Before Preseason Finale, Seven Packers Surprises

With the Green Bay Packers almost ready to turn their attention to Week 1 against the Eagles, here are the big training camp surprises.

Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10) throws a pass at Cleveland with pass protection by Rasheed Walker. / Jeff Lange / USA TODAY NETWORK

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers training camp is complete and the preseason will end today against the Baltimore Ravens.

Every training camp is filled with surprises. This one was no different. Here are seven with the Packers almost ready to turn the page to the Sept. 6 opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Good Packers Surprises

Got to Love Balanced Passing Attack

Last year, Jordan Love blew past the 4,000-yard threshold and finished seventh in passing yards even without a single individual getting within spitting distance of the receiver milepost of 1,000 yards. The first 100-yard game was produced by Bo Melton, who spent most of his season on the practice squad.

With Love entering a second season working with a young pass-catching corps, it would be only natural for Love to start playing favorites. Even if just a little.

None of that was seen during training camp, though. When putting together the All-Oneida Team, receiver was the most difficult position. Every dog has his day, as the saying goes. For the Packers, it’s every dawg has his day.

Romeo Doubs scored a bunch of touchdowns. Christian Watson provided the big plays. Jayden Reed was unstoppable in the slot. Dontayvion Wicks consistently produced. Bo Melton was superb to start training camp and Grant DuBose got hot down the stretch. And that’s not even getting to the tight ends.

“Those top four, I feel like every day in training camp one of them has just been like, ‘Whoa, they were dominant in one on ones, they were dominant in practice,’” passing-game coordinator Jason Vrable said of Doubs, Watson, Reed and Wicks.

“They’re all pushing one another, which is what I like. You look over your shoulder and if you have a bad day, the other guy is going to go and steal your spot that day. When you leave the practice field, you’ll be like, ‘He was the guy who was the best in the room that day.’”

So long as that continues – and there’s no reason to believe it won’t – Green Bay’s passing game could be lethal.

“That’s definitely a huge part of our offense,” Love said after throwing red-zone touchdowns to Doubs, Watson and tight end Tucker Kraft on Thursday.

“It goes back to who we have. We have a lot of weapons out there, a lot of different guys who can make those plays. For me, it makes life easy. I definitely love trying to spread the wealth down there and make sure everybody eats. Those guys do a great job just getting open and making those plays.”

Christian Watson and Eric Stokes

Cornerback Eric Stokes had an All-Rookie-caliber season as a first-round pick in 2021. Receiver Christian Watson was a breakout sensation during the second half of his rookie season in 2022.

Hamstring injuries ruined their 2023 seasons, though. Watson played in only nine games. Stokes played defense in only two.

This offseason, they met with specialists and put a plan in place. They didn’t miss a single practice from the start of OTAs in May to the end of training camp on Thursday.

Coach Matt LaFleur wasn’t about to celebrate that accomplishment on Thursday. There’s no such thing as a jinx, but still.

“My No. 1 thought is if I’m healthy and able to be out there, everything else is kind of going to fall into place,” Watson said on Thursday. “Obviously, that’s why it’s such a big emphasis for me to stay healthy, and I can worry about the other things as long as I’m healthy. Can’t do anything if I’m not healthy.

“So, it’s definitely huge for me just to be in that spot, being conscious of what’s going on with my body because in my mind, if I’m able to be out there, I’m going to find a way to make plays.”

Evan Williams Provides Options on Defense

In five collegiate seasons, fourth-round pick Evan Williams intercepted four passes. In a total of 23 games at Fresno State in 2022 and Oregon in 2023, he had zero interceptions and five passes defensed. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler, arguably the best NFL Draft pundit, said, “Williams doesn’t have playmaking instincts” and “struggles to find the football.”

During training camp, he had a team-high five interceptions.

On the offensive line, the stated goal is to put the best five blockers on the field. Willliams gives the Packers that same ability in the secondary. If Keisean Nixon struggles in the slot – he wasn’t great last year – then the Packers could shift second-round safety Javon Bullard into the slot and insert Williams at safety.

