The Green Bay Packers dropped their snap counts from the preseason opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday, and it’s way clearer who’s actually running with the first and second units than just looking at total snaps. Forget the raw numbers, the real juice is in who was on the field with the starters, and the early look at their offensive depth chart is already giving us a lot to chew on for 2026.
Who’s Leading the First-Team Charge?
Rookie running back MarShawn Lloyd absolutely owned the first-team snaps, clocking in for all nine plays with quarterback Jordan Love. This is a massive shoutout for Lloyd, especially with veterans Josh Jacobs (groin) and Chris Brooks (hamstring) both sidelined. It tells you Green Bay isn’t messing around and wants to see what their new blood can do right away. Out wide, Matthew Golden also got nine snaps, with Christian Watson right behind him at eight. Jayden Reed, as expected, stuck to three-receiver sets for seven snaps, confirming his role as their primary slot guy. Savion Williams got a quick one-snap breather for Watson, showing they are already managing player load. At tight end, Josh Whyle out-snapped Drake Dabney with eight plays to Dabney’s three, even though Dabney technically “started.” Dabney leaned more into an in-line role, but Whyle was clearly the main guy for those first-team looks, likely because Tucker Kraft (knee) and Luke Musgrave (neck) were out.
The Offensive Line is Already Shuffling
If you’re looking for early season drama, check the offensive line. Without Aaron Banks (knee) at right guard and Zach Bako-Bewele (knee) at right tackle, things got interesting. Jager Burton and Jacob Monk stepped up into the starting lineup for all nine first-team snaps. Monk, who played right guard, actually pushed Anthony Belton from his expected right guard spot over to right tackle. Talk about a domino effect! This move highlights a major question mark for Green Bay: their tackle depth isn’t exactly stacked right now, and injuries are already forcing them to get creative. It’s early, but that kind of shuffling upfront can ripple through the entire offense.
Second-Team Backfield Gets Wild Too
The second-team offense also had some unexpected twists. Tyrod Taylor led the unit with 13 snaps at quarterback. With Lloyd doing his thing with the first-teamers, Pierre Strong Jr. got the most burn at running back for the second string, taking seven snaps. What’s even more interesting is how undrafted rookie Jaden Nixon got looks ahead of Damien Martinez, who was a 2025 draft pick. Nixon and Lloyd getting prominent roles, while a draft pick sits lower on the depth chart, is something you don’t typically expect this early in the year. Out wide for the second unit, Bo Melton and Savion Williams were the “starting” outside receivers with 11 snaps each, joined by Skyy Moore for nine and Isaiah Neyor for four.
So, what does this all mean? The Green Bay depth chart is anything but settled. With another preseason game around the corner, we’ll be watching to see if Lloyd keeps that starting job, how the O-line shakes out, and if these rookies continue to leapfrog draft picks. The early season is all about finding those hidden gems and seeing who steps up when their number is called, and Green Bay has a lot of questions to answer.
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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