2023 Packers roster ranking, 50-41: Green Bay's depth and upside players

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

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With the Green Bay Packers on break until training camp and the personnel essentially frozen for the foreseeable future, The Leap has decided to use this time to release its 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 one more or one fewer.

Today's slate features those primarily slotted for reserve roles, albeit with significant upside. At least some of these players will have the chance to compete for starting jobs over the next two seasons and, if the board breaks right for them, develop into field-tilters.

50. Isaiah McDuffie

Position: inside linebacker
How acquired: sixth-round draft pick (2021)

The Packers' recent investments at inside linebacker -- signing All-Pro De'Vondre Campbell to a multiyear deal, using the No. 20 overall pick on Quay Walker -- has understandably pushed the rest of the group into the background. But Isaiah McDuffie has quietly emerged as one of the core pieces of Green Bay's special teams, seeing action on five of the six units over the course of 2022.

McDuffie expects to serve in a similar capacity during the upcoming season as the presence of Campbell and Walker should again limit his opportunities on defense. But McDuffie doesn't have to grow into anything more to justify his place on the roster. The Packers need athletic players with his body type to maintain the progress they've made in the third phase.

49. Grant DuBose

Position: wide receiver
How acquired: seventh-round draft pick (2023)

Of the Packers' four seventh-round picks from this past April, Grant DuBose seems the most fascinating. He produced well during each of his two seasons with the Charlotte 49ers and tested as an upper-tier athlete during the NFL Scouting Combine. More importantly from the Packers' perspective, he ticked off every box they look for in a receiver.

Given DuBose's draft status and athletic tools, he appears well positioned to secure a roster spot. However, he'll have to return to the field in order to do so. DuBose missed organized-team activities and mandatory minicamp with an undisclosed injury. Perhaps the situation will clear up by the time players report to training camp. However, if he remains sidelined, he might have to take a de facto redshirt and spend his rookie year on injured reserve.