Packers Practice Roundup: August 7, 2025
Jordan Love was on fire.
1) The Packers are in shells today which means it’ll be easier to take attendance today. 2) practice goes 1:23. Hodkiewicz
PARTICIPATION:
Karl Brooks & Warren Brinson are practicing. New injuries: S Xavier McKinney (calf) C Elgton Jenkins (back) WR Jayden Reed (foot).
DNPs: T Rasheed Walker (groin) RB Emanuel Wilson (knee) WR Dontayvion Wicks (calf) CB Nate Hobbs (knee) OL Travis Glover (shoulder) CB Kamal Hadden (hip) RB MarShawn Lloyd (groin) WR Christian Watson (knee) DE Collin Oliver (hamstring) OL John Williams (back). Hodkiewicz
Xavier McKinney sounded iffy about how much — if at all — he’ll practice the rest of training camp after his calf flared up. “Glad we caught it when we caught it, but I’ll be ready when it’s time to go.” Demovsky
The Packers have placed their 2024 sixth round pick Travis Glover on injured reserve to make room for an extra WR. If I’m understanding NFL rule changes correctly, Packers could still use one of their two designations to return on Glover when setting their 53 later this month. Hodkiewicz [but see below]
Surgery expected for Packers' lineman Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Travis Glover lost for the season with lat muscle injury. Silverstein
Packers put OL Travis Glover on IR and signed WR Isaiah Neyor. Schneidman
PERSONNEL:
Starting lineup: Love Jacobs
Heath - Melton Musgrave - Kraft
Morgan - Banks - Monk - Rhyan - Tom
Gary - Clark - Wyatt - LVN
Cooper - Quay - Simmons
Melton - Valentine Williams - Bullard. Herman
OFFENSE:
Really nice catch from Savion Williams in team plucking the ball with Melton in coverage. Nice run inside by Chris Brooks - he’s looked really good. Play action bootleg to Musgrave for a nice little pickup. Packers doing some fun unbalanced line looks. 2) Willis overshoots Sims. Almost picked by Oladapo. 3) Aaron Banks false start. Gets pulled out for Jennings. [This has been consistent - perhaps a point of emphasis: if you commit a false start, you are pulled for a while. TGR] 4) Love is just tearing up the defense in red zone. Love to Savion for a touchdown with tight coverage from Cooper. Comes back the next play and guns one to Golden who means an unreal diving catch for the td. 4a) Holy throw and catch. Tucker Kraft is blanketed in coverage in the back of the end zone. Linebacker back turned. No opportunity for success. Love throws it right past the linebackers ear hole and Kraft makes an unreal 1 handed catch that I have no idea how he secured on a bullet throw. Ref said Kraft was out, it was close, I don’t care, that was f’n awesome. 4b) What a throw from Jordan. Once again in the red zone finds Romeo Doubs on a fade. Doubs on a heater in camp - love on an insane heater today. Checked at the line by Love too. 5) Sheppard drop in red zone for a would be td. Right through his hands. Julian Hicks makes a play every day. Outstretched diving catch right at the pylon for a td. Great throw from Willis. Only place to put it. 6) Nice pass pro by Anthony Belton on Brenton Cox. Herman
Remember John FitzPatrick talking when he signed with Packers last October how he hoped to have a chance to show he’s more than just a blocking TE. He’s sure been doing that over the past week, catches a pass in seam from Willis. 2) Willis has found the rhythm with Hicks, slides one in for Hicks near pylon. Hodkiewicz
Bo Melton getting some exposure to first-team reps on defense. Carrington Valentine on opposite side. 2) Jordan Love finds rookie Savion Williams for about 15 yards in front of Bo melton, middle of the field. Melton played the football, but Williams made a strong catch to come down with it. Wood
DEFENSE:
My guy Deslin Alexandre getting around Brant Banks for a pressure. 2) Kalen King pass breakup on Amar Johnson with the 2’s in red zone. 3) Rashan Gary sack vs Jordan Morgan. 4) Kalen King fantastic coverage and a pbu on Johnson down the field on a go route. Good ball from Malik. Better coverage from King. 5) Ballentine with a diving pass breakup. [The second really] Nice play by 35. Herman
In red zone, Bullard breaks up a pass for Kraft in end zone. Hodkiewicz
Kalen King with a couple PBUs today. Just outplayed Cornelius Johnson in the air down left sideline to break up a Malik Willis pass. 2) Corey Ballentine ends practice with an excellent jump on Malik Willis’ out route to Julian Hicks. Read it perfectly for the PBU. Good response after giving up touchdown against Romeo Doubs. Wood
SPECIAL TEAMS:
First time in camp Brandon McManus has missed multiple kicks in a day. He’s 4/6 so far with makes from 33, 44, 45 and 49. Missed wide right from 47 and wide left from 52. Now 48/52 altogether. Schneidman