“I feel good about my body of work up to this point but, at the same time, you always got to keep taking steps,” Williams said after grabbing the “winning” interception during a 2-minute drill vs. the Ravens on Thursday. “If you’re not getting better, you’re getting worse. So, yeah, feel good about it but understanding that there’s different levels I could tap into and just got to keep working toward it.”

Maybe Rasheed Walker Is Correct

Left tackle was supposed to be a big need for the Packers after they finally gave up on David Bakhtiari. Walker was a seventh-round pick, after all, playing a position in which 21 projected starters entered the NFL as first-round picks.

Walker, however, said he felt “elite” on the heels of superb playoff performances against the Cowboys’ Micah Parsons and the 49ers’ Nick Bosa, who are two of the NFL’s premier pass rushers.

The Packers used a first-round pick on Jordan Morgan, a standout left tackle at Arizona, but Walker’s not going anywhere. He was borderline dominant throughout training camp and appears to be the long-term solution as the blind-side protector.

Bad Packers Surprises

Top-100 Impact

OK, this is more disappointment than surprise, but the Packers were hoping to get sudden impact from a draft class that included five selections in the first 91 picks of the 2024 NFL Draft.

Given how the Packers finished last season and the youth on their roster, those five picks in the first three rounds seemed like adding gasoline to an inferno.

However, first-round lineman Jordan Morgan (shoulder) and second-round linebacker Edgerrin Cooper (hip) might miss the entire preseason, third-round running back MarShawn Lloyd (hamstring) had just two touches in the preseason and third-round linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper missed the start of the preseason (ankle).

At this point, only second-round pick Javon Bullard, who will start opposite Xavier McKinney at safety, will have much of a role to start the season.

Five-Man Kicker Battle

Pro Football Hall of Famer John Madden was credited for coining the phrase, “If you have two quarterbacks, you have none.” He might have said the same thing about the Packers’ five-man kicking battle.

Incumbent Anders Carlson and veteran Greg Joseph have battled throughout training camp. Jack Podlesny, James Turner and, finally, Alex Hale have had their opportunities, too.

Barring a complete meltdown on Saturday, Carlson seems a lock to be the Packers’ kicker for Week 1. However, he made 82.2 percent of his field-goal attempts during training camp. Last year, of 31 kickers with at least 20 attempts, Carlson ranked 23rd at 81.8 percent. Yes, he’s faced daily pressure to hold onto the job, but those kicks have come with no win-or-lose pressure or any real pressure from the defense.

Carlson’s brother, Daniel, was cut by the Vikings after just two games and had a dismal second season with the Raiders. From 2020 through 2023, however, he’s been one of the best in the business. Can Anders Carlson have that same sort of growth?

Mystery Packers Surprise

Giveaways or Takeaways?

Only one team intercepted fewer passes than the Packers last season. During training camp, interceptions were bountiful.

Is that a sign that defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley’s schematic and stylistic changes are working – and are going to work? Or a sign that Jordan Love, who ranked 22nd in the league with 11 interceptions in the regular season and threw two more in the playoff loss to San Francisco, remains a bit too reckless?

That’s impossible to say. Love threw one interception (and almost two) against Baltimore on Thursday. On the other hand, Hafley’s pass rush was relentless against Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson, and that kind of pressure results in interceptions.

It shouldn’t take long to find out if Green Bay’s defense is for real. In Week 1, it’s Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, who threw 15 interceptions last year. In Week 2, it’s Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson, who barely played as a rookie. The Titans’ Will Levis, the Vikings’ Sam Darnold and the Rams’ Matthew Stafford will follow in Weeks 3, 4 and 5.

More Green Bay Packers Training Camp News

Yesterday's joint practice capped exactly one month of training camp practices for the #Packers.

These were the six best players. ⬇️https://t.co/l0K1WSptX5

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 23, 2024

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