Packers 2012 Training Camp Depth Chart: Week 2

Dezman Moses
Dezman Moses
Undrafted rookie Dezman Moses has jumped up behind Clay Matthews at ROLB on the depth chart.

As the Green Bay Packers Training Camp unfolds, I am going to do my best to track the players along the depth chart. While things will certainly change over the course of the preseason, this gives us an idea of how the coaches are valuing the players.

Please note that this is not a projection, but rather a snapshot ranking based on observations of training camp practices. Those players seen on the first team units are obviously in the running for starting jobs, while those on second team units are still working their way up the ladder. And as we should all know by know, special teams roles will continue to play a part in how each player is valued.

Notes are provided after each position to help you understand why players were ranked as they are. Most of my information comes from the beat writers who have been watching practice, using their Twitter feeds and articles as references. Players in green have risen in the rankings since the last list, while players in red have fallen.

Quarterback
Rodgers, Aaron
Harrell, Graham
Coleman, B.J.

  • While Coleman had the most impressive throw on Family Night of the two, he and Harrell won’t be switching places any time soon.

Running Back
Starks, James
Green, Alex
Saine, Brandon
Tyler, Marc
Bennett, Du’ane

  • It could be a long shot for Bennett and Tyler to crack the Top 3.

Fullback
Kuhn, John
Cooper, Nic
Hoese, Jon

  • Kuhn is back to practice but hasn’t shown up in pads yet.

Tight End
Finley, Jermichael
* Quarless, Andrew
Crabtree, Tom
Taylor, Ryan
Williams, D.J.
Bostick, Brandon
Lair, Eric
Cosby, DeMarco

  • Second year player DeMarco Cosby was picked up this week by the Packers.
  • Eric Lair was seen on crutches after suffering a knee injury in practice. That’s only going to hurt his chances with such a deep group of tight ends.

Wide Receiver
Jennings, Greg
Nelson, Jordy
Driver, Donald
Cobb, Randall
Jones, James
Gurley, Tori
Borel, Diondre
Moss, Dale
Smithson, Shaky
Boykin, Jarrett
Curenski, Gilleylen

  • Perhaps I initially ranked Driver too low to begin with, but he was a “starter” for the Family Night game. He has also proven this week that he’s not nearly out of the conversation yet.
  • The receivers below the Top 5 have yet to show anything of significance. As of now, Special Teams play could be their best chance at a roster spot.

Center
Saturday, Jeff
Dietrich-Smith, Evan
Sampson, Genus
Draheim, Tommie

  • Thursday’s practice saw EDS with the No. 2 line and Genus with the No. 3 line.

Guard
Sitton, Josh
Lang, T.J.
Dietrich-Smith, Evan
Dominguez, Ray
Draheim, Tommie
Van Roten, Greg
Barclay, Don
* Brooks, Jaymes

  • Thursday’s practice saw Draheim and Dominguez as the No. 2 LGs, with Van Roten and Barclay as the No. 3’s.

Tackle
Bulaga, Bryan
Newhouse, Marshall
* Sherrod, Derek
Taylor, Herb
Datko, Andrew
Allard, Shea
McCabe, Mike

  • Datko was replaced by Taylor as the backup LT at one point. He has been struggling so far in camp.
  • MCabe is currently dealing with a hip injury.
  • Thursday’s practice saw Taylor and Datko with the No. 2 line and Allard with the No. 3 line.

Defensive Tackle
Pickett, Ryan
Raji, B.J.
Daniels, Mike
Muir, Daniel
* Jones, Johnny

  • The only thing of note here is the Daniels is currently nursing an injury, but there’s been a lot of good notes about his consistency.

Defensive End
Raji, B.J.
Wilson, C.J.
Worthy, Jerel
Wynn, Jarius
Guy, Lawrence
Merling, Phillip
+ Neal, Mike
+ Hargrove, Anthony

  • It isn’t looking good for Merling.

