Confessions of a Polluted Mindset - Narrowing the Talent Gap
The Weekly Packers Brain Drain from Jersey Al.
By JerseyAl
The final days of offseason workouts and camps are upon us. Packers players will have roughly five weeks off before training camp officially begins on July 23rd. Beyond possible minor moves like Monday's signing of TE Luke Lachey, the Packers 2026 53-man roster will be selected from the players with the club right now. The 2026 offseason saw a good number of 2025 starters and key contributors leave the team, while only a handful of new arrivals were brought in, along with only six draftees.
Departures:
Rashan Gary
Rome Doubs
Elgton Jenkins
Rasheed Walker
Quay Walker
Dontayvion Wicks
Nate Hobbs
Kingsley Enagbare
Colby Wooden
Brandon McManus
Arrivals:
Benjamin St-Juste
Zaire Franklin
Javon Hargrave
Skyy Moore
Tyrod Taylor
On paper, this is quite the disparity between departures and arrivals. Seven starters (counting McManus) and three key contributors left the team and only one sure starter (Franklin) was brought in. While some of the rookies have made some noise in OTA's, that seems to happen every year and then the Packers are reticent to use them when it counts. So, putting the new additions and rookies aside, who is going to help make up the talent gap from 2025 to 2026? As always, the Packers are going to count on every returning player to be an improved version of themselves. Here are my top five (in order of importance/impact) that can bridge that talent gap.
{EDIT: I don't think it was clear - these are in order of least to most important.}
Javon Bullard - Defenses need players like Javon Bullard - heat seeking missiles that live for contact. While undersized at 5'10", his mantra is "see ball, get ball." Now entering his third season, Bullard has seemingly completed the transition from safety to slot corner, the position that suits him best. Covering large areas at safety was a weakness whereas playing as a box safety in smaller spaces put him closer to the ball at all times. Hit fits Gannon's "no scheme" (nudge, nudge, wink,wink) defensive philosophy and tendency to often play with more than two safeties on the field. Bullard provides the best of both worlds in that third player.
Marshawn Lloyd - Let's all whisper quietly when we talk about him, but Lloyd actually participating on the grass (during games!) for the Packers would be a huge boost for this offense. The coaches love him, his teammates love him, all based on the little they've actually seen of him when healthy. His explosion and burst out of a cut has earned him the nickname "yeet cannon" from his teammates. Paired with Josh Jacobs doing getting the tough yards, a running back with the potential to break off big runs and threaten the edges will go a long way towards making the Packers running game and offense less predictable and harder to defend.
Matthew Golden - You couldn't blame Golden for being disappointed in how he was used last season, but the WR room was packed and he needed time to learn a NFL offense. He bided his time and when finally called upon at the end of the season, all he did was produce when given the chance. Well, the waiting is over, Matthew. It's officially your turn now. Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks are gone, Christian Watson and Jayden Reed have been signed to extensions and Golden will now be the third musketeer in the Packers starting receiver group. If Golden proves to be worthy of his first round drafting status, this will be one of the best receiving groups in the league.
Lukas Van Ness - Is the "Van Ness has been destroying OTAs hype" real? Is Micah telling us the Gods honest truth about Van Ness and not just shilling for a teammate? Has Lukas Van Ness learned some actual pass moves? All valid questions. The Packers' replacement for Rashan Gary is going to have to come through early for the Packers, as teams will have the advantage of not having to worry about Parsons early on. I'm confidant that Van Ness can be a physical force out on the edge, but he needs to show a lot more pass-rush wise to be the impact player you expect to be getting in the first half of round one of the draft. If Van Ness shows the supposed improvement when the pads come on, the defense will feel like it's running downhill.
Jordan Morgan - And now we come to another first round selection with something to prove. There was a lot of debate among the NFL Draft analysts whether Morgan was a tackle or a guard convert. We have come to know now that playing left tackle is how Morgan has always seen himself in his NFL dreams and now he finally gets the chance he's yearned for. It just so happens, the Packers may have the most riding on Morgan being a success over any of the other players mentioned above. The Packers don't really have anyone they could be confident in to start at left tackle if Morgan is not up to the task. If Morgan can prove to be worthy of the Packers' confidence, it will go a very long way towards solidifying what was a bit of a mess of an offensive line in 2025.
