Five Packers Family Night observations and what they mean for the team’s future heading into preseason
The Green Bay Packers had on Saturday one of the most special nights of the calendar. A week before their preseason opener against the New York Jets, the Packers had Family Night at Lambeau Field, a big opportunity for fans to watch the players in practice with the lights on—and also a chance for every […]
The Green Bay Packers had on Saturday one of the most special nights of the calendar. A week before their preseason opener against the New York Jets, the Packers had Family Night at Lambeau Field, a big opportunity for fans to watch the players in practice with the lights on—and also a chance for every fan around the world to watch a practice via streaming, which doesn’t happen in regular training camp practices.
Let’s talk about the highlights of the night.
A forgotten piece showing up in the secondary
Undrafted last year, Omar Brown spent most of his rookie training camp with the Denver Broncos and arrived in Green Bay in late August. After spending the regular season on the practice squad, he’s shown real signs of good play in this year’s training camp. He was the name of Family Night with three interceptions amongst the backups, with an impressive ability to read the offense, be in the right place, and actually make plays on the ball. Brown also had a tackle in the live period with backups late. He may have a shot to make the 53-man roster if he repeats this level of performance in the preseason.
Intriguing receivers
Matthew Golden is impressively polished for a rookie. The Packers are working on ways to give him the ball, with quick slants and end arounds. His release and footwork are a big part of why he can beat defenders, and Jordan Love already trusts him.
Another rookie wide receiver who showed great signs is undrafted Will Sheppard, who’s been in Green Bay for less than two weeks. He had several catches, including a touchdown from Taylor Elgersma in a live tackling period, beating seventh-round pick Micah Robinson.
Underrated part of the plan
Throughout training camp, the Packers have prioritized a defensive formation with Keisean Nixon and Nate Hobbs as boundary corners, and Javon Bullard in the slot. But without Hobbs on Family Night, Carrington Valentine started and impressed. He’s always close to the ball, is active, and a playmaker. He had some good coverages on Romeo Doubs and picked off Jordan Love during a two-minute drill. It’s hard to say what the Packers don’t like in him, but he should probably be a bigger part of the plan.
Young linemen at tackle
Rasheed Walker couldn’t practice due to a groin issue, so last year’s first-round pick Jordan Morgan spent the entire night at left tackle. He is a talented player and has good feet, but he clearly struggles against power rushes and may still feel more natural at guard—for example, he allowed a sack against Lukas Van Ness.
Another young offensive lineman for the Packers is second-round rookie Anthony Belton, who is certainly more natural at tackle. He played left tackle with the twos, so the level of competition is different, but he controls edge defenders with power and decent agility, even though his run blocking still needs work. Belton played some snaps with the ones at right tackle in the two-minute drill, a good opportunity to play against the top opposition.
Another dimension for Jordan Love
Because of his knee injury in Week 1, the 2024 version of Jordan Love barely includes runs. Love showed that 2025 will be different, executing a couple of plays where he picked up yards (and potentially first downs) with his legs. This is something the offense lacked last year, and a fully healthy version of Love can make it work better now. For a team that struggled against man coverage, it’s a huge element.
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