Rank the Roster 2021: #27

[Waldo]

*Reminder that you can make 2 votes now*

Rank The Roster: 2021 Edition

1. Aaron Rodgers (65%)[--]
2. Davante Adams (65%)[+2]
3. Jaire Alexander (59%)[+4]
4. David Bakhtiari (83%)[+1]
5. Kenny Clark (40%)[+1]
6. Za'Darius Smith (45%)[-4]
7. Aaron Jones (57%)[-4]
8. Elgton Jenkins (65%)[+1]
9. Adrian Amos (48%)[+2]
10. Rashan Gary (48%)[+7]
11. Darnell Savage (79%)[+3]
12. Robert Tonyan (46%)[+26]
13. Billy Turner (41%)[+10]
14. Preston Smith (36%)[-6]
15. Marquez Valdes-Scantling (38%)[+13]
16. AJ Dillon (40%)[+5]
17. Krys Barnes (42%)[+26]
18. Kevin King (40%)[-8]
19. Josh Myers (39%)[R]
20. Eric Stokes (38%)[R]
21. Alan Lazard (40%)[-3]
22. Kingsley Keke (27%*)[+11]
23. Amari Rodgers (21%)[R]
24. Jordan Love (24%)[+12]
25. Dean Lowry (26%)[-6]
26. Jon Runyan (24%)[+14]
27. Current (xx%)[--]

Percent of vote the winner got will be in parenthesis, position change vs. 2020 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.

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 10 guys, a new player is added to the list each day).

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: 2020
Rank the Roster: 2014-2019

[YoHoChecko]

rocking chandon sullivan and josiah deguara for like the 5th straight day.

That said, if I wanted to, I could launch an argument against Sullivan. I'm just going with it.

[NCF]

Sully and Big Dog for me.

[lupedafiasco]

I thought Sully and Deguara should have gone a long time ago. Not sure on some of these guys ahead of them.

As Ive said before. Sullivan is in line to be the top nickel CB. Hes not elite at the position but no where near bad.

Deguara should have been gone on this no question about it. He had a role cut out for him as a rookie. It was clear Lafleur had plays designed to go to Deguara. Hes the starting FB. Hes versatile enough to be motioned anywhere on the field to be a mismatch. He can play TE. You can play him in the big slot or even out wide. You can really force the defense into unfavorable situations with Deguara.

[Pckfn23]

Patrick and Martin then Sullivan and Degura.

[NCF]

Deguara should have been gone on this no question about it. He had a role cut out for him as a rookie. It was clear Lafleur had plays designed to go to Deguara. Hes the starting FB. Hes versatile enough to be motioned anywhere on the field to be a mismatch. He can play TE. You can play him in the big slot or even out wide. You can really force the defense into unfavorable situations with Deguara.

So, I do think Deguara will have a role. He's the high draft pick and had a role carved out last year, but I also think Dominique Dafney will split those snaps and possibly even get first run at that role. Dafney was a find and played really well down the stretch. He's an efficient blocker likely to continue to improve and is Deguara's equal or better in every size and athletic measurement. Don't write him off as just a guy. For me, Big Dog's role is so much more well-defined and assured.

Josiah Deguara was drafted by Packers with pick 94 in round 3 in the 2020 NFL Draft out of Cincinnati.

He recorded a Relative Athletic Score of 8.52, out of a possible 10.0. RAS is a composite metric on a 0 to 10 scale based on the average of all of the percentile for each of the metrics the player completed either at the Combine or pro day.

https://ras.football/2020/02/01/josiah-deguara-ras/

Notably, Dafney’s athletic gifts are impressive for players at that position. He reportedly ran the 40-yard dash in 4.61 seconds at the Sycamores’ Pro Day and added excellent times of 4.19 in the short shuttle and 6.91 in the 3-cone drill. Those numbers give him RAS values of 8.15 (out of 10) at tight end and 9.62 at fullback.

https://www.acmepackingcompany.com/2020 ... tice-squad

[Yoop]

we know almost nothing of Dequara other then he tested well, it is the same with Runyan

went with Sullivan he's our #4 CB and #2 slot CB, and with Lewis who had over twice the snap count of any TE not named Tonyan.

[go pak go]

I am really surprised how little Love Lewis has gotten on this pole.

