GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers will take a 90-player roster to the field for their first practice of training camp on July 23.
In a Packers On SI tradition, we will rank every player on the roster. This isn’t just a list of the best players. Rather, we take talent, contract, draft history, importance of the position and depth at the position into consideration.
More than the ranking, we hope you learn a little something about every player on the roster.
No. 55: RB Chris Brooks
As an undrafted free agent out of BYU in 2023, Chris Brooks made Miami’s roster and showed a penchant for powering through tackles during his limited opportunities as a rookie.
“I feel like not getting drafted, I really wouldn’t look at it as a low, I’d say it’s an opportunity,”Brooks said after making the Dolphins’ roster. “It’s an opportunity that not too many guys have, and I can either take advantage of the opportunity or I could just let it go to waste. I chose to take advantage.”
In 2024, Brooks was lost in the numbers of Miami’s deep backfield, released and joined Green Bay’s practice squad. MarShawn Lloyd’s pain became Brooks’ gain. In 15 games, he rushed for 183 yards (5.1 average) and caught 11 passes (6.3 average). When the Packers used a game-winning drive to beat Houston at midseason, it was Brooks in the backfield serving as a brick wall against the Texans’ blitzes.
“All these guys have different assets that they bring to the table and we discovered another one with him, which is us having the ability to utilize him not just as a runner or in pass protection but even through some of the run-blocking stuff that you would do with a traditional F,” running backs coach Ben Sirmans said before OTAs.
“Him having the ability to do that and then still have the skill-set as a runner, that’s a plus for us because some of the things he does, we don’t use anybody else in the backfield in that way. Seeing the things that we like to do with him and him having an opportunity to train and understanding what we like doing with him, he even looks a lot better.”
With Pro Bowler Josh Jacobs, sturdy backup Emanuel Wilson and a healthy Lloyd, the Packers might be set in the backfield. However, don’t count out Brooks, who in 55 career carries has broken 15 tackles and averaged 4.1 yards after contact.
No. 54: S Kitan Oladapo
Before he was drafted in the fifth round last year, Kitan Oladapo suffered a broken toe at the Scouting Combine. He had surgery shortly before the draft and missed the offseason practices.
Between the injury and the new-found depth at the position, Oladapo was mostly a nonfactor last season. Not only was he behind veteran safety Xavier McKinney, second-round pick Javon Bullard and fourth-round pick Evan Williams, he was behind special-teams standout Zayne Anderson. In fact, he played in only two of the first eight games.
Injuries finally opened the door. Of his 68 snaps on defense, 50 came in Week 18 against the Bears. He played well, too, potentially giving the Packers yet another talented defender to deploy.
“I thought he did a good job at the end of the year,” defensive backs coach Ryan Downard, who focuses on the safeties, said before OTAs. “I knew coming this was going to be a process for him because of the injury. When you get a guy in – say, you acquire him in free agency or the guy’s been cut and you get him halfway through training camp or at the end of training camp – they’re playing catch-up. So, they don’t have the accumulation of all those reps, the time on task of all those particular techniques.
“When you get in the season, things go so fast with the game plan (and) they’re just trying to hold on. You’ll usually see a jump with guys who were brought in, (such as) Rudy (Ford), Zayne. When they have a chance to go through a full training camp and get those reps, it’s amazing to see it. ‘OK, it kind of clicks,’ because they get to feel it. We all taught KT last year the scheme and the system, but it’s totally different when you’ve got to be out there on the field and make the checks and be in position. He’s got to keep growing.”
With the top safeties from last year returning for this year, there’s no obvious path to playing time on defense. Where he should shine is on special teams because he’s 6-foot-2 and 216 pounds with an 8.18 Relative Athletic Score.
“He’s a big man that can move,” his position coach at Oregon State said. “You are talking about a guy that can change direction and that can accelerate and has good speed. He has an appetite for the physical demands of the game. He is all about that. So, I think that is going to help him on (special) teams.”
No. 53: LS Matt Orzech
Matt Orzech is back for his third season as Green Bay’s long snapper. The Packers like him better than Pro Football Focus. PFF’s grades shouldn’t be treated as gospel. Nonetheless: Last year, 23 long snappers played at least 130 snaps. Orzech had the lowest grade. In 2023, he had the third-lowest grade.
