Green Bay Packers

Dissecting the Packers' first unofficial depth chart

Published Aug. 8, 2017 7:40 p.m. ET

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With their preseason opening Thursday, the Green Bay Packers released their first unofficial depth chart, giving insight to questions — for the time being — about the status of a few training camp position battles.

We take a look at how the depth charts are shaking out after a few weeks of training camp. (Note: the Packers depth charts go three-deep; also, with only one kicker (Mason Crosby) and punter (Justin Vogel) on the roster, we've not included those positions.)

The surprise here might be Yancey, a fifth-round pick out of Purdue who has seemingly leapfrogged Janis. One key for Janis, though, is his play on special teams. Let's see how Yancey does against an opponent in game (or as close as we'll get to it in the preseason) action.

Spriggs was drafted as a tackle but started two games at right guard in 2016. That experiment ended when Green Bay signed Jahri Evans. He'll have to protect Aaron Rodgers' blindside if anything happens to Bakhtiari.

Taylor, a former undrafted free agent, started all 16 games in 2016 after having just two starts in his first three seasons. He did fine, allowing two sacks and committing four penalties. Green Bay will need more of that as his backup is sixth-round pick Amichia.

After letting JC Tretter walk, Linsley is the man in the middle. Barclay is only listed on the depth chart at center, but with experience all over the line -- and questionable depth all over -- he could well be the next man up at any of the five spots.

Speaking of Barclay … at right guard, the Packers hope Evans, who turned 34 on Aug. 22, has something left in the tank. His listed backups are McCray, who has yet to play a down in the NFL since leaving Central Florida in 2014 and who once played in the Arena Football League, and Gray, who played in Canada in 2016. Not the CFL, but in college.

Bulaga has been solid over the year for Green Bay and in 2016 he allowed 3.5 sacks -- his fewest since 2011. If not Barclay, 2016 sixth-round pick Murphy, who played in just three games as a rookie, would have to take over if something happened to Bulaga, who has played in all 16 games just twice (2010, 2016).

No surprise that Bennett is No. 1, but there are two things which stand out here. First, Rodgers, who has played in all 48 regular-season games since 2014 with 23 starts, is at third string. Second, Rodgers is behind Sandland, who is listed as a co-second-teamer with Kendricks. Sandland, a bigger tight end at 6-foot-252 pounds, was signed to Green Bay's practice squad in November after being cut by Carolina, which took him in the seventh round of the 2016 draft out of Montana State.

A few things to dissect here: Allison, who has to serve a one-game suspension, hasn't lost any footing on the unofficial depth chart. Dupre, a seventh-round pick this year, has gotten himself ahead of Davis, a fifth-round selection in 2016. Davis' roster spot might hinge on special teams (more on that in a bit).

The backups should get plenty of time to show what they can (or can't do) in the preseason. Last year, Rodgers played in just one exhibition and threw nine passes (the previous four years he played in two, two, three and four preseason games).

Montgomery is clearly the No. 1 back, but Mays, a seventh-round pick, has (for the time) surpassed fifth-rounder Jones in the battle of rookies. Fourth-rounder Williams, for now, has the early edge to be the main backup.

Really the only question here is if the Packers will keep one or two fullbacks.

Despite limited playing time as a rookie (157 defensive snaps), Lowry still had two sacks, three TFL and nine QB hurries. Perhaps then we shouldn't be surprised that he's ahead of Jean Francois, who has, after all, been mostly a backup in his eight seasons.

Yeah, this depth chart was released before Guion was set loose by the Packers. Still, seeing Clark on the first team means he's shown improvement. The depth in the middle is a bit lacking, however.

Adams' injury kind of set this three-man depth chart rather easily. The question is how soon can the rookie get back and work his way past Price? Of course, Price, who spent the majority of 2016 on the practice squad, is certainly no lock to make the roster.

Biegel has missed all of training camp due to a foot injury yet is still listed on the second team. So when healthy, yeah, he'll play.

No surprises here as Ryan, who started 10 games in 2016, is No. 1 and Thomas, who decently filling in for Ryan, is No. 2.

Again, no surprises here as of yet.

Again, no surprises here as a pair of undrafted rookies are third string. Elliott was given a new contract in the offseason.

So let's see, what stands out here …. Having your top draft pick being listed as a third-teamer with two undrafted free agents? Yeah, not a good thing. King has struggled in training camp and certainly isn't looking at early playing time the way things are set up right now. But the preseason games can help clear the picture (both in good and bad ways). House, who in part left Green Bay because he wanted to be a starter, returns and has that role for now (provided, as well, that a hamstring injury doesn't prove to be pesky).

The story of training camp might be Brown, a speedy corner who went to Valdosta State and is already 26 years old (he left college for two years after being academically ineligible only to return in 2014). He's already moved up past Hawkins, a fellow undrafted free agent who played in 10 games in 2016. Randall figures to see plenty of playing time in the nickel defense.

No shock here, but we wonder how much time second-round pick Jones will get on defense. Burnett could slide into a hybrid linebacker role and of course there's a nickel defense/slot position up for grabs as well.

Can Clinton-Dix play every defensive snap again? Brice seems set for a backup role once again. He played in all 19 Packers games (including playoffs) last season after being signed as an undrafted free agent.

Most notable here is that Cobb said he wanted to be more involved in returns and he's getting his wish. After combining for 51 punt returns in his first two seasons, Cobb has had just 25 over the last four years (he had four in both 2015 and '16). Davis was second on the team last year with nine punt returns, but he also had 11 fair catches. The since-departed Micah Hyde had 11 returns and six fair catches.

Montgomery was Green Bay's main kick returner in 2016 (18 returns) but as the No. 1 back it looks like he'll lose this role. Janis had six returns (19.8 average) and Davis three (21.3). If Davis can't win a return job and is buried on the wide receiver depth chart … that doesn't bode well for him.

Well, Madden 18 doesn't think much of Hart and he has struggled in camp. Barclay is listed as the backup, but, well, every team needs a backup. If Hart can't cut it expect Green Bay to find someone else -- and relatively quickly. Hart might be fighting for his job every time he takes the field.

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