[BSA]

So, I do think Deguara will have a role. He's the high draft pick and had a role carved out last year, but I also think Dominique Dafney will split those snaps and possibly even get first run at that role. Dafney was a find and played really well down the stretch. He's an efficient blocker likely to continue to improve and is Deguara's equal or better in every size and athletic measurement. Don't write him off as just a guy. For me, Big Dog's role is so much more well-defined and assured.

Interesting take. I see Dafney as insurance for Deguara more than competition for Deguara. MLF saw how hindered his offense was without the move TE and made sure that doesn't happen again. But the difference to me is that Deguara is more ready now and Dafney needs more time to develop. That's why I don't think Dafney will bleed too many offensive snaps from Josiah in 2021. Should be a good "battle" to watch in TC

[BSA]

I am really surprised how little Love Lewis has gotten on this pole.

his thankless job often goes un-noticed and underappreciated- except by the coaches...

[Waldo]

rocking chandon sullivan and josiah deguara for like the 5th straight day.

That said, if I wanted to, I could launch an argument against Sullivan. I'm just going with it.

The argument against Sullivan is easy. Eric Stokes. Chances are he's going to get most DB#5 snaps.

Deguara should have been gone on this no question about it. He had a role cut out for him as a rookie. It was clear Lafleur had plays designed to go to Deguara. Hes the starting FB. Hes versatile enough to be motioned anywhere on the field to be a mismatch. He can play TE. You can play him in the big slot or even out wide. You can really force the defense into unfavorable situations with Deguara.

My problem with this analysis is that you also need to take into account this offseason and changes that are likely coming. #1 on my list is seeing our top 2 RB's on the field together MUCH more than we have.

The 2 people who stand to lose the most from this are the FB/HB and #3WR. Swapping FB/HB for Thunder Thighs at times seems extremely likely. The role we foresee for Amari Rodgers could be partially filled by Jones.

I was more bullish on Degura's role last year than this year. Barring him taking playing time for himself, he's more likely to be a low impact specialist sub (like a NT, blocking TE, run down ILB) than key offensive cog. Dillon has taken playing time for himself, and MLF has to find it.

[TheSkeptic]

Lucas Patrick, possible backup at both guard positions and possible starter at center. If he does not start at center he will back up 3 positions.

There are 3 players that could start at RT. Jenkins, Newman and Turnstyle Turner. 3rd OT is more valuable than 4th CB or 3rd TE. And Newman could very well take starting RT of the Packers leave Jenkins at LG.

[Waldo]

TBH its borderline absurd that a likely most down starter is still on the board. Kamal Martin. Sure its a new coach and someone could challenge him for a spot, but lets not forget that he was Mr August last year. The idea that someone is going to outflash him in camp to take his spot I see as rather unlikely.

[YoHoChecko]

rocking chandon sullivan and josiah deguara for like the 5th straight day.

That said, if I wanted to, I could launch an argument against Sullivan. I'm just going with it.

The argument against Sullivan is easy. Eric Stokes. Chances are he's going to get most DB#5 snaps.

Yeah, but Stokes won't play inside. Sullivan does.

The argument against Sullivan, though, in tandem with Stokes, is that Jalen Ramsey was moved around with the Rams and played a lot of "star" and Alexander may do that some the same. So there could be Stokes and King on the outside and Alexander inside.

BUT ALSO Shemar Jean-Charles has a shot of beating out Sullivan for an inside role as a reserve, as well. I could see a world, unlikely but I could see it, in which the CB group has Alexander, King, Stokes, Shemar J-C, Kabion Ento, and Josh Jackson and our nickel defender for the past year or two winds up getting cut, even though he's a capable starter--he can be upgraded.

I'm not predicting that, obviously. I'm voting for Sullivan to maintain the first-off-the-bench nickel role (as in whenever Alexander isn't inside, Sullivan starts inside)

I'm on board voting for Lucan Patrick as a 50/50 starter. But I won't go Martin until way later. He may be LB2 in a defense that often plays with LB1. But he may be behind Summers, even; he was in the offseason programs, at least. Not to mention DeVondre Campbell, though I still think he'll have more of a hybrid LB role than strictly inside.

Anyway, Martin is down the line for me.