Inside Linebacker
Hawk, A.J.
Bishop, Desmond
Smith, D.J.
Francois, Robert
Lattimore, Jamari
Manning, Terrell

  • It’s hard to get a clear lock on the ILBs behind Smith, but Lattimore has been showing up more and more in camp.

Outside Linebacker
Matthews, Clay
Perry, Nick
+ Walden, Erik
Moses, Dezman
Jones, Brad
So’oto, Vic
* Zombo, Frank

  • Walden is currently working as the LOLB backup behind Perry, while Moses has jumped ahead of Jones and So’oto as the ROLB backup.
  • So’oto and Jones are both winless in one-on-one drills.

Cornerback
Williams, Tramon
Woodson, Charles
Bush, Jarrett
House, Davon
Hayward, Casey
Shields, Sam
Ross, Brandian
Otis, Merrill
Turner, Dion

  • Bush, House, Hayward, and Shields are all in a race for the starting spot opposite Tramon Williams. House took a good amount of reps with the No. 1 unit this week, but Bush was back in the starting role afterwards.

Safety
Burnett, Morgan
Woodson, Charles
Jennings, M.D.
McMillian, Jerron
Levine, Anthony
Richardson, Sean
Pellerin, Micah

  • McMillian has shown up as a third safety in the Packers dime packages during camp.

* Physically Unable to Perform (PUP)
+ Will Serve Suspensions to Start Season

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Chad Toporski, a Wisconsin native and current Pittsburgh resident, is a writer for AllGreenBayPackers.com. You can follow Chad on twitter at @ChadToporski

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22 thoughts on “Packers 2012 Training Camp Depth Chart: Week 2

  1. Hopefully, Newhouses’ injury is not serious. It looked like a concussion. The O line depth is a problem that has not been addressed.

    EDS at center was just plain awfull. Datko is slow and doesn’t seem to have upper body strength. They’ll probably be watching the last cut waiver wire or using a WR for trade purposes.

    1. I’d be a lot happier if I knew Sherrod was going to be ready to be the backup swing tackle come week 1. EDS seems to be unchallenged as the back up interior lineman and that is worrying. A grafter but can get beat too many ways for comfort. I’m prepared to cut Datko some slack given his injury history he’s had very little football recently and has probably got into some bad habits playing injured in his junior year..

    2. Yup, EDS looked like a train wreck to me, too. One really bad snap, maybe two, and his pass blocking was not good at all. I don’t understand how EDS has become in many people’s minds a good back up. He didn’t even make the final 53 at the start of last season, he was only brought back in due to injuries.

      1. Worthy wrapping up the RB just about the time he got the ball from the QB was my favorite. EDS barely noticed Worthey. As I’ve said often, EDS is not a Center now, EDS was not a Center in the past and EDS will never be a Center. At best he’s a backup Guard.

  2. LB is going to be interesting. I reckon they keep 9 rather than the 10 of last year which leaves some players who have flashed some ability facing a cut.

    Matthews Perry Bishop Hawk and Smith are locks for me. At this very early stage Manning Lattimore and Moses probably make it. That leaves one place for Jones Walden So’to Francois Zombo to fight for. It would be Jones for me but the coaches do seem to see something in Walden..*

    *I reserve the right to forget about this post when Ted keeps 12 linebackers..

    1. The nice (?) part about Walden is that he’s suspended for the first game, so they don’t have to necessarily worry about fitting him onto the roster until after Week 1.

      I’d say Francois has an edge right now. They seem to like him, especially since he’s been communicating plays in the huddle with the No. 2 defense.

      1. Yeah good point about Walden, I guess as well that Neal and Hargrove’s suspensions may make us more likely to keep 6 DL and 10 LB it’s just a feeling that we go 7 DL and 9LB.

        I agree they like Francois and I think he’s a decent player. I just feel that by drafting Manning and moving Lattimore to ILB gives the impression that we are looking to become quicker and more athletic at that position and that may see Francois miss out. Will be fascinating to see it play out.

  3. On running backs, why do you have Marc Tyler ahead of Duane Bennett? Tyler has been mostly absent, both literally and figuratively, from practice. Bennett has been available, and looked better, than Tyler.

