One of the things Green Bay Packers fans speculate about every preseason is which undrafted free agent will make the final 53-man roster. Every year, there seems to be one or two that impress enough during training camp and preseason games for fans to dub them the next big thing in Green Bay.
Indeed, the Packers have a long history of undrafted free agents becoming impact players, Pro Bowlers, and Hall of Famers (i.e. Willie Wood). More often than not, however, undrafted free agents that may endear themselves to the fanbase do not initially make the 53-man roster.
2023 is an interesting season because of how young the Packers are. Indeed, there are several undrafted free agents that have played well all preseason; but not all of them can or will make it.
2 Undrafted Free Agents that Will Make the Green Bay Packers’ 53-Man Roster
That being said, there are two players, specifically, who have played well at positions of need that could steal a roster spot from an incumbent player or late-round draft pick. These were positions that were targeted by the Packers early in the 2023 NFL Draft due to their lack of depth and production in 2022. Now, the team seemingly has an embarrassment of riches at the two positions, causing them to have to make some tough decisions.
Malik Heath- Wide Receiver
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The Packers’ leading wide receiver through two preseason games is undrafted rookie Malik Heath, who is coming off of a five-catch 75-yard performance against the New England Patriots.
In the two preseason games combined, Heath has eight receptions (on nine targets) for 111 yards. Both are the highest marks on the team. Additionally, Heath is the second-highest graded receiver for the Packers this offseason (per PFF), trailing only Romeo Doubs.
The question, though, is how many wide receivers will the Packers take? There are five locks already: Christian Watson, Doubs, Samori Toure, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks. There are, realistically, just two more receivers that are in serious consideration for a roster spot: Heath and 2023 seventh round pick Grant DuBose.
General manager Brian Gutekunst does not always keep all of his draft picks, but he usually does. That being said, DuBose could not get on the field until recently due to an injury that also forced him to miss all offseason activities. One would assume that, because of this, Heath has the upper hand when it comes to the sixth wide receiver position.
Brenton Cox- Edge Rusher
There is a reason Brenton Cox did not get drafted. Having been dismissed from TWO college football programs, his character concerns scared every single team away from drafting him. Had he not had said character issues, Cox would have been an early Day Two pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
The talent is there, the technique is raw, but the potential is sky-high. Green Bay targeted edge rusher with their first pick, the 13th overall selection in the first round, by taking Lukas Van Ness. However, they may have found an equally impressive player in the undrafted rookie.
Green Bay is sure taking a long hard look at him, too. Cox has played 58 defensive snaps, more than any other edge rusher on the team. He also has the sixth-highest run defense grade on the team (per PFF), a facet of the defense that was of particular concern last year (and the year before, and the year before).
Again, his inclusion will come down to how many pass rushers the Packers want to take. They already have locks in Preston Smith, Rashan Gary, Justin Hollins, Kinglsey Enagbare, and Van Ness. That being said, Cox has also shown he can play special teams, which will really be the key to making the roster. It could have him an advantage over other fringe roster players at other positions.
At the end of the day, his potential at a position that Green Bay values heavily may be too much for Green Bay to risk losing.
1 Green Bay Packers Undrafted Free Agent Who Will Not Make the Team
As one can see, Emanuel Wilson, the running back who has captured the hearts of Packers fans, is not listed above. One must remember that last year, Green Bay only took two running backs, Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon, onto their 53-man roster to start the season. With so much talent at other premium positions, they may go with just two running backs to start out again; but even that isn’t the biggest reason why Wilson probably will not make the team.
Emanuel Wilson- Running Back
When discussing whether or not Wilson should make the roster as the team’s third running back, one needs to consider two things. First, what kind of players is he doing his damage against? Are they starters or NFL roster hopefuls? Second, can he block well and play special teams?
The answer to the first question is that Wilson is doing his damage against third and fourth string players that may or may not be on their team’s roster come cutdown day. Some may be assigned to practice squads, but others will be job searching.
The answer to the second question came right from head coach Matt LaFleur:
“Yeah those are the areas where we’re going to have to see improvement. Not that he’s done a bad job, you just want to be able to see the consistency of that.”
LaFleur also discussed the fact that Wilson’s conditioning is lacking. In other words, he would be limited for how long he could be able to play.
While Wilson has put up good numbers and has an amazing story, the intangibles and unseen work are what give fringe players the edge. Right now, Wilson does not have those.
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