumedy is clearly last in the pecking order in Green Bay, while the final roster spot (sixth defensive tackle) on the 53-man roster should be highly competitive, with Campbell, Stackhouse and Ford each showing flashes from time to time.

Edge Rusher

1. Micah Parsons (PUP, knee)
2. Lukas Van Ness
3. Barryn Sorrell
4. Brenton Cox Jr.
5. Collin Oliver
6. Dani Dennis-Sutton (illness)
7. Nyjalik Kelly
8. Arron Mosby

As mentioned before, both Lukas Van Ness and Barryn Sorrell were treated like entrenched starters by the Packers. Brenton Cox Jr. played 14 snaps with the first- and second-team defenses, while Collin Oliver played 12, Nyjalik Kelly played 10 and Arron Mosby played 8. Whenever Dani Dennis-Sutton returns to the field from his illness, he will likely cut into Kelly and Mosby’s playing time, considering that Kelly didn’t play his responsibilities well and Mosby is primarily a special teamer. Micah Parsons is not expected to be activated from the PUP list until at least Week 5, the first opportunity that NFL teams can call up players to the active roster if they start the regular season on the physically unable to perform list.

Linebacker

1. Zaire Franklin
2. Edgerrin Cooper
3. Isaiah McDuffie
4. Ty’Ron Hopper
5. Nick Niemann
6. Kristian Welch
7. T.J. Quinn

Zaire Franklin is the team’s starting Mike linebacker, and Isaiah McDuffie is his backup. Edgerrin Cooper is the starting Will linebacker, and Ty’Ron Hopper is his backup. Nick Niemann will likely make the team as a special teams ace. Kristian Welch and T.J. Quinn each played 30 snaps on defense on Thursday, but Welch, another big-time special teams contributor, outsnapped Quinn 19-to-8 in the kicking game. Welch will probably be a practice squad candidate who has the chance to be called up in the case of an in-season injury.

Cornerback

1. Keisean Nixon
2. Carrington Valentine (hamstring)
3. Brandon Cisse
4. Benjamin St-Juste
5. Kamal Hadden (ankle)
6. Domani Jackson (abdominal)
7. Jaylin Simpson
8. Shemar Bartholomew
9. M.J. Devonshire Jr.

With three of the Packers’ top six outside cornerbacks out with injuries, Keisean Nixon and Brandon Cisse each played the first 20 snaps on defense with the first- and second-team defenses, while Benjamin St-Juste and Jaylin Simpson played just 5 each. Simpson also played in the slot at times against the Steelers.

To be honest, the bottom three cornerbacks on the roster all visibly struggled versus Pittsburgh, but Simpson played 49 defensive snaps, Shemar Bartholomew played 29 and M.J. Devonshire played 25. Hopefully that pecking order will never matter during the regular season.

I’m just guessing who is ahead between Kamal Hadden and Domani Jackson, since both have been banged up throughout training camp. Both are expected to return to full-speed action by the time the regular season begins, if they make the roster.

Safety

1. Xavier McKinney
2. Evan Williams
3. Javon Bullard (foot)
4. Kitan Oladapo
5. Mark Perry
6. Murvin Kenion III
7. Trey Dean III
8. Tra Fluellen

The starting safeties this year will be Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams, as long as they’re healthy. Kitan Oladapo and Mark Perry were the next safeties up, but Oladapo kicked into the slot (where he struggled compared to his play at safety) with Javon Bullard sidelined with a foot injury. Once McKinney and Williams were shut down, Murvin Kenion III came off the bench to play safety, allowing Oladapo to continue to play the slot role (until Simpson took over later in the game). Trey Dean III outsnapped Tra Fluellen 30 to 13. Both of those safeties were signed just last week.

Kicker

1. Trey Smack

There is one kicker.

Punter

1. Daniel Whelan

There is one punter.

Long Snapper

1. Matt Orzech (PUP, calf)
2. Cal Adomitis

Cal Adomitis has played well on Family Night and in Week 1 of the preseason, as far as I can tell, but the fact that the Packers are still hanging onto Matt Orzech, who remains on the PUP list with a calf injury that was described as a “short-term” injury, makes me think that Green Bay probably wants to keep Orzech, if he’s ready to go by Week 1.