    If you are not projecting the future roster, and indeed taking a snapshot of the hear and now, why then would we be projecting the here-and-now roster based on expectations and projections made about players’ talent and slotting heading into camp? That would be outdated information. Tyler was projected to be the more talented RB, but Bennett has been healthy and has played better, and looked physically more talented, than Tyler.

    1. That’s a case of not really having the information. Perhaps I missed reading it, but I haven’t really heard anything regarding those two. It’s kind of like the wide receivers… not being able to be there, the best I can do is just kind of lump them together until more information is released.

      I’ll make a note of it and update it for next week.

  4. should be interesting to see who makes it at LB. Matthews, Hawk(maybe), Bishop, Perry, Moses, Smith and Walden make 7. If we indeed keep 9 then those last 2 spots will be widely contested among ILB-Lattimore, ILB-Francois, and OLB/ILB-Jones. My feeling is Lattimore for ST’s and the last spot is anyone’s guess! gONNA BE FUN THIS TRAINING CAMP!

    1. I think Lattimore’s experience as an OLB could also give him a bump when it comes to the final roster.

  5. I would not give Moses a 53 man roster spot just yet.
    Right now he is nothing but this years So’oto.
    Walden might stick just because of his experience with the team.
    Matthews, Perry and Jones are the top 3 OLB’s.
    Moses will have to really show something against other teams and on special teams to beat out the all of the others in So’oto, Walden and Zumbo.
    Inside, first thing first, Hawk is NOT going anywhere.
    As Lattimore gains time at OLB he will beat out Smith IMO. Lattimore is quicker, faster, has more range and offers the ability to play OLB along with special teams ability.
    Right now I say Hawk, Bishop, Smith and Lattimore are your ILB’s.

    1. I think the Packers coaches are more impressed with Moses this year than they and the fans were with So’oto last year. In fact, I’d say the So’oto hype was more from the fans than the organization.

      A long way to go in the preseason yet, but if Moses keeps up this level of play, then he could very well be a lock for the roster.

    2. I agree with most of this, but I don’t know about Lattimore ending up better than DJ Smith @ ILB.

      DJ Smith may not be the fastest, tallest, or strongest guy.. But he’s a purebred LB. That kid can play the position with instinct, technique, and verocity. Tackling machine.

    1. He’s someone I’ve been waiting to hear more about. As a fifth round pick, I expect the Packers to give him as many opportunities as possible to make the roster, but as of right now, it’s hard to tell where he stands.

      1. Manning is a very interesting situation- I don’t know how the Packers find room for him, and we haven’t heard much about him thus far.. All I know is a lot of football people really like what he brings to the table. I don’t personally get it, but I have to trust that I’m missing something.

        It will be interesting to see how the Packers work him into the roster. Hard to imagine that he doesn’t make it

        1. if you watch some of his tape from college its easy to see why people like him. The guy just has a knack for making plays, it might take him a year or two to figure it out in this defense but he has the look of another great developmental mid round draft pick.

          1. I watched a highlight vid or two, and I’ll tell ya, it didn’t look all that great to my eyes. I’ve seen his stats, but what I watched on tape didn’t seem to reflect that. I know scouts say he’s an instinctive playmaker, but I found him to be hesitant most of the time, a reactionary player. I know I’m missing something.

  6. I can’t believe or understand what is going on with Sam Sheilds??? Where is the guy from 2 years ago in his rookie year that was making play after play and showing tight,competitive coverage. I don’t know where they have been lining him up, mostly outside I think, maybe he would do better in the slot where he could use his speed, I had high hopes for his longterm place on GB defense, its starting to look like that is in jeopardy…

    1. That Sam Shields of two years ago- that kid who had to work hard to prove he belonged on the field as a DB in the NFL- that Same Shields cashed in his chips and is in semi-retirement, living the good life, because he’s reached the pinnacle. He’s a Superbowl Champion CB for the Green Bay PAckers, haven’t you seen the tat?? He’s big time, no reason to work anymore.

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