Rank the Roster 2024: #10

[Waldo]

Rank The Roster: 2024 Edition

1. Jordan Love (53%)[+8]
2. Rashan Gary (36%)[+3]
3. Jaire Alexander (48%)[-2]
4. Zach Tom (27%)[+13]
5. Kenny Clark (33%)[-1]
6. Xavier McKinney (35%)[FA]
7. Elgton Jenkins (47%)[-1]
8. Josh Jacobs (43%)[FA]
9. Jayden Reed (36%)[+18]
10. Current (xx%)[--]

Percent of vote the winner got will be in parenthesis, position change vs. 2023 will be in brackets.

Here's how this works:

Each day there is a new thread/poll, starting at #1, on down to whereever we get. The whole point of this exercise is to have something to talk about in the lean news months to carry us to camp. Each poll will be open for voting for 24 hours. New threads will only be created on weekdays. Ties will cause a runoff poll. You may vote up to TWO players (a change that was made mid-poll last year, seemed to work well).

Simply voting is not enough!

Post why you voted for who you did and provide a player to add to the next poll (every poll will be a list of 15-20 guys, new players added in bunches every few days).

Here's the thing. There is no criteria. This is an exercise to foster discussion therefore there are no clear criteria for ranking. Who is better right now? Who will have the best season? Who was better last year? Sort of a combo of them all? Do you take positional value into account? It really doesn't matter.

Previous Years:
Rank the Roster: 2023
Rank the Roster: 2022
Rank the Roster: 2021
Rank the Roster: 2020
Rank the Roster: 2014-2019

[Waldo]

Sorry about the break, I had to do some travel for work.

Lots of ways to go here. Already into double digits, almost to the bottom half of the starters.

Wicks and ???

Smith - player on the decline, but previously worth this spot.
Wyatt - player on the rise, felt like he made some impactful plays. 3rd year is a classic boom year for young DT's.
Watson - Highest ceiling among the WRs
LVN - dude showed up a few times with wow plays. His rise will be at the expense of Smith.

Choosing Wyatt for #2 for now.

[wallyuwl]

Watson and Preston. But whether Watson warrants this spot all depends on him staying healthy. Preston normally has one good year, one bad year, one good year... But he is solid if not spectacular, and a good locker room presence for the young guys. LVN has too much to prove yet. Wyatt is almost as old as Kenny.

[Yoop]

getting tougher to pick now, good problem to have, imo this is a deep team, lots of starter talent.

Wicks gets my first vote, and not sure of 2nd yet, Smith is our only proven edge rusher with drop and cover ability, LVN is going to go hard for his job though, and he has tons more athletic ability, thats gonna be a good watch in TC.

[lupedafiasco]

I believe Watson should be the pick here. He has to prove he can be healthy but he’s the only player maybe besides Jaire on this team that can statistically have nothing to show for in a game and still be the most impactful. His speed opens up a lot for everyone in the field.

I did go Wyatt with my other pick because I believe he is going to feast in this scheme and his role should open up a bit as I believe he is no longer in the learning phase. But he has just as much to prove as Watson by learning how to finish plays.

[Backthepack4ever]

Went Watson then Preston.

Like everyone knows a healthy Watson could be too 5 on this list. Prove it year for him to be healthy.

For whatever P Smith is he is reliable. Never missed a game. That matter for me and the next spot. He's a leader as a vet and still can make The big play when needed. With LVN coming on it should keep P fresh

Wyatt
LVN. Are prob next for me. LVN could be a freak and as Lupe said Wyatt should eat in this attack system.

[Crazylegs Starks]

I'm going Wicks & Smith. Too early for Wyatt, I think. Heck, I might go Doubs before him and Watson.

[lupedafiasco]

I’ll be honest for a while I’ve been wondering why Preston is getting votes. I thought it was a Samoure Toure joke but it now seems serious.

Preston Smith is 31. He has been a standup edge defender his whole career. He’s had one double digit sack season his whole career in 2019. Can’t forget LVN stepping into year 2 and this time having a healthy Gary instead of coming off an ACL.

What makes Smith appealing here? To me he isn’t even a top 15 player. I would be looking at Watson, Wyatt, and Nixon over Preston.

[TheSkeptic]

I’ll be honest for a while I’ve been wondering why Preston is getting votes. I thought it was a Samoure Toure joke but it now seems serious.

Preston Smith is 31. He has been a standup edge defender his whole career. He’s had one double digit sack season his whole career in 2019. Can’t forget LVN stepping into year 2 and this time having a healthy Gary instead of coming off an ACL.

What makes Smith appealing here? To me he isn’t even a top 15 player. I would be looking at Watson, Wyatt, and Nixon over Preston.

I basically agree with you. Preston is on a slow decline and he is likely to be behind both Gary and LVN. No way I would start Preston over either of those 2 as LVN will improve with experience while Preston would be worn out in the playoffs. Preston is at the end of his career and has at best 2 seasons left.