Go Pack Go!
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"Jersey Al" Bracco is the Editor-In-Chief, part owner and wearer of various hats for CheeseheadTV.com and PackersTalk.com. He's a lifetime Packers fan living in the land of the Giants (and Jets). Follow Al on twitter at @JerseyalGBP.
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Comments (51)
PackEyedOptimist
June 17, 2026 at 05:52 am
I've wondered myself about whom the Packers would put on the field at LT if Morgan went down early in a game, or if he is a train wreck. Kinnard isn't really an NFL left tackle. Glover maybe? But he's not a great stop-gap LT either. Would they move Belton there? That's what he played in college, and they put him there last preseason, but he struggled.
The best option probably would be Zach Tom, but he hasn't practiced there in forever, and it would be risky to his recovering knee to give it new/different stresses.
I think they'd look for a vet if Morgan went down long term, but I'm not sure the Packers have a good answer if Morgan isn't it.
Coldworld
June 17, 2026 at 07:28 am
Maybe it is Brant Banks? He’s consistently been the number 2 LT to this point and was one of the standouts last summer for those of us who watch depth players. One I will be watching through camp/preseason.
Guam
June 17, 2026 at 07:50 am
Glover looked good in TC last year until his injury. I believe he is still recovering and hasn't had an opportunity to show out yet this year. Mayber either he or B. Banks can be the backup LT, but both feel like long shots to me.
Coldworld
June 17, 2026 at 08:04 am
Glover is, in my mind, more of a RT at this level. That’s where he’s mostly been thus far (plus some RG which worried me if it’s more than emergency contingency). I believe that he’d be better at RT than Kinnard, and hopefully that starts to show in camp.
That would mean that Kinnard would be free to be a G, where his movement limitations are less pronounced and our depth is immediately improved as long as we prepare him. One thing about Banks is he’s a unicorn in GB: he played RT in college, so I think it’s possible they are preparing him to be a swing option as well.
Guam
June 17, 2026 at 11:03 am
I haven't seen enough of Glover to have any real idea if he can play LT. RT is always easier with a TE to chip the speed rushers. I have always believed Kinnard is an IOL and significantly improves the Packer depth there. I just don't want to see his slow feet at tackle, either left or right.
I really hope either Banks or Glover step up at tackle, but I still think they are both very unproven players and long shots. I would feel much more comfortable with a more proven option at swing tackle.
PackEyedOptimist
June 17, 2026 at 08:58 am
Good call, CW. I have him as a PS player in my current roster prediction, but thinking about it now, I think I'll move him up to the 53...for now.
Guam
June 17, 2026 at 07:47 am
Concur PEO.
Nixon could slide over and play slot if Bullard were lost. The Packers haven't had Lloyd for two years. If he plays it will be a bonus, but they can succeed without him too. Golden is WR3 and the play of Watson and Reed will be more important than Golden. LVN is important but at least the Packers have Cox and Sorrell behind him with free agent options like Clowney still available too.
If Morgan doesn't work out, I'm not sure what happens. I really don't see a good replacement on the Packers unless they juggle most of the line by sliding Tom to LT, Belton to RT and hope Burton or Kinnard work out at RG. There aren't good free agent LTs out there as an option either. I can hope that a decent LT gets cut during training camp and the Packers pick him up, but hope isn't much of a plan. I see Morgan as the most important guy on Al's list, by a mile.
TKWorldWide
June 17, 2026 at 10:45 am
I’d anticipate Belton at LT. Leave Tom alone, shifty shifters. And then Burton at RG replacing Belton.
But what do I know? (Nothing.)
