Early impressions from a fascinating first week of Packers training camp
The 2023 Packers have already begun to take shape only one week into training camp.
Good morning!
After an offseason that seemed like it might never end, the Green Bay Packers have already completed their first week of training camp. Their first preseason game kicks off in less than two weeks, and multiple position battles have already begun to take shape.
Today's edition of The Leap looks at some of those competitions and which questions remain unanswered as the Packers prepare to put on the pads for the first time this season.
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What's one thing that you now firmly believe that you didn't prior to the first week of Packers training camp?
Jason B. Hirschhorn: Right tackle is Zach Tom's job to lose. The Packers' coaching staff spent the better part of the offseason describing the position as open with Tom facing competition from Yosh Nijman, and the offseason program saw the two rotate at right tackle with the starters. Tom also saw work at other spots, suggesting that the team hoped to find him a spot with the starters no matter the method.
While that technically remains the case, the manner in which Green Bay has deployed the two offensive linemen highlights the edge Tom holds. The majority of the right-tackle work with the No. 1 unit has gone to Tom with Nijman either rotating in later or subbing in for left tackle David Bakhtiari as part of the All-Pro's "modified" practice schedule. With Rasheed Walker and, following an activation from the non-football illness list, Caleb Jones available to help fill in for Bakhtiari, Nijman's presence there rather than at right tackle competing with Tom seems noteworthy.
That delineation of work would, by itself, only mean so much given that camp began only a week ago. However, the Packers haven't given Tom a ton of meaningful work elsewhere to this point. While he has practiced at center as well, his work has come with the No. 3 unit with Jake Hanson serving as the primary backup to starter Josh Myers. Given Hanson's limitations and Tom's experience at the position -- he started at center over multiple seasons at Wake Forest before kicking outside to tackle for his final two years -- it doesn't seem as though the coaches have a strong interest in letting the versatile second-year pro compete at the pivot.
By no means has Tom locked down the starting job at right tackle. Nijman has proven himself more than capable there when healthy and, with unrestricted free agency just around the corner, has every motivation to push for the role. But no matter what the coaches say publicly, their actions highlight that they want Tom to end up as the starter there. The rest is up to him.
Peter Bukowski: The Packers are going to live in big personnel. Every single day of camp, the starters opened with some version of heavy sets. Mostly, it was Josiah Deguara and Luke Musgrave. But late in the week, it was Tucker Kraft with Musgrave in a true 12-personnel set. Deguara often worked with the backs in side drills and, at this point, we have to call him something other than a tight end. It might be an H-back or fullback, but the nomenclature doesn’t matter much. Right now, he’s a starter.
That doesn’t mean Green Bay’s offense will take us back to the stone age. It’s not going to be some run-heavy behemoth trying to run the Lombardi sweep and ground-and-pound opponents on 65% of plays.
Playing big opens up myriad opportunities for LaFleur’s offense create advantageous matchups as they did on a touchdown throw to Jayden Reed in a team session last week versus the No. 1 defense. They went empty from 11 (admittedly not a heavy set) but had Aaron Jones occupy the zone corner to the boundary and had Luke Musgrave do the same from the top. That left De’Vondre Campbell responsible for carrying Reed up the seam and Jordan Love laced in a throw before the safety could work back underneath the ball.
General manager Brian Gutekunst put together a roster of interchangeable pieces and the ability to run or pass from any formation while signaling to defenses they should be in base personnel provides an advantage for the Packers and Matt LaFleur as a play-caller.
Which rookie has made the most positive impression thus far?
JBH: Though a few rookies have stood out so far in training camp, none have left a stronger impression than wideout Jayden Reed. Last week, I wrote that the Packers seemed "intent on using him extensively as the slot receiver in 11 personnel," and the first week of camp has only reinforced that notion.
In terms of measurable productivity, Reed has checked every box a rookie can through one week. He has already reached pay dirt during a competitive period, beating All-Pro linebacker De'Vondre Campbell for a touchdown near the back of the end zone. The Packers have also utilized Reed extensively on fly motions and end arounds, with the rookie appearing to "score" on the latter during one 11-on-11 period.
[via @bigpackers4x on Twitter]
Consider too that the Packers have essentially tasked Reed with re-learning the slot position. Though the rookie saw action from the slot early in his collegiate career, he played 81% of his offensive snaps from the boundary over his final two seasons at Michigan State, according to Pro Football Focus.
Add in Reed's ability to contribute as a returner, and his start to camp has gone about as well as possible.
PB: It’s hard not to pick the guy who AJ Dillon compared to Randall Cobb, but I’m going to say Luke Musgrave for sweat equity's sake. Last week, I wrote about how Jayden Reed and Musgrave will each get the chance to “start” for the Packers, but that’s not quite true.
In every practice, the starting 11 came out featuring Musgrave and never a third receiver. It was Josiah Deguara in all but one instance and, in that case, it was fellow rookie Tucker Kraft. That’s not to say the Packers won’t still play 50% or more of 11 personnel, but they are going to once again play as much 12 personnel as any team in the NFL. That means a lot of Musgrave who has drawn rave reviews going back to the spring.
Remember, this is the guy who was making everyone drool with his incredible speed just by running around in shorts during spring ball. All the most important people in this offense, from head coach to quarterback, have raved about Musgrave and his speed jumps off the field.
There are some questions about his blocking and that’s going to take some time, but that speaks to just out freaky his ability can be as a receiver. He’s not the prototypical tight end for this offense as a blocker, but his upside as a pass catcher is that high.
Who has the most to gain once the pads come on this week at Packers camp?
JBH: I'll split my vote between rookie defensive linemen Colby Wooden and Karl Brooks. For all the attention the edge rushers have received so far, the defensive interior probably offers more opportunity for playing time in 2023. Kenny Clark and Devonte Wyatt will start, but the Packers would ideally like to keep either from playing more than 75% of the defensive snaps and a third D-lineman will join them in heavier packages and the base defense.
At present, third-year pro T.J. Slaton has seen most of the action as the third guy in three-man fronts, primarily lining up as the nose tackle. But his grip on the role seems tenuous at this stage, and Clark can easily take over that role should the Packers determine that Wooden or Brooks can do more damage as a three- or five-tech.
For that to happen, Wooden and/or Brooks will have to show they possess some pass-rushing savvy and ability to hold up against the run. They cannot demonstrate either until the pads come on and the (mostly) full-contact practices begin this week.
PB: Speaking of attention to edge rushers, it’s Lukas Van Ness for me. He was finally getting some run with the 1s by the end of last week and made a couple of splash plays. For a guy whose nickname is “Hercules,” Van Ness can’t truly show off his preternatural power until the pads come on and there’s actual trench play to discuss.
If LVN already earned the chance to run with the defensive starters while Rashan Gary recovers from a torn ACL, that matters. But it’s not real, at least not yet. Still, he has the opportunity to prove it and the practices ramping up the physicality plays to his strengths (only some pun intended).
For all the reasons Jason mentioned with the interior defenders above, Van Ness stands to shine or at least get the opportunity to underline the work he’s already done. But for a guy who made his bones as a strength/power rusher at Iowa and has already distinguished himself in just shells with his intelligence and explosiveness, it stands to reason he will solidify himself as a mainstay in this defense sooner than many draft prognosticators thought once the pads come on.
And while the news on Gary sounds positive for the moment, managing his workload for the long term can not only pay dividends for Gary but the Packers defense as a whole with those reps going to LVN.