GREEN BAY, Wis. — Stop 3 is beautiful Northern Wisconsin, where the Packers were in their second day of camp, with a big transition coming Friday, as long-time team president Mark Murphy hands the reins to Ed Policy. Football-wise, here’s what I saw:
• I thought it was pretty interesting hearing this in particular—Green Bay QB Jordan Love is working on throwing on balance to his left on out-breaking routes. That’s some very specific quarterbacking minutiae, of course. However, to me, it best illustrates the enormous growth Love has undergone since entering the NFL as an uber-raw, uber-talented prospect out of Utah State. That the Packers are down to that level of detail with Love shows what they’re working on after his uneven fifth NFL season was hampered by knee and groin injury. The growth has also been evident all offseason in how Love has been able to lead more vocally, as he has earned that position through his knowledge and ownership of the offense, along with the experiences he has gained in two years as a starter. He does need to get more consistent, but the Packers like where they are with their 26-year-old quarterback.
• The interesting thing regarding the offense as a whole comes with the number of young players at the skill positions who’ve shown promise. They have three receivers on rookie deals—Dontayvion Wicks, Romeo Doubs and Jayden Reed—with 55-catch seasons on their résumé, and another uber-talented guy at the position, Christian Watson, coming back from a torn ACL (he’ll probably miss the first month of the regular season, though his rehab is moving fast). They have third-year tight ends Tucker Kraft, who could ascend to an elite level at the position, and Luke Musgrave. They have two more receivers, Matthew Golden and Savion Williams, who were drafted in the top 100 picks in April. The question: Can someone become a real difference-maker? Kraft’s probably closest. Wicks, if he can make a little more impact downfield, has the potential to get there. Doubs has had a strong offseason, too. So the competition among this group for playing time and, in some cases, contracts, should be heated through the summer.
• The development of the offensive and defensive fronts will be a factor for the team. The Packers signed guard Aaron Banks to a big-money deal in free agency (four years, $77 million), and just gave incumbent right tackle Zach Tom a four-year, $88 million extension. How the other pieces fall into place will be critical. Once Elgton Jenkins comes back from a back injury (and that should be soon), Sean Rhyan will move back to guard, which will give the team some flexibility to see how former first-rounder Jordan Morgan looks at left tackle vs. Rasheed Walker, who is in a contract year. Rookie Anthony Belton could be in that mix, too. Meanwhile, the Packers will rely on a talented defensive line featuring four first-round picks, who will need to be more productive than they were a year ago, given the numerous moving parts in the Green Bay secondary. To that end, it appears that new DL coach DeMarcus Covington has made a real difference, with the team hoping to improve production from Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness and Devonte Wyatt, as well as better health for Kenny Clark. So, again, both lines have players. How the whole picture on each side comes together is the question of camp.
• Corner is the one potential hole on the roster. The Packers’ personnel department had been eyeing Nate Hobbs for a couple of years, believing the Raiders’ nickel could be an outside corner (he played around 160 snaps on the perimeter last year), which is why they gave him a four-year, $48 million deal in March. They loved his play style and physicality, and so far (yes, it’s early), he’s been playing well outside. Keisean Nixon, for now, is leading the race to play on the other side, and Carrington Valentine is in the mix, too. The most interesting name to watch is Bo Melton. The fourth-year pro was in a crowded receiver mix until this spring, when the coaches approached him about a position switch. Melton, one of their best special-team players, is a tough, hard-nosed guy with the long speed, reactive athleticism, start/stop ability and change of direction to make the change. If he can emerge at the position, that’d be huge for Green Bay. If not, the Packers could pursue veteran help later in the summer.
• Finally, if there’s one player who could explode this year, it might be second-year linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. Raw coming out, Cooper is a dynamic athlete who can play all three downs, blitz and cover, and be a real chess piece for second-year coordinator Jeff Hafley—if he can stay healthy and keep progressing. The idea of him and Xavier McKinney—who’s been all-in this offseason—patrolling the middle of the field for the Packers is pretty tantalizing, if they have those two at full throttle.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Packers Training Camp 2025: Jordan Love’s Offseason Growth Impresses.