Guam
June 17, 2026 at 10:55 am
I'm not sure Belton has quick enough feet to play tackle on an island at the NFL level. Speed rushers could give him fits. I like his power at guard and think he can be a real asset playing in a "phone booth", but LT tackle might be a stretch. RT might be a possibility where he can get help from the TE. Then again I am no expert either.........
TKWorldWide
June 17, 2026 at 04:58 pm
Pretty much same page. I just think making Tom switch to the left side would be another tumbling domino. I think we’ve seen way too much shuffling of the o-line deck in recent years.
Coldworld
June 18, 2026 at 12:06 am
Tom was a LT in college. I don’t think he’d have trouble with the switch, but, with his injury now is not the ideal time to make that switch. Had he been healthy it might have been an opportunity to move him to left and let Morgan learn at RT. Once he’s back and in rhythm some cross training becomes an option in season.
dobber
June 17, 2026 at 07:58 am
I tend to agree that unless someone has a great camp and shocks us all, Tom sliding over to LT is probably the move I make if Morgan is ineffective or misses some games.
They've got to find a playable backup on that side that doesn't shake up the rest of the line.
T7Steve
June 17, 2026 at 09:26 am
The whole O-line is my only worry. If they can't field a dominant 1st 5 with viable backup options The rest of the O will have just big plays rather than forcing their will and creating big play opportunities. That will stress the D and STs to pick up the slack.
LambeauPlain
June 17, 2026 at 11:38 am
OL is a glaring concern. It could be very good....or bad.
All 4 to the left of Tom are unproven Packer starters. Banks proved himself to be a solid SF starter, not yet as a Packer. All are mostly being introduced to each other. Cohesion needs to be quickly built.
Depth is also questionable and unknown. Kind of amazing a rookie 5th rounder is suddenly the 6th man.
As the OL goes, so do the Packers' level of success...unless the D becomes dominant and STs become a weapon.
T7Steve
June 17, 2026 at 01:28 pm
Remember when they ignored STs?
Dosen't it seem that lately they've just tried to get by with the O-line?
Cheezehead72
June 17, 2026 at 06:29 am
My list would have the following order. I do agree with all the players.
Morgan
Van Ness
Llyod
Golden
Bullard
Now Golden and Bullard can be switched.
Lphill
June 17, 2026 at 06:48 am
Wicks may do very well now but the Packers have many receivers , I don't think any of the others lost will be missed.
stockholder
June 17, 2026 at 07:02 am
Too many ifs.
While Growth is the key.
I still feel there is a disservice to
The team and MLF.
We're still depending on the Right circumstances.
When actually it’s Gute cutting corners.
And the obvious is foundational.
The studs haven’t surfaced.
And chemistry and accountability have been ignored.
While you point to potential.
The formula for a better OL has changed.
The boost last year was Jenkins to center, and Banks.
Failure; shouldn’t have made it less prioritizing.
The broken plays weren’t noticed.
Generating a pass rush only took a Dawg.
While Parsons was the stud.
The Dawgs are missing.
MLF will have to get the Trench, to over-achieve.
JerseyAl
June 17, 2026 at 11:47 am
Every NFL roster is full of ifs. Every team is counting on players developing. It's not unique to the Packers.
Ihappydirt
June 18, 2026 at 01:50 am
Thanks, Jersey. I logged in to say this.
Savage57
June 17, 2026 at 07:04 am
Good, core players identified to fill the talent gap. Fingers crossed we see some uptick from Ryhan, Cox, Jr., Wyatt, Sorrell, and Musgrave.
And if Gute stays true to Ted's teaching, some camp cut dumpster diving.
GregC
June 17, 2026 at 07:06 am
This is a very solid list. I think Morgan, Van Ness, and Golden are the biggies, in that order. Marshawn Lloyd is a worthy inclusion, but I fear that just having his name mentioned will cause him to get injured again. Javon Bullard was already really good last year, and he played full-time, at least by slot corner standards, so I think we already know what we are going to get from him. So maybe I would replace him on the list with Barryn Sorrell. We will be seeing a lot of Sorrell early in the season. If rookies were allowed, I would go with Trey Smack and Brandon Cisse.
dobber
June 17, 2026 at 08:00 am
Sorrell had a quiet camp. That's a little concerning. I haven't seen him listed with the rehab group.
