Bill Huber#59 of 87 NFL pundits · Aug 26, 2026
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.
Published in writing · Sports IllustratedRead the original
What Bill Huber said
our reading, beside the words we read it fromEdgerrin Cooper and Zaire Franklin will start, Isaiah McDuffie and Ty'Ron Hopper will be backups and core players on special teams
- Where it was published
- Sports Illustrated
- The piece
- Three Draft Picks Among Packers on Roster Bubble Who Must Shine vs. Cardinals
- The original
- Read the original
- Read it wrong?
- Tell us and we will look
- SaidAug 26
- GradedOct 1
- 1Kamal Hadden to make the roster“Because he's played better at cornerback and slot, Kamal Hadden has probably locked up a spot in the secondary.”
- 2Ty'Ron Hopper to be 2nd on the depth chart“Isaiah McDuffie and Ty'Ron Hopper will be backups and core players on special teams”
- 3Isaiah McDuffie to be 2nd on the depth chart“Isaiah McDuffie and Ty'Ron Hopper will be backups and core players on special teams”
- 4Jonathan Ford to be 1st on the depth chart“Jonathan Ford has had a terrific training camp to seize the job at nose tackle.”
- 5Nick Niemann — “will be a key player on special teams again”“Nick Niemann – who the Packers signed after final cuts last year rather than keeping Welch – will be a key player on special teams again.”
- 6Edgerrin Cooper to be 1st on the depth chart“Edgerrin Cooper and Zaire Franklin will start”
- 7Zaire Franklin to be 1st on the depth chart“Edgerrin Cooper and Zaire Franklin will start”
Box score
HitCloseMissWaiting| Verdict | Call | Kind | What happened | Score | Naive | Skill |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kamal Hadden to make the roster1 | Roster Spot Calls | 4 weeks on a 53 | 100 | 100 | 0 | |
| Ty'Ron Hopper to be 2nd on the depth chart2 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Isaiah McDuffie to be 2nd on the depth chart3 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Jonathan Ford to be 1st on the depth chart4 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Nick Niemann — “will be a key player on special teams again”5 | Roster Spot Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Edgerrin Cooper to be 1st on the depth chart6 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| Zaire Franklin to be 1st on the depth chart7 | Depth Chart Calls | — | — | — | — | |
| 7 calls · 1 hit · 6 waiting | 100 | 100 | ||||
How each call scored
a naive guessbetter than naive7 checkable claims — 5 depth chart calls and 2 roster spot calls — each graded on its own rather than as one all-or-nothing call.
It names 8 players and teams, each linked to their own record.
1 of 7 have settled so far, averaging 100 out of 100, against 100 for a naive guess at the same calls.
Of the 4 unsettled calls enough other pundits have weighed in on, this one lands below the rest of the room on every one.
Each call is scored 0 to 100 against what happened, on its own, by the published methodology. The naive guess is what knowing nothing would have scored on the same calls; the gap, weighted by how hard the call was, is the skill.
Where this call stands in the room
Zaire Franklin · 2026 season3 calls from 3 pundits between 1 and 1. Bill Huber said 1. the room's median is 1. not settled yet
Every dot is a call somebody published on the same question. Where the dots land says where this take sits, not whether it is right — nothing here is settled yet. Hover a dot for the name and number; click it to read that take.
1Roster Spot CallsKamal HaddenGreen Bay Packers
Kamal Hadden to make the roster
What happened4 weeks on a 53100Hit · naive 100100this call−100a naive guess=0better than naive×2difficulty=0skillThink this is wrong?How this was scored
- club:
- GB
- skill:
- 0
- player:
- Kamal Hadden
- season:
- 2026
- claimed:
- he makes the 53
- accuracy:
- 100
- baseline:
- 100
- difficulty:
- 2
- the naive guess:
- he was on somebody's 53 last season, so he makes one again
- weeks in the season:
- 18
- weeks on the53:
- 4
- weeks left when called:
- 18
- first week on the53:
- 1
- weeks on the practice squad:
- 0
2Depth Chart CallsTy'Ron HopperGreen Bay Packers
Ty'Ron Hopper to be 2nd on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
3Depth Chart CallsIsaiah McDuffieGreen Bay Packers
Isaiah McDuffie to be 2nd on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
4Depth Chart CallsJonathan FordGreen Bay Packers
Jonathan Ford to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
5Roster Spot CallsNick NiemannGreen Bay Packers
Nick Niemann — “will be a key player on special teams again”
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
6Depth Chart CallsEdgerrin CooperGreen Bay Packers
Edgerrin Cooper to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
7Depth Chart CallsZaire FranklinGreen Bay Packers
Zaire Franklin to be 1st on the depth chart
VerdictWaitingNot settled yet. This is graded once the result is in.
Who this take is about
Others on the same people
Derek Brown · Game Outcome Picks · Green Bay Packers · Hit 100
Brown picked the Bengals to beat the Falcons in Madrid, the Packers to win outright in New England and the Bills to beat the Vikings on Monday night. They were bullish on Jonah Coleman's rest-of-season value, expected Jonathan Taylor to play for the Colts, floated a Breece Hall trade, and did not expect DJ Reed to play in Week 9.Danny Parkins · Game Outcome Picks · Green Bay Packers · Hit 100
Parkins named the seven AFC teams they believe are already set as the playoff field, expects Chicago, Buffalo and Kansas City to win this week, took Green Bay over New England and Atlanta over Cincinnati outright, and kept Bills–Bears as their Super Bowl matchup with the Giants still winning the NFC East.John Middlekauff · Game Outcome Picks · Green Bay Packers · Hit 100
Middlekauff declared the AFC South over and the Jaguars the division champs, while listing several clubs they expect in the playoffs and pegging the Jets for a top-five draft slot. They also leaned Packers and Bears in Week 9 games, predicted roughly five or six wins for Washington, said Brandon Aiyuk is not coming back, and called Tyson Bagent's current deal the biggest they'll ever sign.Jared Dubin · Score Predictions · Green Bay Packers · Close 71
Dubin predicts a lopsided Jaguars win over the Ravens on Thursday night and takes the Packers to upset the Patriots in Week 9.
More depth chart calls
The same kind of call, about other players and teams.
Michael Moore · Depth Chart Calls · Shedeur Sanders · Hit 100
In a Week 9 injury roundup, Moore forecast which banged-up fantasy contributors would play or sit: Deshaun Watson, Garrett Wilson, David Montgomery, Mike Evans, Deebo Samuel, TreVeyon Henderson and Terrance Ferguson are expected out, while Travis Kelce, Saquon Barkley, Michael Wilson, Christian Watson and Emeka Egbuka should play. They also expect Shedeur Sanders and Drew Lock to start at quarterback.Nic Bodiford · Depth Chart Calls · Joe Fagnano · Hit 100
Previewing Week 9 running game matchups, Bodiford expects Jacksonville to win lopsidedly over a depleted Baltimore team, with Bhayshul Tuten sitting out and Chris Rodriguez taking over as lead back, while Joe Fagnano starts at quarterback for the Ravens. They also view Broncos rookie Jonah Coleman as an RB2 going forward.