2024 Packers roster ranking, 40-32: rookies and second-year pros with upside

The Leap ranks the Green Bay Packers' 90-man roster in order of player caliber.

With the Green Bay Packers on break until training camp and the personnel essentially frozen for the foreseeable future, The Leap will use this time to reveal its annual 90-man roster rankings.

Our methodology: We ordered the players based on ability relative to their respective positions rather than the value of those positions. Put another way, this exercise prioritizes the "best" players, not necessarily the "most valuable" ones. That means the starting quarterback doesn't necessarily have to top the list because of the position he plays.

Each edition of the 90-man roster ranking will include a batch of roughly 10 players. Due to voting ties, some batches will feature slightly more or less.

Rookies and second-year pros make up the bulk of today's slate. Some have genuine paths to a starting job and multiple have high-end upsides.

40. Brenton Cox Jr.

Position: defensive end
How acquired: undrafted free agent (2023)

A year ago, Brenton Cox Jr. arrived in Green Bay as one of the most fascinating undrafted free agents in recent memory. He appeared in the 2023 edition of The Leap's UDFA Prospectus which chronicled his multiple program dismissals and highlighted his impressive pass-rush win rate during his collegiate career:

·      2018: 30.0% (first)

·      2019: [did not play, transfer]

·      2020: 23.4% (first)

·      2021: 26.5% (first)

·      2022: 30.4% (second)

During training camp and the preseason, Cox displayed enough promise and avoided any incidents like the ones that got him booted from multiple teams to earn a spot on the 53-man roster. However, he barely saw action once the regular season arrived, playing just 13 total snaps (nine of which came on special teams) during his rookie campaign. In many ways, Cox remains as much a mystery as when he first joined the squad.

Now back at defensive end as part of the system reboot under new coordinator Jeff Hafley, Cox will presumably receive more opportunities to show how well he can rush the passer. Though the Packers have plenty of bigger names positioned ahead of him on the depth chart -- Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, Lukas Van Ness, and Kingsley Enagbare -- Cox could carve out a real role in 2024.

39. Andre Dillard

Position: offensive lineman
How acquired: street free agent (2024)

Shortly before the 2024 NFL Draft, the Packers decided to beef up their O-line depth by signing veteran tackle Andre Dillard. At the time, the move seemed like a hedge against the team missing out on the top tackle prospects during the draft, a sensible move considering that David Bakhtiari and Yosh Nijman departed this offseason, leaving Rasheed Walker and Zach Tom as the only experienced options at the position. Dillard had perilously served as a part-time starter with the Philadelphia Eagles before a one-year stint as the Tennessee Titans' left tackle in 2023.

However, after the Packers spent a first-round pick on Jordan Morgan for the express purpose of creating an open competition at left tackle, Dillard's purpose on the roster grew less clear. He could still wind up as the swing tackle depending on where the coaching staff ultimately places Morgan. Perhaps Dillard could even kick inside to guard, though he has effectively no professional experience at the position.

All of which underscores Dillard's predicament. Even if he delivers a solid performance, the Packers might still lean toward their younger options -- they drafted three offensive linemen this year and have invested significant practice time and other resources in Caleb Jones and Luke Tenuta -- leaving Dillard on the outside looking in come final cuts. Experience could work in his favor, but Dillard's most recent season doesn't bode well for his future.