Coldworld
June 17, 2026 at 08:12 am
He was starting consistently opposite Van Ness. He didn’t flash much, but he’s a player who wins with his hands primarily, not by explosion or swerve. Obviously, that’s not going to come into play in shorts.
The player who stood out most often across the OTAs and Mini-Camp was Cox if one dug (most just focus on the 1s). Van Ness was with the ones and had the one big day, but Cox was with the 2s and in the backfield consistently. Cox just gets by people somehow, without being an obvious speed type.
I don’t care who steps up, I just care that a couple do and Gannon ignores draft pedigree, gives opportunity equally and rewards those who actually get results.
dobber
June 17, 2026 at 08:29 am
Cox is in his walk year, so he has plenty of motivation to be productive and stay on the field. He plays angry.
Until Parsons resurfaces and gets in shape, there are a lot of snaps to be had.
LambeauPlain
June 17, 2026 at 11:50 am
Unlike the OL that needs the best 5 to be taking the volume of snaps TOGETHER in camp and pre season, the DL needs the mixing and matching until the season. Lots of young/new faces. Gannon and Oghobaase will need to evaluate Hargrave playing next to Wyatt and Brooks and Big Mac in combinations...and Gannon and Covington the same with Van Ness, Sorrell, Cox, DDS, Oliver to prepare to Parsons' absence.
Unlikely the OL does stick consistently stick together in camp for a change...we will see. Stenovich and Butkus need their versatility and musical chairs objectives.
dobber
June 18, 2026 at 01:35 pm
Until Parsons came in and was playing 85% of the defensive snaps, the Packers always liked to rotate their edge players at least 4 deep. Guys will get chances early on...they just have to make the most of them.
NickPerry
June 17, 2026 at 07:06 am
All 5 are good choices Al. I think Bullard and Golden are just going to keep getting better & better. Morgan has got to produce because they have NOTHING behind him if he's not the answer. At least nothing that gets me excited. I like Burton but he's one guy and not a LLT.
I'M SO excited for Llyod. I really hope he can just stay healthy because if he does, his talent will do his talking. Just stay on the field young man.
LVN scares the crap out of me. I don't give a damn what he does in shorts. I care what he does in a game. Lets hope Micah is right and he is "A Player". When it comes to LVN is only matters what he does week one and beyond.
Zack Tom's health is pretty vital too.
GO PACK GO!
Starrbrite
June 17, 2026 at 08:03 am
NP, I agree with you you re LVN…and I was one of his biggest promoters when we drafted him.
I do believe however, he will contribute as much, at least, as Gary—hopefully.
I rolled my eyes each time Gary ran a circle past the opposing qb…or chasing, but never catching a ball carrier.
barutanseijin
June 17, 2026 at 08:49 pm
So we’re hoping Van Ness develops into a player worth a fourth round pick?
I guess that would be an improvement.
NickPerry
June 18, 2026 at 07:16 am
"I rolled my eyes each time Gary ran a circle past the opposing qb…or chasing, but never catching a ball carrier."
You and I both Starrbrite!
Coldworld
June 17, 2026 at 07:33 am
At some point no team wins without some of its existing players developing beyond what they have been. In recent years, that’s been all too infrequent unfortunately. Lloyd is something of an oddball in this as he’s essentially a draft pick that we’ve never seen. The others are players that are settled in roles for the first time or have had time under their belts to adjust.
Are these guys the difference? To some extent they are because they have to be. LT is a critical position. Lloyd healthy and used adroitly could singlehandedly improve our OL in the run game by opening up a wider range of possibilities. We need others to stay healthy: Brenton Cox could be a big boost if he can and can deliver sacks. If Banks can be reasonably healthy too.
