The Green Bay Packers are already deep into their offseason program. So much that this week’s practices will only include rookie players. After weeks of unpadded practices, it’s possible to take some early conclusions and understand, at least in part, how the coaching staff sees the roster.

Many things don’t apply to real football, though. So let’s try to establish what could be real and what couldn’t ahead of training camp.

Jager Burton as an immediate contributor

Buy. The Packers under Matt LaFleur don’t give chances for rookie offensive linemen for nothing. They truly have to earn it, and Burton has done exactly that so far in the offseason program. He’s had reps with the ones at both guard spots, and he was initially projected to play at center. Burton may not be a starter early on because the Packers have Aaron Banks, Sean Rhyan, and Anthony Belton along the interior, but LaFleur himself confirmed that the rookie will compete for playing time. The Packers are not only telling you what they think. They are showing it to you.

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MarShawn Lloyd’s health

Sell, at least for now. This is not about projecting that Lloyd will get hurt again, but it’s about being patient. Last year, Lloyd participated in the entire offseason program and early in training camp. Then he went to play a preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts and suffered a new hamstring injury.

Hopefully for the Packers, Lloyd will finally be healthy for a full season. And the early signs are promising. However, because of his track record with injury issues, it’s hard to reach definitive conclusions before the pads come on and the bullets actually start flying.

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Bo Melton is a real offensive weapon

Sell. Melton is a valuable special teamer and a fine bottom-of-depth receiver, but that’s pretty much it. That has value in itself, but don’t expect Melton to be a strong offensive contributor week in and week out. He’s been in Green Bay for three years, and his best season in receiving yardage came back in 2023 with 218. Then he had 91 yards in 2024 and 108 last year. There will be a game or two where the starters are hurt and Melton takes off, but the Packers are focused on making their top three receivers more impactful.

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Kicker concern

Sell. Yes, I don’t like the idea of drafting a kicker. It’s bad process, and we’ve explained why. But that’s more about the process itself and less about Trey Smack specifically as a prospect and player. Now that the draft pick is made, what Smack does individually is the most important aspect. His offseason has been shaky at best, with many misses, but he’s just acclimating to the NFL level. Training camp and preseason games will be more telling, and the rookie is going to have more chances to prove his pre-draft status.

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A step forward from Lukas Van Ness

Buy. Without Micah Parsons to start the season, the Packers badly need Van Ness to make a leap. The early signs are promising, as he’s constantly impacted plays. It’s hard to evaluate upfront play without pads, but this is just following a trend that started last season. Van Ness didn’t play the full year because of a foot injury, but he did make a leap in terms of individual production compared to his first two years in the league. If the fourth-year player keeps ascending, Green Bay can have a real No. 1 edge while Parsons recovers.