With their 53-man roster finally set and the opening week of the 2022-23 NFL season quickly approaching, the Green Bay Packers will be tested right out of the gate with their new-look roster. As Aaron Rodgers prepares for life without Davante Adams, the defense welcomes in two first-round picks, and Rich Bisaccia is charged with overhauling special teams, this season will have plenty of storylines to follow.
The preseason helped Matt LaFleur, the coaching staff, and the front office grade out the players that they wanted on this team this season – needing to fill gaps at wide receiver, linebacker, and more, there certainly are holes that this roster will need to compensate for.
Wide Receiver
The most glaring and obvious shortcoming on this roster is the WR room, which has Allen Lazard as its leader. While knocking Lazard for being the best talent on the roster is very unfair to him, the status of this group is very concerning entering the regular season.
Three rookies (Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Samori Toure) were kept, with Juwann Winfree being the odd man out. Randall Cobb, Sammy Watkins, and Amari Rodgers join the four previously-mentioned wideouts for seven total options, showing that Brian Gutekunst is throwing multiple options on the roster and hoping at least a few stick.
Lazard’s development is going to be what makes or breaks this offense, seeing as how he profiles as the top target for Aaron Rodgers. Amari Rodgers is this group’s wild card, and if they decide to utilize him in the backfield as well, he can become a bonafide top-5 option in the passing game.
Safety
As Adrian Amos approaches the time for a new contract and Darnell Savage recovers from a Family Night injury, the safety group for Green Bay looks a bit thin depth-wise.
Behind their two starters, special teams ace Rudy Ford, rookie Tariq Carpenter, and four-year pro Dallin Leavitt make up the depth, with none of these names really being the type to make you feel good. The likes of Tony Jefferson, Landon Collins, and Marquise Blair are out on the market for the taking, and all three of these options would be solid upgrades based on what options are currently in-house behind Amos and Savage.
The surprising cuts of Vernon Scott, Shawn Davis, and Innis Scott left this group fairly thin, especially with Scott’s departure, as he looked to be the clear-cut third safety in this group. With Rasul Douglas potentially earning more playing time at safety to get their best 11 guys on the field, that may help solidify the depth of this group.
The Packers have a few position groups that are light on talent and/or depth, and injuries could make them even worse. With a relatively healthy preseason slate behind us, here’s to hoping that the regular season doesn’t decimate any positions, especially those lacking in depth.
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Mike Johrendt has been an avid fan of the Packers ever since he can remember. He is now a writer at PackersTalk and you can follow him on Twitter at @MJohrendt23
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