Packers Family Night observations: Tight end intrigue, offensive line concerns, and promising rookie moments
Green Bay held a practice for 60,000 people at Lambeau Field, and there’s plenty of takeaways from it.
The Green Bay Packers practiced Friday night in front of around 60,000 fans at Lambeau Field for Family Night, and while the atmosphere delivered plenty of cool moments, the on-field action provided real takeaways about the roster as training camp continues.
Tight end picture gets interesting
The most notable absence on the offensive side was tight end Tucker Kraft. It was his first DNP designation since he was activated from PUP as part of his ramp up process. Luke Musgrave remains out as well because of a neck injury, which pushed the depth chart into unfamiliar territory.
Drake Dabney got significant work with the starters, primarily in an H-back role, alongside Josh Whyle in 12 personnel. He performed well on short, underneath flat routes. McCallan Castles, though, may have made the stronger impression with the twos. Castles is a good route runner, with a more traditional inline profile that fits what Green Bay is trying to find at the position. The Packers re-signed him earlier this week, and he showed why on Family Night.
Offensive line depth a growing concern
The offensive line situation deserves attention. Left guard Aaron Banks didn’t practice again. He has dealt with several injuries throughout his career, and that pattern hasn’t changed in training camp so far. Zach Bako-Bewele also sat out, still recovering from a knee injury.
That forced the Packers to slide rookie Jager Burton to left guard, where he performed fairly well. The right side was more concerning, though. Jacob Monk lined up at right guard and Anthony Belton at right tackle. Green Bay is trying to give Belton more snaps at tackle to develop him as the swing tackle option, even though he’s projected to be the starting right guard. It hasn’t worked particularly well. Belton committed some penalties and had some bad plays. Monk didn’t block well against the pass either.
One player who caught attention with the twos, though, was John Williams. General manager Brian Gutekunst praised Williams during the week for his versatility, and on Family Night, he played left tackle with the second unit. The Packers need Williams to develop into a reliable swing tackle, especially because veteran Darian Kinnard hasn’t had a strong training camp so far.
Receivers flash, Martinez impresses with the backups
Three receivers stood out. Matthew Golden had an impressive touchdown among several plays where he beat defenders like Javon Bullard and Keisean Nixon. Savion Williams posted two consecutive strong catches with the twos, including a touchdown from quarterback Tyrod Taylor. Undrafted rookie J. Michael Sturdivant also made several impressive grabs with the backups, positioning himself as a real competitor for the sixth wide receiver spot.
At running back, Damien Martinez flashed explosiveness and caught a pass out of the backfield. With Josh Jacobs sitting out, MarShawn Lloyd practiced with the starters but didn’t do much. Pierre Strong was the second running back on the rotation.
Defensive rookies show promise with a scare
Cornerback Brandon Cisse had some good reps in one-on-ones and saw plenty of work against Christian Watson. He left the activity late in practice after dealing with cramps.
Edge defender Barryn Sorrell showed well in the run defense, and rookie defensive tackle Chris McClellan did the same before a somewhat scary moment later in practice. McClellan fell and was down after a run play, but he walked to the sideline on his own. Head coach Matt LaFleur said that it’s not something concerning.
Smack looks the part
Rookie kicker Trey Smack converted six of seven field goal attempts and put the ball through the middle of the uprights on the ones he made, showing virtually no risk of missing on those kicks. His only miss came from beyond 50 yards, a 51-yarder. During specialist warm-ups before practice, McMac connected from 62 yards, confirming the leg strength is there. Consistency is the remaining question, but Family Night was a strong showing for the rookie.