MISCELLANEOUS:
Abanikanda has some impressive burst inside. He looks like he’s ahead of the 2 udfas right now and I’d expect a good chunk of playing time Saturday against his former team. 2) These rookie wideouts can play. You could tell Gutey was surprised as anyone after Day 2 that they took two wide receivers, but they just couldn’t pass on the value of either one. Early returns say that was a very good decision. Herman
LaFleur said he’ll do his best to give all four QBs meaningful reps in Saturday’s preseason opener against the Jets. 2) Aaron Glenn said the starters including Justin Fields will play on Saturday. He won’t say as much. [per Zach Rosenblatt] 3) Jordan Love said there were a couple times in every game last season that he could’ve run but didn’t. He was either too hurt or too unwilling to go off schedule. This year should be different and that’s great news for the Packers offense. Schneidman
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Comments (25)
SicSemperTyrannis
August 07, 2025 at 07:35 pm
TGR's back! Great to see you, great article :) (As always)
GregC
August 07, 2025 at 07:41 pm
Melton is listed with the starting offensive personnel. That has to be a mistake.
Always good to hear that Jordan Love did well, and now Savion Williams is starting to get mentioned. Kalen King and Corey Ballentine making some plays too.
A nice, crisp practice just before a game usually means that they play like crap in the game, but maybe they can break that trend this time. I would like to be entertained on Saturday night. Sometimes watching a preseason game can be a real slog.
LaFleur has said that the starters will play, and he sounds like he means it. I'm still skeptical. Maybe about half of them will play for one series. Something like that would be my guess.
SicSemperTyrannis
August 07, 2025 at 08:16 pm
"Melton is listed with the starting offensive personnel. That has to be a mistake."
I saw that too and just figured TGR is correct, which means Bo Melton is wrong and he IS Travis Hunter lol. Would love to see him play every snap in preseason and he's the only player who could. I don't expect this but maybe he'll play in every phase, at least a little?
Coldworld
August 08, 2025 at 08:24 am
Just from the reports I infer the starting receiver was Doubs opposite Heath (with Wicks out).
Thegreatreynoldo
August 07, 2025 at 10:48 pm
Hobbs and Hadden were out. Nixon just did not do much (he completely sat out the team drills period) and since they were in shells, Melton and Valentine got the start in walkthroughs and team.
The last couple of days Savion Williams is catching some balls downfield. Previously not much due to concussion and then just ends around, and gadget stuff.
King makes some plays, but there are some completions as well. I know, CBs are going to allow some catches. Hicks is interesting again but they are just so loaded at WR. Ballentine makes an impression immediately with two nice PBUs.
GregC
August 08, 2025 at 04:48 am
Melton is listed here on the starting defense AND the starting offense.
Thegreatreynoldo
August 08, 2025 at 09:09 am
Ah ha! I did not notice that. Andy Herman issued a correction on X. My quote was accurate as to his original tweet, but now he indicates that on offense the WRs should have been Heath and Hardman. (I can't put a link in the comments, right?)
/x.com/AndyHermanNFL/status/1953516773359210586
Thegreatreynoldo
August 08, 2025 at 09:10 am
Ah ha! I did not notice that. Andy Herman issued a correction on X. My quote was accurate as to his original tweet, but now he indicates that on offense the WRs should have been Heath and Hardman.
https://x.com/AndyHermanNFL/status/1953516773359210586
Since'61
August 07, 2025 at 10:11 pm
TGR, thanks for your great work and effort as usual. Keep it coming. Thanks, Since '61
Cheezehead72
August 08, 2025 at 05:48 am
I need to keep my eye on FitzPatrick. I love TEs that can catch and block well. After all that is what their position is all about.
Coldworld
August 08, 2025 at 08:32 am
Both FitzPatrick and Sims have shown some offensive ability, though Sims seems to have regressed since 2023. However, neither have impressed me as blockers last year or so far this summer.
Blocking is to me more important in a 3rd TE in a LaFleur O. They are seldom used as targets. It’s more so given that Musgrave isn’t going to make a splash in that context and, particularly this year, if we want to be able to use Kraft to run more pure receiving snaps. Fitzpatrick needs to show he can be a good blocker or maybe one of Lumpkin and Swinson might still upset expectations or that role might even shift to RB Brooks in part.