I went with Watson and Musgrave. As others have said, a healthy Watson would be top 5 if he is healthy, an the Packers brass is on record as saying he is 100% healthy. Time will tell whether he will stay healthy but that is true for every football player, even the kickers.

As for Musgrave, he, like Watson is a matchup nightmare for a D. He is also a willing blocker and should improve that aspect of his game in his second season. Yes, I like Kraft too, a lot, but Musgrave is better.

Next is LVN. I expect him to get about 2/3 of the snaps and to start, but both Watson and Musgrave are every down starters.

Please add Robert Brooks and Valentine to the list. Brooks had an outstanding rookie season, better than Wyatt's rookie season. Valentine is the likely starter rather than Stokes.

[APB]

As of this morning, three players tied with 7 votes apiece. Talk about a tier defining vote.

I went Wicks and Wyatt. Two young, ascending players who I believe will eventually be the core of their respective position group.

I like Watson a lot here, too, but I think Wicks will be better. I also think Wicks will become Love’s go-to WR when it’s all said and done.

LVN is another player I strongly considered but being it only year two for him and the lingering presence of Smith, I think his top 10 vote is still a year away.

Would like to see Valentine added to the list. I’ll be voting him as CB2 before Stokes. And with Jaire on the opposing side, I believe CB2 will prove to be a very important position. I’ll be strongly considering that position next vote.

[Waldo]

I didn't put a vote on Smith for the same reasons y'all are mentioning. I think by the end of the season it'll look silly to have Smith ahead of LVN. LVN can play, not sure how high his ceiling is but I've seen enough to say that his floor is a starting caliber player.

[NCF]

Preston is as reliable as they come. Always available and a strong, steady performer both against the run and as a pass rusher. This stand-up EDGE non-sense is not a conversation I am willing to entertain. Hafley has told us multiple times that he will use guys standing up and with their hand in the dirt. Especially in nickel and dime, I imagine he will allow the EDGE guys to do what they are most comfortable with. While I think LVN will see the field more this year, I still think he is another year away from being a big-time contributor. He is basically Year 2 Rashan Gary, a depth piece and rotational pass rusher. So, yeah, I voted for Preston. I did last vote and will continue to until he is off the board. He is still a big part of our potential success in 2024.

[NCF]

He’s had one double digit sack season his whole career in 2019.

He has 25.5 sacks over the past three seasons. You can pretty much pencil him in for 8-9 sacks. I will take that from a veteran leader who is EDGE2.

[Yoop]

He’s had one double digit sack season his whole career in 2019.

He has 25.5 sacks over the past three seasons. You can pretty much pencil him in for 8-9 sacks. I will take that from a veteran leader who is EDGE2.

just need to add this, when we look at pressures, Preston has about 1/3 less then Gary on average per season (counting Gary's 2 most productive seasons) which leads me to believe that some of Prestons sack numbers are a result of Gary forcing the QB to scramble, and Preston does the clean up work, some would even conclude they are coverage sacks.

not to slam Preston, I tend to agree that he is very consistent, and I'am ready to vote him in, just not ahead of Wyatt.

[Packfntk]

After Quay takes a big step forward it will be comical he is this low next year.

[Labrev]

Wicks for the win (literally). Really impressive level of refinement in his game for a rookie. I'm excited to see how he looks after these offseason workouts I'm seeing from him on social media. I'm a believer in Watson but I still think Wicks will be the better all-around receiver in 2024.

I'm all about top athletic traits and Watson has that in spades, but I've been coming around to the idea that (where athleticism is at least good enough for the pro level) work habits are what make players elite. Of course, there's no competing with an elite athlete that works hard.

[Labrev]

Smith is underrated for how good he is as an all-around player at EDGE, he does it all at a pretty high level.

But I don't see him as a Top-10 player on this team, even if Mike Wahle believes he's our D-MVP. And yes I also expect the Luk Ness Monster to take on a bigger role this season at Smith's expense.

[NCF]

Please add Robert Brooks and Valentine to the list. Brooks had an outstanding rookie season, better than Wyatt's rookie season. Valentine is the likely starter rather than Stokes.

Karl Brooks, Edgerrin Cooper, Carrington Valentine, Rasheed Walker, Sean Rhyan, and Colby Wooden next up on the list. All six of these guys should get votes ahead of guys already on the list.

[TheSkeptic]

Please add Robert Brooks and Valentine to the list. Brooks had an outstanding rookie season, better than Wyatt's rookie season. Valentine is the likely starter rather than Stokes.

Karl Brooks, Edgerrin Cooper, Carrington Valentine, Rasheed Walker, Sean Rhyan, and Colby Wooden next up on the list. All six of these guys should get votes ahead of guys already on the list.

Yes, Karl. My age is showing. Probably could take Dillon and Myers off for now, though Myers could come back on, later. Dillon might not even make the 53 if Wilson has a great preseason.

[go pak go]

I would have voted for Preston but you know....it's an even year.