[NCF]

So, I do think Deguara will have a role. He's the high draft pick and had a role carved out last year, but I also think Dominique Dafney will split those snaps and possibly even get first run at that role. Dafney was a find and played really well down the stretch. He's an efficient blocker likely to continue to improve and is Deguara's equal or better in every size and athletic measurement. Don't write him off as just a guy. For me, Big Dog's role is so much more well-defined and assured.

But the difference to me is that Deguara is more ready now and Dafney needs more time to develop. That's why I don't think Dafney will bleed too many offensive snaps from Josiah in 2021. Should be a good "battle" to watch in TC

I think that might have been true a year ago, but with Deguara on IR and Dafney playing half the season, I would put them on pretty even footing heading into Year 2.

[YoHoChecko]

Lucas Patrick, possible backup at both guard positions and possible starter at center. If he does not start at center he will back up 3 positions.

There are 3 players that could start at RT. Jenkins, Newman and Turnstyle Turner. 3rd OT is more valuable than 4th CB or 3rd TE. And Newman could very well take starting RT of the Packers leave Jenkins at LG.

I have no idea why people can't overcome their prior bias about Turner and think he is not a good RT or that anyone else would possibly start at RT. We restructured his deal to keep him around and pay him. We didn't do that to not play and start him. And his play in no way resembled a turnstile and does not merit a demotion. Turner is the starting RT this year. We move our guys around a lot as injuries mandate, but Turner is the starting RT. Period.

[NCF]

Not to mention DeVondre Campbell, though I still think he'll have more of a hybrid LB role than strictly inside.

Anyway, Martin is down the line for me.

Yeah, I was close to voting for Martin, but Campbell does cloud that up for me. He should definitely be on the poll, BTW. He's being paid like a starter, but as you stated, we don't really know what his specific role is going to be. Personally, I think Barry will find a role for a handful of these guys. Much more than what Pettine ever did. I'm close with Martin. I expect him to take the next step this year.

[lupedafiasco]

Lucas Patrick, possible backup at both guard positions and possible starter at center. If he does not start at center he will back up 3 positions.

There are 3 players that could start at RT. Jenkins, Newman and Turnstyle Turner. 3rd OT is more valuable than 4th CB or 3rd TE. And Newman could very well take starting RT of the Packers leave Jenkins at LG.

I have no idea why people can't overcome their prior bias about Turner and think he is not a good RT or that anyone else would possibly start at RT. We restructured his deal to keep him around and pay him. We didn't do that to not play and start him. And his play in no way resembled a turnstile and does not merit a demotion. Turner is the starting RT this year. We move our guys around a lot as injuries mandate, but Turner is the starting RT. Period.

Turner was absolutely a turnstile in both games against the Buccs. Interestingly we didn’t have Bak both games. If we don’t help Turner he gets molly whopped.

[YoHoChecko]

I mean yeah, one of the best front sevens in the NFL when our LT was out and they could exploit other things made Turner look bad. But that's a stupid way to evaluate a player's season.

There is ZERO indication that Turner is not a top-5 player on our line or that he isn't a starter. The only time anyone else got starter reps at RT in OTAs and minicamp was when Turner was at Left Tackle, which is an upgrade in role, not a downgrade.

I'm sorry. The "Turner has to be replaced" or "might lose the job" crowd are just wrong. It's just patently contrary to reality. He is the starter. His biggest struggles came at Guard, honestly.

[BSA]

I think that might have been true a year ago, but with Deguara on IR and Dafney playing half the season, I would put them on pretty even footing heading into Year 2.

MLF on Josiah:

“I love Josiah,” LaFleur said in April.“He is extremely versatile. The thing he brings to our offense is, we can be in the same personnel grouping and we can line him up on the line of scrimmage or in a wing alignment or in the backfield. I think that adds stress on the defense. When you watch Josiah, you see such a gritty, tough player.” Brian Gutekunst said LaFleur was “very, very excited” about getting a chance to use Deguara as a movable chess piece in the Packers offense."



MLF on Dafney:
“You gotta give credit to [Brian Gutekunst] and our scouting department for finding Dafney,” said head coach Matt LaFleur after Sunday’s regular-season finale — a No. 1 seed-clinching win over the Chicago Bears in which Dafney tallied the first touchdown of his career.

“He’s a guy that, prior to him even suiting up for us, had been flashing quite a bit on scout team … You start talking to him, start seeing what he brings to the scout team, you start thinking, ‘Man, this guy could be a player.’”