Packers hidden gems live up to the hype by officially making the 53-man roster despite longshot odds

For the first time in two decades , not a single undrafted rookie has made the Green Bay Packers initial 53-man roster . But that doesn't mean there are not beautiful stories around the roster.

A few players who have been around for a significant time were still able to deliver more than what was expected, and enough to be a part of the initial roster.

Let's talk about three examples.

T Kadeem Telfort

Telfort is making the 53-man roster for the first time in his career. The offensive tackle went undrafted in 2023 and was cut one year ago, signing later to the practice squad, where he spent all of his rookie season.

This year, the Packers drafted three offensive linemen, so you could expect an even more difficult competition. But Kelfort developed to a point where he is now competing to be the team's swing tackle, behind Zach Tom and Rasheed Walker.

For final cuts, there was a presumed competition between Telfort and sixth-round pick Travis Glover, but general manager Brian Gutekunst values offensive linemen too much to allow any of them to leave. So, both made the 53-man roster.

WR Malik Heath

We can't exactly say that Heath making the team was unlikely, because he spent his rookie season in 2023 on the active roster. But it's still notable that an undrafted player is making the team because of his ceiling as a wide receiver and because of his contributions to special teams. To keep him around, the Packers had to release a former draft pick, third-year receiver Samori Toure.

Heath is the sixth wide receiver on the depth chart, behind Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, and Bo Melton. And the fact that Heath would possibly be a wide receiver four on other teams shows you how strong the Packers depth at the position is.

S Zayne Anderson

A veteran who had played for the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills, Zayne Anderson was signed by the Packers during last year and took a lot of time to play. When he did, it was almost exclusively on special teams.

So when the Packers drafted three safeties this year, it seemed like he was gone. However, his special teams relevance gave him an advantage over former seventh-round pick Anthony Johnson Jr., a surprising cut.

Anderson is not expected to be a huge defensive contributor, but special teams coordinator Rich Bisaccia clearly values what the player brings to the table.