The Packers got their first big public look of camp on Friday night at Lambeau Field, and the rookies wasted no time making it feel like a real event. More than 60,000 fans showed up for Family Night, giving Green Bay a live setting for team drills that can’t be recorded at practice.
The evening came with a long injury list, and the Packers were especially cautious. Players such as Tucker Kraft, Aaron Banks, Zach Bako-Bewele, Devonte Wyatt and Kamal Hadden had been taking part in individual work earlier in camp, but on Friday they were fully sidelined and dressed down. The group of unavailable players also included Josh Jacobs, Chris Brooks, Luke Musgrave, Javon Hargrave, Jordon Riley, Micah Parsons, Carrington Valentine, Domani Jackson, Jonathan Baldwin and Matt Orzech.
At this point, the injuries that appear most likely to carry into the regular season, based on the coaching staff’s comments, are Parsons, Riley and possibly Musgrave, who is dealing with a neck issue. Riley will start on the PUP list after suffering season-ending injuries in 2025.
Up front, the Packers lined up with a “starting” offensive line of Jordan Morgan, Jager, Burton, Sean Rhyan, Jacob Monk and Anthony Belton with Banks and Bako-Bewele out. That alignment has shifted a bit in camp.
Darian Kinnard had been getting work at right tackle as Bako-Bewele’s replacement, while Belton had mostly stayed at right guard. With Burton back from his hamstring injury, he’s been working into the mix more and pushing Belton outside.
Donovan Jennings, who handled snapping for the second unit, also saw first-team action at guard. If that’s how the line battle shakes out, the 10th offensive line spot - and maybe the final roster spot there - looks like it comes down to John Williams and Travis Glover.
There wasn’t a ton of other first-team movement worth flagging on offense, but one thing stood out: Pierre Strong Jr. appears to be ahead of Damien Martinez and Jaden Nixon behind MarShawn Lloyd, Jacobs and Brooks, with Jacobs and Brooks both unavailable Friday.
The biggest offensive play belonged to Jordan Love and Matthew Golden. Love hit Golden for a 52-yard touchdown, with Golden matched up against safety Javon Bullard. Golden had a strong day overall, and Love did too; he’s thrown only two interceptions in camp, including one screen that was run the wrong way, according to Matt LaFleur.
Savion Williams also turned in a nice grab, high-pointing a ball over Kitan Oladapo, who has a 6’5” wingspan. Williams looks like the next receiver in line behind Christian Watson, Golden and slot man Jayden Reed.
On defense, Anthony Campbell kept building his case. The interior lineman has now logged five pass breakups in camp, continuing the run that has made him the clearest surprise story on that side of the ball.
Signed to the practice squad just days before Green Bay played the Bears in last season’s playoffs, Campbell has become a legitimate roster contender. If he keeps climbing, Karl Brooks or Nazir Stackhouse could be the odd men out among the top six defensive linemen.
Barryn Sorrell also kept showing up in the run game. With Micah Parsons sidelined, Sorrell has been working as the replacement starter opposite Lukas Van Ness, and he made repeated plays on Friday night. Warren Brinson also flashed with the first-team group.
At cornerback, rookie second-round pick Brandon Cisse got plenty of run with Carrington Valentine out. He saw work against Christian Watson, and the Packers’ healthy cornerback order has generally been Keisean Nixon, Valentine, Cisse and Benjamin St-Juste. Cisse cramped late in practice and missed the two-minute period, which moved St-Juste into the starting role opposite Nixon.
Special teams brought one of the cleaner stories of the night. Rookie kicker Trey Smack went six of seven at Lambeau Field, with his only miss coming on a hooked 51-yarder.
His leg looked strong enough for a 65-yard try in warmups, and he answered the miss by drilling a 47-yarder in the two-minute drill after the kicking unit was pushed back five yards for a false start. It was a solid showing overall.
The kicking game also offered a clue about the roster race. On kickoff coverage, the Packers’ setup mostly looked normal, but Arron Mosby and Mark Perry were the two players who seem least likely to survive to the initial 53-man roster.
Mosby’s path is tough because he’s mainly a special teams player, and Green Bay already has a long list of edge defenders ahead of him, with Micah Parsons still to return. Perry looks more like a temporary stand-in for another safety, whether that ends up being Xavier McKinney, Kitan Oladapo or Johnathan Baldwin, who missed Friday’s practice with an injury.
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