The Green Bay Packers head into training camp with a recurring concern at the kicker position, and the ghosts of recent postseason heartbreak make the stakes even higher. After releasing veteran Brandon McManus earlier this offseason, the Packers will once again rely on a rookie kicker. Sixth-round pick Trey Smack is the name to watch as Green Bay wraps up its specialist positional breakdown ahead of camp.

The Packers traded two seventh-round picks to move back into the sixth round and select Smack, a decision that carries echoes of the Anders Carlson experiment from the 2023 draft cycle.

The kicker conundrum

Green Bay’s recent history at the position is difficult to ignore. Carlson, a sixth-round pick in 2023, cost the Packers a playoff game. McManus, brought in as a veteran solution last season, did the same. Now the organization returns to the well with another rookie, hoping the outcome changes.

Smack was a stronger prospect than Carlson in terms of college production, but his offseason program was underwhelming. Multiple mistakes during the spring raised questions about his readiness. His competition is Lenny Krieg, a German player who recently signed replacing Lucas Havrisik. Still, cutting a sixth-round pick before he plays a single regular season game is a tough sell for any front office, especially in Green Bay. Unless Smack falls apart entirely during camp, the expectation is that he makes the 53-man roster.

The Packers don’t have development time at this position, though. Smack has to perform from the start, and his ability to handle the pressure will define his future in Green Bay.

The strength of the special teams unit

While the kicker spot carries uncertainty, the rest of the specialists group is on solid ground. Punter Daniel Whelan is the highest-level player of the unit and one of the best punters in football. The Irishman earned a 90.4 PFF grade last season, the highest among qualifying punters, with 51.6 yards per attempt and 43.9 net yards per punt. Whelan could have been an All-Pro and brings value beyond punting as the team’s holder.

Head coach Matt LaFleur always says Green Bay doesn’t want Whelan on the field. But when the Packers need him, he functions as a true weapon. That reliability gives the coaching staff one fewer thing to worry about on a unit with significant questions elsewhere.

Long snapper Matthew Orzech rounds out the group. A former Super Bowl champion with the Los Angeles Rams, Orzech signed with the Packers in 2023 and has been a solid, if unspectacular, presence at the position.

The specialist group comes down to what happens to Trey Smack. The Packers have seen what happens when the kicker position fails them in January, and his offseason struggles make the early weeks of camp a critical evaluation period.