Packers Rookie Progress Report After Week 1 of Training Camp

With standout performances from rookies like Matthew Golden, the Green Bay Packers may show promise for a season exceeding expectations, making them an attractive betting option for punters.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers drafted eight players in April. Injuries have been an issue but, led by first-round pick Matthew Golden, there should be some sudden impact for a team looking to do more than just qualify for the playoffs.

“It’s early, but they’re attacking things the right way, spending the right kind of time,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said before practice on Tuesday. “I think they’ve adjusted to our culture really, really well and been accepted by the group. I think that’s a big part of it. They have to earn that. We’re really early but so far, so good.”

Here’s a Packers rookies progress report following one week of training camp.

Matthew Golden is off to a fabulous start. Dating to OTAs in May and June and through the start of training camp, he’s routinely gotten open and caught the ball. With reporters present, he has not dropped a pass.

“It’s definitely starting to slow down for me,” he said after a big day on Tuesday. “It’s starting to feel like I can go out there and just play and have fun, not have to think about what I need to do. It’s just going out there getting open, knowing my assignment and alignment. I’m enjoying it, every part of the process, the ups and downs. Even when I don’t have a great day, it’s about how I’m going to get better the next day. That’s what I’m leaning on.”

Golden had a breakthrough play on Tuesday. With elite speed, he should be a top deep threat. That hadn’t shown up until he got behind Nate Hobbs and Evan Williams for a 54-yard touchdown.

“He reminds me of a lot of the wide receivers from a couple years ago that we had that just are really hard-working guys, very diligent, doing everything that he can do off the field to just be prepared for practice,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said during the players’ day off on Wednesday. “You just really respect his work ethic so far, and I think that’s going to go far in allowing him to play fast when his opportunity’s called.”

Quarterback Jordan Love has grown alongside those receivers that Stenavich referenced, such as Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs. With more than one month until Week 1, Golden has quickly built a rapport with QB1.

“It’s right where it’s supposed to be, I feel like,” Golden said. “I can go to him and ask him. He gives me a lot of feedback on different routes or anything he thinks I should do differently. It’s helping me to understand the offense more, knowing what I need to do and where I need to be.”

Anthony Belton’s rookie role might be swing tackle. He’s played left tackle with the No. 2 offense and right tackle with the No. 3 offense. With Rasheed Walker (and Jordan Morgan) at left tackle and Zach Tom at right tackle, Belton might have to wait his turn as a rookie.

“I think right now we want to keep him at tackle,” Stenavich said. “He’s a big guy. I like his feet. He’s got a ways to go, but I think he has the ability to play tackle in the NFL, and so we’re just going to work him out there and kind of see where it goes from there.”

Belton played left tackle at NC State, though his offensive line coach had him practice at right tackle to help get him ready for the NFL. Belton said building that “muscle memory” will be key.

Savion Williams had labrum surgery after his excellent senior season at TCU, which limited him to individual drills during OTAs and minicamp. He missed a couple days of training camp with a concussion, then sat out most of Tuesday due to an undisclosed injury. Because of his limited time on the field, Stenavich said he doesn’t have a good feel for what Williams can contribute.

“Obviously, we got a ways to go, and I’m excited to get him in there,” Stenavich said on Wednesday. “He’s made some plays, and you can see he’s got a really good skill-set. Obviously, his size and speed are pretty impressive. We’re just going to be patient and, hopefully, we can get him out there soon and just work him in and get him his reps and see what he’s all about.”

Barryn Sorrell has received a lot of second-team reps alongside Kingsley Enagbare and also gotten some interior snaps in passing situations. With seasons of 5.5, 4.0 and 6.0 sacks at Texas, Sorrell might not be a major pass-rushing weapon but he should be able to contribute on all three downs as a rookie.

“He’s done a great job,” coach Matt LaFleur said this week. “You can get a good feel for the character of the guy, and he is A-plus in terms of how he’s going to approach everything. He will absolutely, I think, reach his ceiling because of how he approaches the game and the time he puts in and how detailed he is.

“You can coach him hard. He takes everything to heart. I think he’s getting better every day. I think he’s still got a lot to learn, so it’s going to be fun to see that evolution take place throughout the course of camp and into the regular season.”

Collin Oliver was a big-time defensive weapon at Oklahoma State, thriving as a pass rusher and off-the-ball linebacker, but missed most of his senior season with a foot injury. For the Packers, he sat out the offseason practices and has missed all of training camp with a hamstring injury.

“We drafted him as an edge guy really because of his ability to come off the corner and rush the passer with speed,” Gutekunst said on Tuesday. “We haven’t had a ton of those guys like that, but I think the versatility, as well – the ability to rush the passer with his hand down, stand up and do some of those things as an inside/outbacker and then also special teams – I just think his skill-set was really intriguing to us and to coach (Jeff) Haf(ley).”

Warren Brinson has worked behind the top two tandems of Kenny Clark and Devonte Wyatt and Karl Brooks and Colby Wooden. Brinson started only eight games at Georgia – four games in 2023 and four games in 2024 – but the Packers see a potential three-down player because of length and athleticism. There’s an opening on Green Bay’s defensive line after T.J. Slaton left in free agency. Brinson and his Georgia sidekick, undrafted rookie Nazir Stackhouse, are front and center in that battle.

Can either be a Slaton-style run-stuffer? “We’re five days in and those guys certainly have the potential to do that – no different than when we drafted T.J.,” Gutekunst said. “The first couple of years, he slowly grew into that role, and we would expect these guys to have the potential to do that and maybe more.”

Micah Robinson missed the start of training camp but has shown some promise upon his return. Of note, he went stride for stride with Matthew Golden on a deep shot and prevented the completion. Beyond Keisean Nixon, Nate Hobbs and Carrington Valentine, there are no locks to make the roster at cornerback. Even if Bo Melton successfully converts to corner, there should be at least one more opening, with Robinson in the mix with Kalen King, a seventh-round pick by the Packers last year, and Kamal Hadden, a sixth-round pick by the Chiefs last year.

“It’s a little bit of overlap” between what he’s doing in Green Bay and what he did during his one season at Tulane, Robinson said this week. “That’s why he drafted me. Certain skill-sets. Just playing off-man, breaking on balls in the zone, making plays in zone, as well. There’s carryover. Just learning some new techniques, learning the ins and outs of the defense, so I can become the best player I can be.”

John Williams hasn’t practiced with the team since he was drafted. “At the end of some of the offseason stuff, he had a little bit of a back issue that they had to go in and look at,” Gutekunst said before the first practice. “So, it will be a little bit of time there.” A two-year starting left tackle at Cincinnati, there’s a lot of time calendar-wise on the training camp schedule but, given the depth on the line, it’s getting late early.

From Matthew Golden and John Williams, here’s an updated look at the Green Bay Packers’ eight-player draft class through the first six practices of training camp.

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