Last year, Orzech had a high snap on a punt that was saved by the height and athleticism of Daniel Whelan. A couple weeks later against Houston, Orzech’s low snap once again was saved by Whelan, who got it down for Brandon McManus’ game-winning kick.
A few days after that game, special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia wasn’t in the mood to hear questions about his snapper.
“I have absolutely no concern,” Bisaccia interrupted. “You can save the rest of your question.”
Why does he have such faith in Orzech, who earned a Super Bowl ring with the Rams?
“Because I see him every day,” Bisaccia said. “I see over 70 snaps a day every day. The guy’s been with us for two years so my experience, my wisdom tells me he’s a really good player. I’ll stand by that.”
Orzech, who spent part of his childhood in Wisconsin, took a bit of an accidental path toward becoming an NFL long snapper.
“I was more fired up about playing tight end and winning a job because of teenage ego,” he said. “You want to be the guy. You want to score touchdown passes, not snap field goals and punts.”
No. 52: CB Kamal Hadden
After Green Bay’s projected starting trio of Keisean Nixon, Nate Hobbs and Carrington Valentine, there isn’t a cornerback on the roster who played a snap on defense in the NFL last season.
Kamal Hadden was a sixth-round pick by the Chiefs last year. He failed to make their roster and wound up spending the entire season on Green Bay’s practice squad.
Hadden is an intriguing player. At 6-foot-1, he’s got excellent size. While he ran only a 4.57 in the 40, his 10- and 20-yard splits were borderline elite.
“Tough, physical kid,” Chiefs general manager Brett Veach said after last year’s draft. “I think he has a good press skill set. I like the way he plays. The one thing we prioritize in that defensive backfield is not just size but physicality; he will certainly bring that.”
During his final season at Tennessee in 2023, Hadden missed the final six games with a shoulder injury but led the Volunteers with three interceptions and 11 passes defensed. In the 2024 draft class, 125 cornerbacks played at least 184 coverage snaps (Hadden’s total). According to PFF, Hadden ranked third in completion percentage allowed (36.4), first in passer rating allowed (7.0) and ninth in forced-incompletion percentage.
“I feel like my best trait is my playmaking ability at all given times,” Hadden said after being drafted. “I feel like I can be a guy that can change a game with a quick turnover whenever. Just if he gets beat or even if I made a play before, I feel I can come back and do it again. I feel like I can always get my fair share when I’m going against somebody else across from me. I feel that’s my best attribute.”
No. 51: CB Kalen King
Entering the 2023 season, Penn State’s Kalen King was considered one of the best cornerback prospects for the 2024 NFL Draft. Instead, King was the third-to-last player selected.
King had some impressive moments at training camp last summer but failed to make the roster and spent the entire season on the practice squad. Unlike the aforementioned Kamal Hadden, who was elevated twice to the gameday roster, King didn’t see any regular-season action.
On a cornerback depth chart with no proven depth, the door is wide open for King.
“I don’t want to speak to soon, knock on wood, but he’s looking really, really good out there,” defensive passing-game coordinator Derrick Ansley said before OTAs. “He’s playing inside and out.
“Kind of like the light has gone off for him and he looks more springy in his step. He’s changed his body. His mind is at ease and he’s just jumped into this thing full speed ahead, man. He’s been very impressive, and we’ve just got to continue to get that kind day-to-day performance out of him.
The 2022 version of King was all-world, ranking first in the nation with 21 passes defensed. The 2023 version of King wasn’t nearly as good but he wasn’t bad, either. Nonetheless, he was the last of 36 cornerbacks drafted.
“It’s extremely motivating,” he said after being drafted. “Not going where you thought you would go, seeing all the names being picked ahead of you, just enduring all that, I felt like it put a chip on my shoulder. A permanent chip on my shoulder that I’ve got to keep there.
“I felt like the Packers are going to get one of the most competitive guys in the country, a tough corner, physical corner who’s going to give 100 percent effort around the field at all times and make as many plays as I possibly can by doing it at 100 percent.”
dark. Next. Part 7 of Our Packers Roster Rankings. Part 7 of Our Packers Roster Rankings