In the final edition of our roster prediction series, we’ll discuss the specialists, highlighting two camp battles: one at kicker, which garners much attention, and one at long snapper, which typically does not.

As usual, the final 53-man roster was determined by a vote from 11 members of the Acme Packing Company staff, with the highest vote earners securing their spots. We’ll also mention players who received votes but didn’t make the cut.

On the 53: Anders Carlson, Daniel Whelan, and Peter Bowden

Daniel Whelan, the only punter on the roster, was the unanimous special teams choice by the APC staff. Unless the team picks up someone new after roster cuts, Whelan, the 2023 starter, will handle punting and holding duties.

Things are less clear for placekicker. Anders Carlson received 9 out of 11 votes to be the field goal and kickoff specialist, largely due to his impressive performance in spring practices. However, his position is precarious, given his struggles, including missing five PATs in his rookie season. Green Bay has kept three placekickers on the roster most of the offseason, reflecting concerns about Carlson’s reliability.

At long snapper, Peter Bowden, an undrafted rookie from Wisconsin, is the favorite. He received strong support and was ranked as the top prospect at his position by many pre-draft analysts. All but one staff member voted for Bowden as the Packers’ long snapper.

Released: Greg Joseph, James Turner, and Matt Orzech

The lone dissenting vote for long snapper went to Matt Orzech. Despite Bowden’s $5,000 in guarantees, Orzech’s $300,000 signing bonus from last offseason and his $1.1 million 2024 salary make him a strong contender, though it falls short of Bowden’s $795,000 salary in the context of the league’s $255.4 million salary cap.

Greg Joseph, who was the starting kicker for the Minnesota Vikings last season, received votes from two staff members over Carlson. Joseph missed just 6 of 30 field goals last year but had two missed PATs. The Vikings replaced him with rookie Will Reichard from Alabama.

James Turner, picked up off waivers after the Detroit Lions released him, has yet to practice with the Packers. Positive reports from Lions camp praised his leg strength, but Detroit opted for UFL standout Jake Bates and veteran Michael Bagley over Turner. We’ll see Turner in action for the first time next week.