Thegreatreynoldo
August 08, 2025 at 09:17 am
Interesting. If Musgrave and Kraft stay healthy, will LaFleur actually use the #3 TE other than in goal line or other short yardage situations?
Bitternotsour
August 08, 2025 at 10:06 am
always seemed to me that the third tight end was essentially a special teams player. Correct body type, speed profile. You can only keep so many linebackers...
T7Steve
August 08, 2025 at 06:40 am
TGR can you explain these starters on offense you listed? "Heath - Melton Musgrave - Kraft"
Are they just mixing things up, giving rest to the other WRs, or are there some unlisted injuries?
dobber
August 08, 2025 at 08:27 am
As someone who has struggled with calf injuries over the years, they are easily aggravated and tend to linger. X doesn't need a lot of snaps now...but they need him later. Get it right.
They keep tempting me with the two TE sets. Maybe it's injuries to the WR depth chart (no Reed or Wicks) and giving other sets reps based on availability, but they've been showing it more than just today. I'd love to see the Packers going with the double TEs (a la Pats' Gronk and Hernandez...minus the gang activity).
It could be that Melton makes me eat my words: I never thought he would be a legit threat to break into he defensive depth chart, but they're giving him every chance and taking a long look. Maybe he doesn't become any more than a novelty there, but a guy who figures meaningfully into the DB/WR/STs depth chart on game day is a valuable piece in strategizing your actives.
T7Steve
August 08, 2025 at 08:32 am
I thought they were just using Melton for a camp body too. Then he started getting more and more work with the 2s and now allot with the 1s. Sounds like he's making some plays.
Coldworld
August 08, 2025 at 08:42 am
I want to see Melton in full tackling, but especially on run downs. He’s tough on STs, but I just want to see that translate as a corner in a game situation.
As importantly, I want to see him cover routes and receivers he doesn’t know. In camp all DBs become able to anticipate offensive routes. In Melton’s case, he’s run these routes many many times. I want to see him covet when he doesn’t know the route tree or tendencies inside out.
If he can pass those tests, then he will have proven himself a serious candidate for perimeter snaps as the season takes it’s inevitable toll and to have a legitimate future at the position.
T7Steve
August 08, 2025 at 09:07 am
I wonder if he even surprised the coaches. I know they wanted him in some capacity or another so they could roster him for special teams, but I bet they couldn't see this transition.
Coldworld
August 08, 2025 at 09:33 am
I think it’s interesting that Gute mentioned earlier this summer that they had looked at his CB potential before the draft.
He was taken in the 7th immediately after we took hybrid S/ILB Tariq Carpenter but we had 3 more picks. I wonder if he would have been one of those (DT Ford, Rasheed Walker and WR Toure). Walker was one heck of a steal, so I hope not that one.
GregC
August 08, 2025 at 09:45 am
The coaches must have had a strong hunch that he could succeed because they would've felt bad if they convinced him to try it, then he bombed and got cut. It sounds like Melton was fully on board from the beginning, which helped a lot. It is probably hard on a WR's ego to switch to defense.
The coaches must be surprised by how quickly he's caught on, though. At least so far. As CW notes, there are more hurdles for him to clear.
Bitternotsour
August 08, 2025 at 10:10 am
The two tight end sets BETTER get used during the season. It appears to me that the way the roster is being crafted is toward a run-oriented Shanahan-like approach. If LaFleur moves away from that it would mean he and Gutekunst were not working well together.
GregC
August 08, 2025 at 11:00 am
Gute has flooded the roster with receivers, so maybe they won't be that run-oriented. I think they are trying to be as good as they can at both rushing and passing. I'm hoping they can use either approach effectively when needed.
Coldworld
August 08, 2025 at 11:36 am
There appear on paper to be enough offensive weapons to ho into a game with a run first plan, a heavy set themed offense, a dunk and dunk passing game or the long vertical game. As a result, we should be able to adjust through all those in games to counter opponents calls and weaknesses.
Put simply, it’s set up for a test of how good tactically LaFleur is actually. If he just can’t seize the situational initiative with this roster, he probably never will. That’s not to say we win out, players still have to win on field, but if it’s not visibly execution preventing the calls from succeeding, I think we will be in our way to coaching change at some point.
Lphill
August 08, 2025 at 01:01 pm
thoughts on who's covering guys like, Jefferson, St Brown, Chase ,Higgens, Nabers ?
GregC
August 08, 2025 at 02:03 pm
Might as well just forfeit those games.