Breaking Down Green Bay Packers' Roster After the 2015 NFL Draft
With the draft now over, the Packers roster is in what is close to its final shape. It's rare for undrafted free agents to make an NFL team, though it seems to happen more in Green Bay than other franchises, as it avoids unrestricted free agency in most years.
For example, players like Sam Shields, the Packers' starting cornerback who now has a contract worth $10 million a year, was an undrafted free agent. The squad does have a particularly deep roster, though, which makes me think it's unlikely that one sticks on the 53-man roster in the fall.
Using the Packers' official site roster, as reporting on undrafted players can be inaccurate until the athletes are physically in camp, we'll break down what the team looks like. The starters are pretty telling at this point, and we'll make the case for camp battles, who to expect to make it to the fall and whom the camp bodies are.
Quarterbacks
1 of 9
Starter: Aaron Rodgers
The Rest: Brett Hundley, Scott Tolzien and Matt Blanchard
It's safe to say the Packers' starting quarterback in 2015 is going to be Aaron Rodgers. The reigning MVP of the NFL has job security at this point in his career. Behind him, though, there seems to be a pretty strong battle.
Because the team's priority this offseason looks to be improving its special teams unit, it's hard for me to believe that the squad is going to spend more than one roster spot on a quarterback, a position which will take up space on the 53-man roster but won't be able to contribute unless two injuries happen on game day. So, whom should Green Bay choose: Brett Hundley or Scott Tolzien?
Hundley was just drafted in the fifth round by the Packers in the NFL draft, while Tolzien has gotten his shot over and over again to show something. I believe Hundley wins the second quarterback slot in camp, and Matt Blanchard is just a camp arm.
Backfield
2 of 9
Starters: Eddie Lacy and John Kuhn (FB)
The Rest: James Starks, Rajion Neal and Aaron Ripkowski (FB)
I'm pretty shocked that the running back position wasn't addressed in the draft. Eddie Lacy is a star running back, but he had a foot injury out of college which required bone fusion. That should have the Packers thinking long and hard about if they want to give him a second contract, especially considering his playing style and position.
James Starks is the second back behind Lacy, but he's not going to be around for much longer, as he'll be 30 years old next season. The only other tailback on the roster is Rajion Neal, an undrafted back from last season who doesn't have NFL experience.
At the fullback position, John Kuhn is on a year-to-year deal. He's solid, but aging, and is consistently receiving the veteran minimum with no signing bonus. Aaron Ripkowski was drafted late in the sixth round by the team this year, and he may push Kuhn, but he seems more like a redshirt candidate on the practice squad before making the team in 2016.
Receivers and Tight Ends
3 of 9
Starters: Jordy Nelson, Davante Adams, Randall Cobb and Richard Rodgers (TE)
The Rest: Jared Abbrederis, Ty Montgomery, Jeff Janis, Andrew Quarless (TE), Kennard Backman (TE), Justin Perillo (TE) and Myles White
This unit should essentially look the same as last season. All the starters are back on the roster, and second-year tight end Richard Rodgers should improve a bit still. Ty Montgomery was added in the draft in the third round, but he looks to be more of a return specialist and second-slot option than a true starter.
The tight end position doesn't seem very deep at this point, and it will be interesting to see which way the team leans in the Kennard Backman and Justin Perillo race. Perillo is a good special teams player, while Backman is a developmental H-back. Which is most important to the team?
The progression of Jared Abbrederis and Jeff Janis will be fascinating to develop, too. Abbrederis blew up on the scene when he beat down Ohio State's Bradley Roby in his senior season. Abbrederis was drafted as a value pick by the Packers last year, but he missed the entire season with a torn ACL. Janis is as raw as can be, and he redshirted during his rookie year. He has all the potential in the world, comparing to Julio Jones athletically.
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Offensive Line
4 of 9
Starters: David Bakhtiari, Josh Sitton, Corey Linsley, T.J. Lang and Bryan Bulaga
The Rest: Don Barclay, J.C. Tretter, Lane Taylor, Garth Gerhart, Jeremy Vujnovich and Josh Walker
The offensive line is virtually untouched. The Packers will return all their starters, none of whom are in danger of losing their jobs. Guards Josh Sitton and T.J. Lang are under long-term contracts already, and right tackle Bryan Bulaga just signed an extension to make him one of the highest-paid players at his position.
David Bakhtiari is on his rookie contract, as is Corey Linsley, who was a starter as a first-year fifth-round pick in 2014. Don Barclay is a solid swing tackle and guard, while J.C Tretter, who played left tackle at Cornell but flipped to center as a professional, has a shot to play all five off the bench.
I would guess that either Lane Taylor or Garth Gerhart is the eighth offensive lineman as an interior swing player, but I'm not sure either one makes the team. With the Packers' draft emphasis on special teams—a unit where big-bodied players rarely can contribute—I'm not sold they'll roll with more than Barclay and Tretter as game-day actives, as they can cover so much ground.
