The Green Bay Packers have one preseason game left with roster cuts scheduled for next Tuesday. The team currently has 90 players on their roster and must get down to 53 plus 16 on the practice squad by next week. Here are five Packers players on defense who are on the bubble entering the preseason finale Saturday against Baltimore. These players will need to play well Saturday to have a chance to make the roster.

Five Packers Players on Defense Who Are On the Bubble Entering the Preseason Finale, Number Five: DL Jonathan Ford

Jonathan Ford is fighting for a roster spot in his third training camp. The Auburn alum has spent two seasons on the practice squad without playing a regular season game.

Ford has played well in the preseason, showing good quickness and making several stops against the run. The defense has struggled at stopping the run over the past few seasons. If Ford makes the roster, he will fill a specific role.

The issue is numbers. The Packers have five interior linemen who are locks to make the roster barring injury in Kenny Clark, T.J. Slaton, Devonte Wyatt, Colby Wooden and Karl Brooks. Ford will need a strong showing on both defense and special teams to prove the team should keep a sixth player here.

Number Four: S Zayne Anderson

Safety Zayne Anderson has played three seasons in the NFL including 10 games with the Packers last season. The former BYU star is a special teams ace but has never played a snap in the regular season on defense.

Will Rich Bisaccia make a case for keeping Anderson on the roster even though he doesn’t provide much help on defense? The Packers added three safeties in the draft in Javon Bullard, Evan Williams, and Kitan Oladapo and they have second-year man Anthony Johnson, Jr. and veteran Benny Sapp fighting for roster spots. They can all contribute more on defense than Anderson, but can they match his prowess on special teams?

Anderson is facing a numbers crunch and will need a very strong finish to the preseason to stay in Green Bay.

Five Packers Players on Defense Who Are On the Bubble Entering the Preseason Finale Number Three: LB Kristian Welch

Like Anderson, Kristian Welch is a veteran core special teams player who did not take a snap on defense with the Packers last season. The Wisconsin native lived out his dream by playing 14 games for the Packers last season, the team he grew up rooting for.

GM Brian Gutekunst drafted two linebackers on day two of the draft, so Welch will need to excel on special teams to have a shot at the roster. The fact that the other young players have more upside and can eventually contribute more on defense is working against Welch.

Welch played well against Denver last week, intercepting a pass and making some plays. He will need to keep playing well on Saturday and in camp to earn a roster spot.

Number Two: CB Kalen King

The Packers selected Kalen King in the seventh round of this year’s draft. Before the 2023 season, King was considered one of the top cornerback prospects in the upcoming draft, but his shaky final season at Penn State caused him to fall all the way to the late seventh round.

King has made some plays in practice but has also struggled with consistency. Last Sunday against Denver, he made a few plays but also got beaten a few times.

While King has talent and potential, he may not make the roster due to the crowd of talented players at cornerback. Jaire Alexander, Eric Stokes, Carrington Valentine, and Keisean Nixon are all clearly ahead of King on the depth chart.

If King doesn’t make the initial 53-man roster, the Packers will almost certainly try to stash him on the practice squad.

Five Packers Players on Defense Who Are On the Bubble Entering the Preseason Finale, Number One: CB Corey Ballentine

Veteran Corey Ballentine did a good job last season filling in at cornerback when starters were injured. In his second season with the Packers, Ballentine played in 14 games and started six. The Washburn alum limited opposing quarterbacks to a 56.3 completion percentage when throwing to receivers covered by Ballentine according to pro-football-reference.com.

With the crowd at cornerback, Ballentine may face a numbers game when the final cuts come. Would the Packers front office keep King and his potential or Ballentine and his experience and immediate productivity?

The fact that Ballentine can also play on special teams may help his cause.

 

 

 

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