Last week I wrote about some of the undrafted rookies to keep an eye on heading into training camp. Today, I bring you a list of second-year, supplementary players to also watch for during training camp and the preseason. 

What do I mean by supplementary? Well, these are the undrafted players (normally in their second or third years in the NFL) that fill out a roster in addition to draft picks and free agent signings each season. 

Players like Raven Greene, Tony Brown, and Justin McCray immediately come to mind in recent years. Jarrett Bush is another example from the Super Bowl XLV team of an undrafted guy who made important contributions during his tenure on the 53-man roster. (Tramon Williams and Sam Shields are about the biggest names to ever exist for a list like this, but I’m more focused on under-the-radar contributors who maybe won’t be impact starters on the roster.)

This year, there are plenty of worthy candidates to keep tabs on. These are players that were talented enough to latch onto an NFL roster last season, and have a likely chance to do the same in 2019, whether that’s with the Green Bay Packers or elsewhere in the league. 

First up? James Crawford. Crawford, nephew of Charles Woodson, came to the Packers midway through training camp last season (August 8th) and impressed enough to still find a spot on the roster right out of the preseason. An undrafted player out of Illinois, Crawford spent time learning both inside and outside linebacker positions before honing in on inside linebacker specifically. 

Inside linebacker is one of the current positions lacking roster depth, and with Crawford leading the team in special teams tackles in 2018 with nine, he seems like one of the most likely candidates to find himself on the 53 once again. Behind Blake Martinez and second-year draft pick Oren Burks, the competition is pretty wide open. Crawford will have a leg up on seventh-round draft pick Ty Summers and the other rookies in the locker room given his existing NFL experience and his familiarity with defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s scheme. 

Next up is Natrell Jamerson. Jamerson is an intriguing prospect that has the versatility to play either cornerback or safety, similar to former Packer Micah Hyde. The Wisconsin Badger was picked up off waivers in December of 2018 and played in two games for Green Bay.

Jamerson came on strong his senior season at Wisconsin tallying 51 total tackles and two interceptions with one returned for a touchdown. He also had 10 passes defensed. If the Packers do potentially move on from Josh Jones or refrain from adding additional talent to the safety room (someone like Ibraheim Campbell), Jamerson has enough talent to take snaps at safety or corner. He provides nice rotational depth for the CBs, too, behind Jaire Alexander, Josh Jackson, Tramon Williams, Kevin King, and Tony Brown. It’s not a foregone conclusion that any of the players listed will remain healthy all season, and because of that, Jamerson is great insurance. 

One of the trickiest players to keep an eye on during training camp and the preseason will be Fadol Brown. The defensive end out of Mississippi finds himself in a crowded locker room, with defensive line being one of the most talented, deepest positions on the roster. In his limited action in 2018, Brown did impress, though, and that could be enough to keep him on the squad as a rotational player. 

Brown played in four games for Green Bay after the Packers picked him up off waivers in December from Oakland, and his biggest game came against the Chicago Bears. He had three tackles in that game, including two vital stops with one coming on a fourth down attempt. Brown also notched two quarterback hits in his four appearances. The athleticism and drive is there for Brown to force the Packers to make a tough decision on cutdown day. He could be the 53rd player selected, or he could just miss out on a spot. 

The final player on this list is Mike Tyson, and he’s one of the most intriguing names considering he didn’t play in a single game for Green Bay in 2018. Tyson was activated off the Houston Texans’ practice squad in October, starting two games for the team. In his 10 games played, he had one pass defensed and five combined tackles. In January, though, he was placed on injured reserve before being waived by the team in May. 

Tyson measures in at 6-1 and profiles as both a corner and a safety, though the Packers have him officially listed as a safety on the team website. Similar to Jamerson, Tyson finds himself at a position lacking depth. That said, it’s possible the Packers only keep one of the two safeties and not both, so if Tyson makes the 53, Jamerson could be the odd man out. 

Of course, these are just a few of the second-year players hoping to stick on the 2019 Packers roster. They’ll be names to keep an eye on once training camp kicks off on July 25th, and during preseason action beginning August 8th against the Houston Texans.