Defensive Line
5 of 9
Starters: Mike Daniels, B.J. Raji and Josh Boyd
The Rest: Datone Jones, Letroy Guion, Khyri Thornton, Christian Ringo, Mike Pennel, Bruce Gaston and Luther Robinson
This defensive line unit might be the strongest under Dom Capers' watch in Green Bay. Five legitimate contributors are in house, with players who may develop on the bench. Mike Daniels and Josh Boyd are likely to be the starting defensive ends for this team, with Daniels being the penetrator and Boyd being the run-stopper. At nose tackle, I would assume B.J. Raji—who was slated to start last year before his injury—takes the starting gig.
On the bench are Datone Jones and Letroy Guion, who have seen time as starters in the recent past. Jones is in the mold of Daniels, and Guion is in the mold of Raji, but they're both lesser versions of the two. Khyri Thornton, who missed his rookie year, is similar to Boyd, and with two years of development since college, he could push for playing time.
After that, there are three interesting developmental guys. Christian Ringo was drafted in the sixth round and made his living in college in the backfield. Mike Pennel is was an undrafted player from last season who did very well as a nose tackle in the preseason. Bruce Gaston, like Pennel, wasn't selected in 2014 but is a great athlete. If just one of those players sticks, the line could be tough for anyone to handle.
Outside Linebacker
6 of 9
Starters: Clay Matthews III and Julius Peppers
The Rest: Nick Perry, Mike Neal, Nate Palmer, Andy Mulumba, Jayrone Elliott and Adrian Hubbard
Outside linebacker is one of the strengths of the team. There is not one person who worries about the Packers heading into the 2015 season with Clay Matthews III and Julius Peppers as the starters. There's also enough depth in the unit for Green Bay to flex Matthews to inside linebacker, allowing Nick Perry to crash as a right outside linebacker in those packages.
Both Perry and Mike Neal are worthy of bench reps. They have had enough success in the past to have the staff time their entrance in a game to keep the legs of Matthews and the aging Peppers fresh.
Nate Palmer and Adrian Hubbard are rare athletes who haven't quite yet developed, but Palmer is a solid special teams player. Andy Mulumba is good enough on special teams to keep him around as a safety net in case the squad needs a fifth or sixth edge player in a game.
Jayrone Elliott was an undrafted rookie last year and had a great preseason. The battle for the last couple of slots at the position should be strong competition.
Inside Linebacker
7 of 9
Starters: Sam Barrington and Jake Ryan
The Rest: Carl Bradford, Josh Francis and Joe Thomas
Oddly, the inside linebacker competition isn't deep. We need to remember that Clay Matthews III is going to get some inside linebacker reps, but even then, there's only three inside linebackers whom I see as locks to make the roster. One of them, Carl Bradford, didn't even really see much time last preseason or regular season, as he was transitioned from the edge during his rookie year.
Sam Barrington clearly won the inside linebacker job last season and should be the top player at the position in 2015. Jake Ryan was selected in the fourth round this year, and like Bradford, was transitioned from an outside linebacker to an inside one in 2014, though it was at the University of Michigan, not in Green Bay. I think he'll compete with Bradford for the spot next to Barrington, assuming Matthews III sticks on the edge.
Josh Francis and Joe Thomas look like camp bodies on paper. Their calling will be on special teams, if they do make the roster.
Cornerbacks
8 of 9
Starters: Sam Shields, Casey Hayward and Damarious Randall
The Rest: Micah Hyde, Quinten Rollins, Demetri Goodson and Tay Glover-Wright
Packers fans may have been surprised by back-to-back selections of Damarious Randall of Arizona State and Quinten Rollins of Miami (Ohio) at the top of the draft, but that's just the Green Bay front office prioritizing the position.
With Tramon Williams and Davon House gone, someone needs to step up as the starter opposite of Sam Shields, and now there's a four-man race between Casey Hayward, Micah Hyde and the two rookies.
I think Hayward and Randall end up winning the boundary and slot gigs in some fashion, with Rollins and Demetri Goodson, last year's late-round pick from Baylor, as bench boundary players and Hyde as a second-slot option. Between the six of them, the Packers should have a very deep cornerback unit in 2015.
Hyde, Rollins and Randall can also flex to the safety position, which should give them more value to stick on the 53-man roster. Cornerbacks also contribute on special teams, so it would make sense to see that combo active on game day, with Goodson developing on the sideline as a project.
Safeties
9 of 9
Starters: Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Morgan Burnett
The Rest: Chris Banjo, Sean Richardson, Jean Fanor and Kyle Sebetic
As noted in the previous slide, Micah Hyde, Quinten Rollins and Damarious Randall can all see time as a safety if one of the starting safeties is injured or in a three-safety set. With that being said, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Morgan Burnett have the starting job locked down.
Clinton-Dix can play single-high free safety, which allowed Burnett to drop into the box, a more natural role for his skill set. That shortened the zones for linebackers in coverage and allowed for the blitzing players to take more risks in the second half of Green Bay's 2014 season. I see no reason for that lineup to change in 2015.
Chris Banjo is a classic backup safety, which Sean Richardson is in the third-safety set as a box player who almost plays like a linebacker. Jean Fanor and Kyle Sebetic have interesting paths to get to Wisconsin, but it's hard to imagine that they'll make the team at this point.
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