Winners and losers for the Packers following 2022 NFL draft

The Green Bay Packers reshaped their roster and added young talent to the foundation of the franchise by making 11 picks during the 2022 NFL draft.

As is the case after every draft, there are winners and losers. Some players get a vote of confidence, others are put on immediate notice. Some get opportunity, some lose it. Some are helped, others hurt.

With the draft and rookie minicamp now in the rear-view mirror, here are the biggest winners and biggest losers coming out of the draft for the Packers:

Winner: OLB Jonathan Garvin

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Garvin, now entering Year 3, will likely play a big role in 2022. At any point during the first two days of the draft, the Packers could have made a big investment at edge rusher, including during the first round. Florida State’s Jermaine Johnson and Purdue’s George Karlaftis were both sitting right there when the Packers came on the clock at No. 21 overall. Karlaftis was still there at No. 28. General manager Brian Gutekunst went in a different direction, and he didn’t take an edge rusher until pick No. 179 in the fifth round. Kingsley Enagbare could be a terrific Day 3 value, but Garvin has to be feeling better about his status as a top backup behind Rashan Gary and Preston Smith. He played around 400 defensive snaps in 2021. and he’ll have a chance to beat that number in 2022. The Packers will hope he can take a big jump as a 22-year-old.

Loser: LB Krys Barnes

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An obvious one. Barnes, the expected starter next to De’Vondre Campbell entering 2022, will now have to compete with first-round pick Quay Walker for the starting job at linebacker. It will probably be a losing battle. Walker is bigger and faster and more versatile, and the Packers aren’t going to wait long to get their prized first-round pick on the field. It’s not all bad news: Barnes could be a terrific No. 3 linebacker, especially if his role can expand on special teams and he helps the third phase in a more significant way.

Winner: Young players at CB and S

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The Packers didn’t take a defensive back until the seventh round, re-enforcing the team’s belief in the five starters at cornerback and safety. The winners here are the depth players. The Packers appeared to lack depth at both positions entering the draft, but the returning players should now get real opportunities to play important backup spots. Shemar Jean-Charles, a fifth-round pick in 2021, might be the favorite to be the No. 4 cornerback. He’ll compete directly with Keisean Nixon, a free-agent addition, and Kabion Ento, who is entering Year 4 in Green Bay. Jean-Charles and Nixon could both make the team behind Jaire Alexander, Rasul Douglas and Eric Stokes. Vernon Scott, Shawn Davis and Innis Gaines will each have a great chance to make the 53-man roster as a backup at safety.

Loser: OL Royce Newman

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When everyone is healthy, the Packers have four obvious starters along the offensive line: David Bakhtiari, Josh Myers, Jon Runyan and Elgton Jenkins. Newman, a fourth-round pick last year who started 16 games as a rookie, probably would have been the fifth. But that’s not the case after the Packers made three picks on offensive linemen during the draft, including two who could compete to start at right guard right away in 2022. Don’t be surprised if Sean Rhyan (third-round pick) or Zach Tom (fourth-round pick) steal the job away. They’ll both be competing with Yosh Nijman for the starting spot at right tackle to open 2022, too. Newman needs to take the second-year jump or he’ll go from rookie starter to sophomore backup.

Winner: TE Tyler Davis

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The Packers didn’t take a tight end in the draft or sign one in college free agency, although the team did add Eli Wolf off waivers from the Colts. The lack of additions at tight end was a vote of confidence in the whole group, but especially Davis, who was mentioned specifically by Brian Gutekunst following the draft. “Think we really have something there, so I’m excited about that,” Gutekunst said. Davis can block inline at tight end. He also flashed a bit as a receiver. He’ll have a chance to play a bunch of snaps early in 2022 while Robert Tonyan recovers from last season’s knee injury.

Loser: Anyone not named Lazard or Cobb at wide receiver

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Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb are roster locks, and Amari Rodgers and Sammy Watkins still have a good chance of sticking, but the Packers taking three wide receivers in the draft put just about everyone else on notice. Malik Taylor and Juwann Winfree can’t feel great about making the team, especially after the Packers traded up to get Christian Watson and used a fourth-rounder on Romeo Doubs. If Lazard, Cobb, Rodgers, Watkins, Watson and Doubs all make the team as expected, the only way onto the 53-man roster for a player like Taylor or Winfree is through special teams.

Winner: QB Aaron Rodgers

(AP Photo/Matt Ludtke)

The Packers picked three wide receivers and three offensive linemen and gave the defense the opportunity to go from good to great. What more could a quarterback chasing another Super Bowl really want? Sure, Rodgers will have to build chemistry with new pass-catchers, which is never easy, but Christian Watson is hyper-athletic and versatile, and both Romeo Doubs are polished and experienced receivers. The Packers once again invested draft capital along the offensive line to help make sure Rodgers, who turns 39 in December, plays from clean pockets. At least one of the rookies could start in 2022. And the defense added immediate contributors in the front seven in Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt and Kingsley Enagbare, three experienced and disruptive players from the SEC capable of turning Joe Barry’s ascending defense into a nightmare for opponents. The Packers may win differently in 2022, but the path to the final goal remains wide open for Rodgers.

Loser: Young players along OL and DL

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The Packers picked three offensive lineman and used a first-round pick and a seventh-round pick on the defensive line. Like all good football teams do, the Packers fortified competition along both lines of scrimmage. Can recent draft picks along the offensive line such as Cole Van Lanen and Jake Hanson make the 53-man roster after the Packers took Sean Rhyan, Zach Tom and Rasheed Walker? The fight for roster spots on the offensive line depth chart will be fierce this summer, and it’s still possible the Packers will make a veteran addition here. On the defensive line, TJ Slaton and Jack Heflin now have to compete with Devonte Wyatt and Jonathan Ford, plus free-agent pickup Jarran Reed. Wyatt is probably going to be an immediate contributor and potentially a starter and three-down player. Slaton may need to fight for snaps in his second year, while Heflin’s path to the roster is far more cluttered.

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