# Bill Huber: Previewing the Packers' final roster cuts, Huber lays out the linebacker pecking order — Cooper and Franklin starting, McDuffie and Hopper as backups/special-teamers, Niemann a special teams key — says Jonathan Ford has won the nose tackle job, and figures Kamal Hadden has secured a secondary spot. **Claimed:** Aug 26, 2026 **Pundit:** Bill Huber — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/pundits/bill-huber **Outlet:** Sports Illustrated — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/outlets/sports-illustrated **How it reached us:** published in writing **Original:** https://www.si.com/nfl/packers/onsi/every-packers-player-on-roster-bubble-who-must-shine-vs-cardinals 7 checkable claims — 5 depth chart calls and 2 roster spot calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing bet. It names 8 players and teams, each linked to their own record. None of them have settled yet — they grade once their results are in. Of the 4 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room on every one. > Edgerrin Cooper and Zaire Franklin will start, Isaiah McDuffie and Ty'Ron Hopper will be backups and core players on special teams *(their words, quoted for attribution)* ## The claims - **Ty'Ron Hopper to be 2nd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Ty'Ron Hopper, Green Bay Packers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Isaiah McDuffie to be 2nd on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Isaiah McDuffie, Green Bay Packers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Jonathan Ford to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Jonathan Ford, Green Bay Packers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Edgerrin Cooper to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Edgerrin Cooper, Green Bay Packers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Zaire Franklin to be 1st on the depth chart** - Kind: Depth Chart Calls · About: Zaire Franklin, Green Bay Packers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Kamal Hadden to make the roster** - Kind: Roster Spot Calls · About: Kamal Hadden, Green Bay Packers - Verdict: not settled yet - **Nick Niemann to make the roster** - Kind: Roster Spot Calls · About: Nick Niemann, Green Bay Packers - Verdict: not settled yet ## Who this take is about - Ty'Ron Hopper — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/ty-ron-hopper - Green Bay Packers — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/teams/packers - Isaiah McDuffie — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/isaiah-mcduffie - Jonathan Ford — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/jonathan-ford - Edgerrin Cooper — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/edgerrin-cooper - Zaire Franklin — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/zaire-franklin - Kamal Hadden — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/kamal-hadden - Nick Niemann — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/nfl/players/nick-niemann ## What others said about the same people - Daniel Jeremiah on R Mason Thomas: In discussing teams without first-round picks, Jeremiah projected specific Day 2 picks: Clemson WR Antonio Williams to the Falcons at 48, Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez to the Colts in the second round, Oklahoma edge R Mason Thomas to the Packers at 52, and Auburn edge Keiroon Crawford to the Broncos at 62. He also expects Riley Leonard to open as the Colts' starting QB and Travis Hunter to play cornerback full time in Jacksonville. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/f60c916c-1b5f-4252-8733-1770c7809577 (scored 59.46) - Richard Sherman on Green Bay Packers: Sherman previewed every division: he picked Seattle to win the NFC West on a tiebreaker over San Francisco (both 11-11 wins), the Lions over the Packers in the North, the Eagles to run away with the East, Tampa Bay in the South, and Kansas City, Buffalo and the Ravens' division rivals in the AFC. He picked an Eagles–Chiefs Super Bowl with Philadelphia repeating, Joe Burrow for MVP, and gave a top-five power ranking. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/ec43b02b-8e3a-4b2e-8c36-1839c9c52e3c (scored 40) - Jacob Westendorf on Green Bay Packers: Westendorf picks the Packers to win the opener 27-21, with Tucker Kraft leading the team in catches, Christian Watson in yards, Jayden Reed in touchdowns and Josh Jacobs in rushing. He tabs Bo Nix as MVP, the Broncos as the AFC's top team and Super Bowl winner over the Rams, the Lions to win the NFC North, and the Packers to finish 8-9. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/74732492-951c-4bdd-9047-b9c9b08265d6 (scored 23.81) - AJ Hawk on Green Bay Packers: AJ Hawk picked the Ravens over the Colts, Carolina to beat Chicago outright, the Bills at Houston, the Bengals over Tampa Bay, the Titans over the Jets, the Raiders over Miami, the Packers at Minnesota and the Cowboys over the Giants. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/74f9146c-d27f-4851-b8a4-4103d043308f (scored 0) - Kirk Herbstreit on Green Bay Packers: Herbstreit made a full slate of Week 1 picks — Lions, Ravens, Bears, Bills, Buccaneers, Jaguars, Titans, Eagles, Packers and Cowboys — and also said he still thinks Seattle is the team to beat in the NFC West. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/5bc3755c-9b84-484f-b8f2-b18d51a12261 (scored 0) - Pat McAfee on Green Bay Packers: In the show's weekly picks segment Pat took the Steelers at home over Atlanta, the Jaguars over Cleveland, the Raiders over Miami, the Packers at Minnesota and the Cowboys over the Giants. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/d72ee420-9220-402c-9a25-44bc6ed8c477 (scored 0) ## More depth chart calls The same kind of call, about other players and teams. - Tyler Sullivan on Deshaun Watson: An unsigned CBS Sports preseason review grading all 32 teams, which along the way stakes out a number of depth-chart calls for Week 1 and beyond — including Deshaun Watson opening as Cleveland's starter, Fernando Mendoza taking over as Las Vegas' QB1 by season's end, and Minnesota's Murray-Wentz-McCarthy quarterback order. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/054d7c3e-baca-4414-b3dd-72c4eced2725 (scored 100) - Ryan Wilson on Deshaun Watson: A CBS Sports piece states Deshaun Watson has won Cleveland's starting quarterback job for Week 1 with Shedeur Sanders next in line, while arguing Watson will not play like even an average NFL quarterback and that none of the Browns' current young passers should stop them from drafting a first-round quarterback next April. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/ff870e69-9992-4166-aa81-9b49d6f77f55 (scored 100) - Rafael Zamorano on Deshaun Watson: Zamorano argues the Browns do not have a franchise quarterback and that it's unlikely Watson or Sanders is their long-term answer. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/80cb396b-8dbf-4e39-bd65-6d25df403db1 (scored 100) - John Breech on Deshaun Watson: The unsigned newsletter author says Deshaun Watson will start Week 1 at Jacksonville, notes he voted for Jaxson Dart as his breakout QB rather than Caleb Williams, and says newly signed Daniel Carlson is the favorite to win the Saints' kicking job. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/1e520b2b-bf4e-4a82-9743-7cb7bc3ee125 (scored 100) - Mark Chichester on Deshaun Watson: Unsigned PFF piece reporting/asserting that Deshaun Watson will be Cleveland's Week 1 starting quarterback against Jacksonville, with Shedeur Sanders behind him on the depth chart. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/ef347873-c28b-4a47-bb04-2488937cd3cf (scored 100) - Zachary Pereles on Deshaun Watson: The unsigned recap argues Sanders clearly outplayed Watson and, even if Sanders isn't named the Week 1 starter, predicts both quarterbacks will see significant playing time in 2026. — https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/opinions/1b6d3216-38ff-4922-9e0a-807497573121 (scored 100) --- Accuracy is 0-100 against what actually happened. The naive guess is what a strategy requiring no knowledge would have scored on the same call — the difference is the skill, and it is what the MissedTakes Score averages. Full method: https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/methodology We summarize what a pundit said and quote a short span for attribution; we never republish their article. If this is wrong, tell us: https://missedtakes.thegoodapps.co/corrections?pundit=bill-huber