We need some to have taken a step: if Valentine could just grasp the need to physically commit then the CB room takes a big jump (I’m less hopeful of that). If Rhyan, Belton are allowed to settle and actually live up to hopes at C and RG respectively. Growth has to happen on any team. Thats a large part of why coaches get paid. It won’t be universal, but some players need to step into contention and others to be better than they were last year.
My concern on the O at the skill positions (assuming all are available) is how does a troika of Watson, Reed and Golden work? In effect that comes down to does Golden really fit in the former Doubs role in this offense? Is indeed that role similar? Is this the best way to exploit Golden’s talent or are two slot bodies among the starters trying to fit talent into a template that doesn’t fit? Does LaFleur have a plan to harness Golden’s undoubted talent or will he just try to force it into the confines of a scheme that forces him to play too much to his weaknesses?
Starrbrite
June 17, 2026 at 08:05 am
Right CW, let’s get the ball to Golden and see where it goes.
dobber
June 17, 2026 at 08:24 am
"If Rhyan, Belton are allowed to settle and actually live up to hopes at C and RG respectively."
I'm guardedly (get it? Guardedly?) optimistic that we'll see that. I think with a full off-season dedicated to those spots we'll see improvement. Remember that Belton supposedly never practiced there until asked to play RG, and Rhyan was only getting backup snaps at C. If Banks' issues were really all about nagging injuries, he should be better, too. Health will be the key. If Burton proves to be as good as his early showings, I feel way better about the IOL.
"Lloyd is something of an oddball in this as he’s essentially a draft pick that we’ve never seen."
Hopefully he can stay healthy and has learned some ball security during his down time.
"is how does a troika of Watson, Reed and Golden work? In effect that comes down to does Golden really fit in the former Doubs role in this offense?"
Given that Reed is really mostly a slot/motion guy, I'm thinking that his snaps and usage won't change very much--but that's viewed through the lens of 2025. He's going to get the lion's share of his snaps in 11 personnel but the Packers used 12 personnel 5th most in the league in 2025...they were shifting that way prior to Kraft's injury and even after when they had better play makers in the WR room.
Usage and scheme needs to evolve with shifting personnel, so I'm less about the Doubs role in terms of usage and more about Doubs being the guy who moved the chains. I think Kraft or Jacobs (pass catching back) might actually be the beneficiary there if/when he's up to full speed. Love spreads the ball around so much, it's hard to have a feel for it.
Coldworld
June 18, 2026 at 12:21 am
You hit on my concern. LaFleur has always had a chain mover on the left. Adams was much more, but he filled that role too. As did Doubs. Both ran very predictable and consistent routes and won by them not speed in doing so for the meat and potatoes plays.
Perhaps Kraft can do that, particularly in a 12 formation with a true Y, but is that the optimal use of him? Perhaps Golden can, but it doesn’t seem like his strong suit and he seems a little undersized for that. I don’t think Jacobs or Brooks are the answer. Perhaps LaFleur really will change the O and use our slants and traditional shorter slot plays. We will see, but until it works, I can’t get past the fact that the pieces are all good but don’t seem to fit right. Where is that reliable route runner who will get open fast and get those chain moving okays that keep drives going?
Since'61
June 17, 2026 at 08:20 am
Lloyd can transform the offense. If he is finally able to stay on the field he will be a key for the Packers offense. Golden has great hands and should help us forget Doubs and Wicks. He could become Love's go to 3rd down guy. Morgan has to get it done at LT because there is no next man up at LT. I'm wait and see on Van Ness. I'm not expecting him to be a game changer like Parsons. Bullard will be solid.
Al good job as usual. Thanks, Since '61
bjkdad44
June 19, 2026 at 08:38 am
Big if!
LeotisHarris
June 17, 2026 at 08:28 am
Pretty sure this is the first time I've read a list of departures and arrivals, and someone didn't stop and stand directly in front of me.
dobber
June 17, 2026 at 08:34 am
Winner!
