Just like that, the Green Bay Packers’ preseason is in the books.
The Packers closed out the preseason with an emphatic win over the Seattle Seahawks, beginning with a heavy dose of the starters before the backups entered the game and finished it off. A brief cameo from Matthew Golden again showed us why he’s a rising star, but most importantly, the starters avoided injury.
As the Packers begin the painful process of trimming the roster to 53 players, what lessons can they learn from the preseason finale? There were a handful of winners and losers from the victory over Seattle.
Packers’ biggest winners and losers after ending preseason with a victory over Seahawks
Winner: Ty’Ron Hopper, LB
Have a day, Ty’Ron Hopper. Have a summer, in fact.
The second-year linebacker didn’t play much as a rookie, but he has finally arrived. Only Brenton Cox Jr. earned a higher PFF defensive grade than Hopper’s elite score of 90.2. And it was well deserved.
Hopper forced a fumble and made a sack, a tackle for loss, and a quarterback hit. Oh, and how about a stop on fourth down? He did everything on Saturday, and it’s a sign of how far he has come in his second training camp.
“He’s one of our most improved players from a year ago,” head coach Matt LaFleur said postgame. “He’s done a much better job communicating. He’s the voice of the defense when he’s in there.”
Loser: Mecole Hardman, WR
Mecole Hardman didn’t do much wrong in the preseason finale. But he didn’t do much to help his roster chances, either, and that’s the problem.
The veteran touched the ball twice on offense for 17 yards while returning one punt for 10. LaFleur pulled Hardman off return duties in the second half, which could signal the end for the former Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver. It’s hard to imagine Hardman had done enough to clinch a roster spot, so LaFleur taking him out of the game for a practice-squad candidate is notable.
Winner: Isaiah Simmons, LB
Talk about stepping up with a must-have performance. Veteran linebacker Isaiah Simmons struggled in the opening two preseason contests and looked to have lost his grip on a roster spot.
He bounced back with a solid all-around performance. The former first-rounder had seven solo tackles, a Packers-best, while looking impressive against the run. As importantly, he looked more comfortable in coverage than in the previous two games. Add in a special teams tackle, and Simmons may have done just enough to make the roster.
Loser: Sean Clifford, QB
If this is it for Sean Clifford, he hardly went down swinging. Clifford completed six of nine passes for 19 yards — an average of 2.1 yards per pass attempt. Rookie Taylor Elgersma didn’t light up the stat sheet, either, but he added a touchdown pass to his 33 yards and boasted a 121.4 passer rating to Clifford’s 70.1.
Neither player will likely make the 53-man roster, but Elgersma offers more long-term potential and could be the Packers’ preferred QB3 on the practice squad if he clears waivers.
Winner: Donovan Jennings, OL
Donovan Jennings didn’t do his roster chances any favors a week ago, but he bounced back nicely against the Seahawks. He truly saved his best for last. Per Pro Football Focus, Jennings didn’t allow a single pressure in the contest. He also made an impact on the ground game — only two Packers linemen earned higher PFF run-blocking grades.
The Packers lack depth along the offensive line, making Jennings’ versatility valuable. He needed a strong performance, and that’s what he delivered. Jennings has a much better chance at making the 53 after the preseason finale.
