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3 Packers Veterans Fighting for Their Jobs After the Draft

By Steven Kubitza

Green Bay Packers RB Jamaal Williams may be out of a job after the 2020 NFL Draft.
Green Bay Packers RB Jamaal Williams may be out of a job after the 2020 NFL Draft. / Stephen Maturen/Getty Images

The Green Bay Packers selected nine players in the 2020 NFL Draft and took quarterback Jordan Love with their first pick. The entire class was not well-received, but initial grades can always change with time.

What we do know is that nine new players are fighting for a roster spot and several veterans are in danger of losing their jobs in 2020. Three Packers veterans stand out as those on the roster bubble right away.

3. Robert Tonyan Jr.

Green Bay Packers TE Robert Tonyan Jr. had 10 receptions in 2019.
Green Bay Packers TE Robert Tonyan Jr. had 10 receptions in 2019. / Quinn Harris/Getty Images

The Packers signed Robert Tonyan Jr. to a one-year deal this offseason, but then went ahead and drafted tight end Josiah Deguara in the third round. The team also gave Marcedes Lewis a one-year deal and 2019 third-round pick Jace Sternberger should be ready for a bigger role in 2020. The addition of Deguara is what ultimately makes Tonyan expendable after a 2019 campaign in which he had 100 yards on 10 receptions.

2. Tim Williams

Tim Williams joined the Packers during the 2019 season, latching onto the practice squad in November. Green Bay added linebacker Kamal Martin in the fifth round to join an already crowded position group. Williams' deal has no dead cap attached to it and the Packers will likely opt for younger talent instead of a backup here. The duo of Za'Darius and Preston Smith, along with Rashan Gary already in town, likely makes Williams a likely cut candidate.

1. Jamaal Williams

Green Bay Packers RB Jamaal Williams has competition in 2020.
Green Bay Packers RB Jamaal Williams has competition in 2020. / Dylan Buell/Getty Images

Jamaal Williams had his job security go into question the moment the team drafted running back A.J. Dillon in the second round. Aaron Jones is the top back and Dillon's draft position suggests he'll be a key figure in the offense next season. This likely takes all the carries away from Williams after he served as the backup to Jones in 2019. Jones had 236 carries and Williams had 107. Williams will need to fight for playing time or could find himself on a new team as soon as this summer.