The Green Bay Packers rolled out the red carpet for a whopping five edge rushers on Monday, and seriously, nobody in the league is really ready for how odd that is. They’ve got two open practice squad spots, sure, but get this: out of the 43 players they’ve worked out since the cutdown deadline, only *one* of them was even an edge rusher until now. Suddenly, they’re bringing in a whole crew. What’s the deal?
The Hunt for Pass Rushers Is On
This kind of flurry for a specific position, especially with practice squad spots open, tells you Green Bay is looking to seriously shake things up on the edge. It’s a clear signal. Among the players they checked out, Vincent Anthony Jr. stands out as a 2026 undrafted rookie. This dude spent his training camp with the Kansas City Chiefs and even got a practice squad spot with the San Francisco 49ers after the cutdown, before getting waived in late September. He’s been on the grind, hitting workouts with the New Orleans Saints and New York Jets already. The Chiefs even guaranteed Anthony Jr. a hefty $267,500 as an undrafted free agent, which is more than any 2026 Packers UDFA got. This Duke product was a 208th overall prospect on the consensus board, so he’s got some real pedigree there.
A Familiar Face From the Emerald City’s Past
Then there’s a name that might ring a tiny, faint bell for us here in Seattle: Seth Coleman. This guy was a 2025 draft class defensive end who, you guessed it, initially signed with our very own Seattle Seahawks. Yeah, he was waived at the cutdown deadline of his rookie season, but the connection is there. After his brief stint with the Hawks, Coleman resurfaced for a week on the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad, then signed a reserve/futures contract with the Miami Dolphins and spent 2026 training camp there. He was eventually let go by the Dolphins, and this Packers workout looks like his first shot since then. For a guy who had a solid 7.14 RAS out of 10.00, ranking him 576 out of over 2000 DEs from 1987 to 2025, you know he’s got athletic potential. It’s always wild to see former Seahawks hitting the workout circuit, still chasing that NFL dream.
A Third-Round Pick Still Pushing
The Packers also brought in D.J. Johnson, a 2023 third-round pick who was known for his raw athleticism coming out of college, transferring from Miami to Oregon. Johnson has seen some real action in the league, playing 31 games, including five starts, all with the Carolina Panthers. He’s logged 677 defensive snaps and another 220 on special teams. After the Panthers waived him mid-2025 season, the Washington Commanders scooped him up for their practice squad and later inked him to a reserve/futures deal for 2026. He was let go by the Commanders at cutdown, then re-signed to their practice squad for about two weeks to kick off the 2026 season. This Green Bay workout is his first since that brief Commanders return.
What does all this mean? For these players, it’s everything. It’s their shot to impress, to show they belong in an NFL locker room. For Coleman, it’s a chance to build on his journey after his time with our Seahawks. Every workout, every tryout, could be the one that gets them back on a roster. We’ll be watching to see if any of these guys stick.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Acme Packing Company.
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