PackEyedOptimist
June 17, 2026 at 09:06 am
:-D
Bitternotsour
June 17, 2026 at 10:14 am
So, we have met
dobber
June 17, 2026 at 08:54 am
"Seven starters (counting McManus) and three key contributors left the team and only one sure starter (Franklin) was brought in. "
You left #2 off your list of departures (even though you put Tyrod on your list of arrivals). I'm hoping that his moving on doesn't prove to be an issue for the Packers in '26.
I'd say that they knew that Jenkins and Rasheed didn't figure into their plans beyond 2025, and that they might move on from Quay. They had just drafted Golden, and knew they weren't going to keep all their pass-catchers. Guys like Enagbare play a long time in the league, but aren't game changers. I think the real disappointment off that list was probably Gary--and many here would say that they didn't believe in him, anyway, but he looked like he was making a lot of business decisions in 2025 when he could have been elevating his game to try to preserve his contract.
All told, I don't think it's very surprising based on where 2025 ended where the Packers are right now. When the Packers dealt first rounders away (and ponied up cash) for Parsons, I don't think Gute was under any illusion as to what would need to happen for this team to contend. They were going to need to do it mostly with guys already on the roster...but that was also before they saw the Nate Hobbs experiment fail and before they watched Banks hobble through a season of meh play.
Most of the key guys we're talking about filling roles and stepping up won't play a lot of game snaps in August, so it will be a come-to-Jesus time for Gute when the games count. He still has work to do to shore up some positions...we'll see who makes it out of camp and how they show.
Cheezehead72
June 17, 2026 at 09:06 am
My question to Al is are you behind the Reflecting Pool in DC turning green?
dobber
June 17, 2026 at 11:56 am
I'd be more suspicious if it turned yellow...
packerbackerjim
June 17, 2026 at 02:15 pm
By I.P.Daly.
Starrbrite
June 18, 2026 at 09:31 am
Cracked me up dobby.
Zapato
June 17, 2026 at 09:16 am
I'm pretty confident in Bullard's and Golden's ability to step in and fill their roles. In fact, hasn't Bullard been doing that already?
At this point, anything we get out of Marshawn Lloyd will be a plus. I'd love to see him have an Aaron Jones style impact, but that's probably too much to ask for.
LVN is going to be a question mark until the season begins. He's under-impressed for too long now to have earned respect before the games actually begin.
Wishing Jordan Morgan all the luck in the world as he takes over the left tackle spot. I think he's capable, but the Packer coaching staff may have put him a few steps behind with their interior O-line experimenting. Worst case, maybe we can trade for Rasheed Walker. Bwaa-haa-haa! (that was a joke)
Collins26
June 17, 2026 at 10:24 am
Marshwn Lloyd's averaged 10 rushing attempts per game at USC in 2023. Anything close to that this year would be a plus but he cannot be counted on to be the go-to guy.
Leatherhead
June 17, 2026 at 11:36 am
I think that if we take care of business on offense, the weak points on the defense won't be as important. If we're scoring early and often, and staying on the field (so that the defense isn't) then we probably have all the talent we need to put 21 pretty good players on defense.
I think this offense could be really good. The QB should be at/near his peak, and he's been playing/practicing together with a core group on offense for a couple of seasons. In a magic world where everybody stays healthy, this could be a difficult group to contain. There's a lot of explosion there.
I hope our Oline starters remain healthy. I think t hat's the real key to our season.
Starrbrite
June 17, 2026 at 09:00 pm
I’m thinking the same LH. It seems our offense let the D down several times.
NFLfan
June 17, 2026 at 11:44 am
I do wish the best for the Packers but...there are many 'ifs' on this roster and if we look at the law of probability, I would guess 50-60%
-No one knows if Marshawn Lloyd will stay healthy-odds say he won't--very risky
-No one has seen Jordan Morgan perform @ LT in a pivotal game and he has no real back-up--very risky
-LVN has not been that person yet (going on 4 years)
-Will Golden replace Doubs production?
-Will Christian Watson stay healthy?
-Will Z Tom, Kraft and Parsons return @ 100%?