Can Grant DuBose Play His Way Into Green Bay’s Roster?

When Green Bay Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst sees an area of need, he attacks it by throwing extra draft capital at it.

It's happened multiple times in the GM's tenure, including in 2023, when he took three wide receivers to fill out the team's roster for Jordan Love's first year as a starter. Jayden Reed (second round) and Dontayvion Wicks (fifth round) had excellent rookie seasons and played a big role in Green Bay's lightning offense.

Now it's looking like Gutekunst may have gone three-for-three on receivers in that class because Grant DuBose (seventh round) is a player who keeps making headlines. DuBose spent last season on the practice squad and built on a strong training camp with a strong performance against the Cleveland Browns in the first week of preseason. Can the second-year receiver keep turning heads in a crowded wide receiver room and make Green Bay's 53-man roster?

Almost without fail, every Packers training camp sees a lesser-known wide receiver making the most of every opportunity and creating a strong case for more playing time and a roster spot. DuBose is that man this summer, and he's been an exhilarating player to follow.

DuBose's rookie season was quiet. The USFL's Birmingham Stallions drafted the former Miles College and UNC-Charlotte wide receiver before the Packers drafted him in the seventh round. He was their final selection in the draft of their four seventh-round selections.

While fellow seventh-rounders Carrington Valentine and Anthony Johnson Jr. saw significant play as rookies thanks to injuries, DuBose spent most of the season on the practice squad due to the depth of receiving options and health woes. A back injury caused him to miss off-season activities as a rookie, making it harder to carve out a role. The Packers elevated him to the active roster for Week 18, but he didn't play a snap.

DuBose took that redshirt year in stride and showed up for the 2024 season ready to work. He made significant plays as early as May and continues to see play with the ones throughout the summer, making a few beautiful catches from Jordan Love.

"He came in kind of with his back against the wall, so to speak, having an injury and missing the entire offseason, missing a lot of camp," Matt LaFleur said in late July. "That's tough for a young player. He had a whole year in our system, learning our offense. Very detailed guy. Going to give you great effort. Great hands. Can run through the ball. He's strong. So I'm excited to see what he can do within the preseason and the games."

DuBose got to take his strong practices to the next stage in Week 1's preseason victory. With Love and the first team offense's day finishing early (I wasn't even in my seat yet), DuBose got plenty of snaps with Sean Clifford and Michael Pratt and was one of the standouts on the field.

DuBose finished 5 of 6 and with 66 yards on the day. DuBose was there for big plays, converting a fourth down that eventually led to a score and a third-down conversion late in the first half that led to a field goal. He finished his day by catching a crucial 12-yard catch on Michael Pratt's first series, leading to another field goal.

DuBose was among the highest-graded offensive players on the field, earning a +.50 from Andy Herman and an 84.6 from PFF (their fourth-highest offensive grade for a Packers player).

Love wasn't surprised by DuBose's success. "Grant’s been making plays every day since we started camp," he said. "He’s been controlling what he can control, making big-time plays, knowing his assignments — he’s been a great player."

The offensive coaches were similarly praiseful of DuBose.

On Monday, offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich specifically praised DuBose's blocking ability, while passing game coordinator Jason Vrable used DuBose's blocking to demonstrate model plays.

LaFleur loves receivers who can block, and DuBose keeps making plays, making him hard to ignore. However, a few obstacles remain in the way for the sophomore receiver.

The Packers have their top four wide receivers locked in: Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, and Dontayvion Wicks. Bo Melton is just outside of that group, thanks to his strong finish to the 2023 season and his work in camp. Throw in tight ends Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft, and there are a lot of mouths to feed in the passing game. One could even argue that, despite his big play in Cleveland, Wicks already looks like a potential star in the making, and he is not getting enough snaps and targets.

Good depth is important, but it will be hard for DuBose to earn snaps. Coupled with the fact that Green Bay usually only keeps six receivers, and Malik Heath and Samori Toure are still in the mix, DuBose still has much to prove. Thankfully, with LaFleur suggesting starters won't play in the second week of preseason, DuBose should get more opportunities.

As mentioned earlier, this pattern of a depth receiver impressing happens every season, and it rarely fully translates to regular-season success. Can DuBose break that trend? He’s doing everything right. However, with the wide receiver room as crowded as it is, it wouldn't be surprising to see another practice squad season — or to see him sign with a more wide-receiver-needy team.

Fans tend to overestimate that other teams will scoop up their favorite players during final cuts. Still, plenty of teams have a dearth at the position, and DuBose looks like a legitimate NFL receiver. His best shot at significant playing time may be with another team.

DuBose is looking like another great find by Brian Gutekunst in the late rounds of the draft. Whether it's in Green Bay or elsewhere, he's quickly playing his way into a roster spot.