The Green Bay Packers released their first unofficial depth chart of training camp late Tuesday afternoon.
The first preseason game is on Saturday, which makes the term unofficial mentioned above, even more important.
No, most of these things are not set in stone outside of the obvious.
We know that barring injury Jordan Love will start Week 1 against the Detroit Lions.
We know Brandon McManus will be kicking field goals.
Between that? There’s a lot of competition for spots both on the roster, and on the field.
Those jobs will be battled for throughout training camp and the exhibition season, but there are some things that can be learned into what way the team may be leaning as the Packers steamroll toward the regular season.
Here is a look at our five takeaways from today’s depth chart.
Pass Catchers
Let’s start at the position everyone loves the most, shall we?
Matthew Golden has been one of the early stars of training camp, which was likely the hope of everyone when the Packers picked him in the first round last April. He seems to be finding his way onto the field more every day, and building his chemistry with Jordan Love.
I think he’s done a really nice job with his opportunities. And again, it’s very, very early in the beginning stages. But he’s done a very nice job with his opportunities.” General Manager Brian Gutekunst said.
“I do think being a three year guy, two years at Houston, one year at Texas, he’s young, certainly the exposure at Texas probably was very helpful coming in his ability to succeed at the end of that season. But I do think sometimes the players we’re getting now are a little more accustomed to adjusting quickly, just because there’s so much more movement, and they bounced around a little bit. So the ability to adjust, I think, they’ve had that experience already, so that may help him. But he’s really smart, you know, and another one of our guys that’s adjusted really well.”
Matthew Golden red-zone TD in slow-motion. pic.twitter.com/2dcnrHHbNS
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) July 23, 2025
Despite doing all the right things early in camp, Golden is not currently listed as a starter.
Those honors went to Romeo Doubs, who made play of the day in the team’s 10th training camp practice, catching a 55-yard bomb from Jordan Love.
Dontayvion Wicks, who has missed time with a calf injury, but was putting together a new couple of days before dropping out with an injury, was listed as the other starter on the outside.
Jayden Reed, who has been relatively quiet, was listed as the starter in the slot. Matthew Golden was listed behind him.
How Matt LaFleur deploys these guys on gameday will tell the story, but it’s worth monitoring throughout the rest of camp and into the regular season.
Green Bay’s passing game finished with a giant thud a season ago.
Whoever wins these jobs, will need to be ready early with Green Bay’s challenging start to the season.
One minor note at tight end, John Fitzpatrick is listed ahead of Ben Sims. That could be a big deal for Sims’ hopes at a roster spot with the Packers potentially only keeping three guys instead of four at tight end.
Big Men
The biggest competition on the line of scrimmage this offseason has been at left tackle.
Jordan Morgan recently started getting looks at left tackle with Rasheed Walker nursing an injury that is not expected to keep him out for too long.
At this point, however, Walker is listed as the starter. There are no surprises after that for the starting lineup, but one interesting note is that Anthony Belton is listed as the backup at right tackle.
Despite the assumption that Belton would move inside, the Packers have continued to rep him at tackle.
“I think right now, we want to keep him at tackle. He’s a big guy. I like his feet. He’s got a ways to go, but I think he has the ability to play tackle in the NFL.” Offensive Coordinator Adam Stenavich said a week ago
Belton will likely start, or play significantly on Saturday against the New York Jets with Zach Tom likely to be shelved to get ready for the regular season.
On the defensive side of the ball, the best story of the offseason might be the former Georgia defensive linemen, Warren Brinson and Nazir Stackhouse.
Stackhouse is listed on the back of the depth chart, but has continued to climb his way with the second unit, and ultimately some reps with the first team as well.
Stackhouse is a big bodied run defender that the Packers do not have on the roster at the moment.
Brinson was quiet to start camp, but has come on the last couple of days.
Both of those guys could be outperforming the veterans ahead of them on the depth chart, Karl Brooks and Colby Wooden.
The competition there should be fierce and truly start to heat up as they face teams wearing a different colored jersey on Saturday night.
Return Man
When Mecole Hardman was signed this offseason, he brought two things.
A break glass in case of emergency speed receiver for an offense that did not have any at the time of his signing, and a pedigree as a return man.
With five receivers essentially set to be stone cold locks to make the roster, Hardman’s path to the 53-man roster was to win the battle as the team’s primary return man.
For now, however, Keisean Nixon is listed as the team’s kickoff returner.
Jayden Reed is listed as the punt returner, with Nixon as his primary backup.
If Hardman is truly a third string punt returner and a backup at kick returner, it’s going to get late, early for his chances to make the roster.
As we’ve seen in the past, however, all it can take is a play or two to win a job.
With Nixon and Reed both set to take big roles on their respective side of the ball, the Packers would likely want to get those guys out of the return game.
Hardman provides their best chance to do so, but it looks like he’ll need to prove it in the preseason.
Defensive Backs
The biggest takeaway in the defensive backfield is that Evan Williams is listed as the starter at the safety position across from Xavier McKinney.
Williams and Javon Bullard rotated last year thanks to injuries both to themselves and other players at cornerback.
Bullard moved around as a safety and slot corner throughout the year, while Williams was nursing lower-body injuries by the end of the season.
Assuming Nate Hobbs is healthy for the team’s season opener, which is no guarantee as he recently had knee surgery, there may only be room for one of Williams or Bullard on the field at a time.
After the top three guys at cornerback, Kamal Hadden is listed as the primary backup to Nate Hobbs. He has been in and out of the lineup with an injury, and the story of the offseason, Bo Melton has had opportunities to play with the first team.
Melton’s transition to cornerback thus far, has been relatively seamless. The truth will come out on Saturday and in exhibition games, however, as he’ll no longer be able to lean on possible tells that he has from Green Bay’s offense from his time as a receiver.
This paper-thin group is going to need someone to step up at the back end of the depth chart with no real experience to lean on outside of the recently re-signed Corey Ballentine.
Backfield
Will the Packers keep four running backs? That remains to be seen, but based on their depth chart as opposed to their usage on the field, it would appear that they are destined to keep Chris Brooks around as their fourth guy.
Emanuel Wilson dodged the injury bullet, and is currently listed as the team’s primary backup to Josh Jacobs on the depth chart.
Marshawn Lloyd has been snake-bit through his first two seasons, but the team does remain high on him.
Brooks has been asked to be a primary contributor on special teams, and Matt LaFleur spoke glowingly of his ability to be a role player in Green Bay’s offense.
“There’s nothing he can’t do,” LaFleur said before Tuesday’s practice.
In addition to his ability as a running back, Brooks is the team’s best pass protector, which has been a vital role in LaFleur’s offense.
He may be listed behind Wilson and Lloyd on the depth chart, but it would not be a surprise to see him out-snap those guys, especially early in the regular season.
