The Packers left Denver with a 33-13 preseason win and, more important for roster battles, a clearer picture of who’s making noise and who’s slipping behind.
Some players took the opportunity and ran with it. Others looked like they were losing ground by the snap.
Trey Smack belongs firmly in the first group. The rookie from Florida has now gone 4/4 on kicks of 50-plus yards this preseason, though only three of those attempts officially counted.
He hit from 51 yards, then followed it with a 59-yarder that looked like it had enough behind it to travel 65 yards or more at altitude. After a rough start in the spring and early in camp, Smack has settled things down for a fan base still fresh off Brandon McManus costing the Packers seven points in a playoff game they lost by four.
Maybe just as encouraging, he’s looked unaffected by the misses and the makes alike. The calm is part of the package.
Kamal Hadden also made his case in a big way. The Packers’ backup slot defenders had a rough go of it against the Steelers last week, with Jaylin Simpson struggling badly after a strong camp and Kitan Oladapo never quite looking the part.
Against Denver, Hadden looked much more comfortable in coverage, which fits for a former boundary corner. What really stood out, though, was his work as a tackler.
He finished with a team-high two tackles for loss, and in a zone-heavy defense the nickel has to be willing to come downhill and help against the run. Hadden did that, and then some.
Since he returned from injury and immediately got snaps with the first team there, he now looks like the favorite for that backup slot defender job.
Not everyone helped their case. Tyrod Taylor has not been a disaster, but he also hasn’t given the Packers much reason to feel good about QB2.
He went 4-of-8 for 17 yards against Denver after an even rougher statistical showing in Pittsburgh. Taylor’s value is supposed to come from steadiness and experience, but against backups he has not come close to matching the level Green Bay has gotten at the position the last two years with Malik Willis.
That may be a tough standard, but Kyle McCord has been sharp every time he’s gotten a chance, and that puts the Packers in a real spot: carry three quarterbacks, or try to move Taylor and get something back before the season starts.
Chris Brooks is in a similar bind at running back. The one thing everyone knows about him is that he’s an excellent pass protector - maybe the best in the league.
The problem is what happens when he actually has to carry the ball. Against Denver, he ran five times for 12 yards.
Pierre Strong Jr. turned eight carries into 37 yards and also broke a 68-yard return. Brooks does bring special teams value as a kick return blocker, but that only goes so far when the backs behind him are flashing more juice.
MarShawn Lloyd has also looked like a weapon in the passing game, which only tightens the squeeze on Brooks. His skill set is real.
The question now is how much that matters when others are making explosive plays.
In Other News...
Jordan Loves Preseason Debut May Have Revealed A Bigger Packers Shift
Jordan Loves brief preseason work against the Broncos did not last long, but it was enough to offer a small glimpse at how Green Bay may want to operate coming into the season. In one series, Love went 5 of 7 for 56 yards and a touchdown, and the offense looked deliberately pared down, leaning on movement throws and pockets that shifted with the action rather than asking the quarterback to sit still and sort everything out.
For the Packers, the important part may be less about the stat line than the structure around it. Analysts pointed to a simpler approach that could reflect changes up front, which would make sense for a team still shaping how it wants to protect its quarterback. Love, who signed a four-year deal in 2024 and has already built a sizable starting resume, did his part in a controlled setting, but the bigger question is whether the preseason look was a one-off tune-up or the first hint of how this offense plans to function when the games start counting. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Have An Unlikely Preseason Standout Everyone Is Talking About
The preseason has given the Packers a name that would not have been on many early camp watch lists: rookie kicker Trey Smack. His run of notable field goals, including multiple from long distance, has turned a quiet roster spot into one of Green Bays most talked-about developments, and it has also put a brighter spotlight on a special teams group that is trying to make itself a strength rather than a concern.
Micah Parsons added to the buzz by praising Smacks work on social media, a bit of attention that only sharpened the conversation around Green Bays kicking situation. CBS Sports even singled out Smack and the Packers special teams among the preseasons biggest winners, which is the kind of recognition that matters in August but still leaves the real question hanging over every kicker: can it carry over once the games count? [Read more 🡒]
Packers Cornerback Battle Just Became About More Than Coverage
The Packers preseason cornerback competition has grown into more than a simple test of who can stay in phase downfield. Rookie Brandon Cisse has shown enough to put himself into the conversation, while veteran Jaire Alexander Nixon is being pushed in a battle that will help shape the top of Green Bays secondary before the regular season arrives. With the final preseason games still ahead, the staff is sorting through which corners can hold up in a role that demands more than clean coverage.
Matt LaFleur has made it clear the job description includes willingness in the run game, too, and that changes the calculus for everyone involved. In Green Bays defense, cornerbacks have to tackle with conviction and contribute to the physical side of the scheme, which means the evaluation is about fit as much as talent. The last round of preseason snaps should tell the Packers plenty about who is ready to handle those responsibilities when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]