There’s a certain opinion held in the NFL, that after the draft is done, teams are “set”. The rosters are what they are, and analysts and fans alike are now free to start voicing their opinions about how the year will go. There’s a certain fallacy to this however. For the most part, it’s true that the time of seeing names on transaction lists is over (though obviously the Packers have made the most of some late-offseason additions, notably Bo Melton, De’Vondre Campbell, and Rasul Douglas. Barring major surprises, the free agent signings and trades are done. This is one way that teams can improve over the offseason, and it’s obviously the most public. It’s not the most important, however. 

The real improvement must happen once the team comes together for training camp on July 23rd, in seven short days. While this side of things isn’t as visible to the public, there’s no doubt that it’s far more impactful. And this year especially, the Packers have a real opportunity to alter the makeup of their team. 

The team's 2024 draft class was a roller coaster, and their contributions to the season ranged widely, as many players suffered injury-riddled seasons. Jordan Morgan, Marshawn Lloyd, Kitan Oladapo, Edgerrin Cooper, Evan Williams, Javon Bullard and Tyron Hooper all missed time last season. Morgan and Lloyd were the biggest victims, especially undergoing a redshirt season in 2024. Lloyd played all of ten snaps for the Packers before suffering a litany of injuries. Morgan’s lofty expectations were derailed, and the rise of Edge Cooper was delayed. 

I know I’m far from the first to say this, but don’t you wish there was an injury setting to turn off, like Madden? Seeing the players we love suffer them, is by far the worst part of being a football fan.This isn’t Madden though, and the team must attempt to make up for some lost time in these players’ development, particularly anyone who missed time in training camp last year (Oladapo). There’s also a bit of an opportunity here however, for those among us who prefer a half-full cup. If players had a lost season last year, could we consider them as new “additions” to the team in 2025? I think there’s certainly an argument to be made in a few cases. On offense alone we have Jordan Morgan, Marshawn Lloyd, Jacob Monk and Travis Glover. From a pure regular season snap perspective, these players are certainly “new” to the team.

Training camp will be a pivotal period for the entire team, but especially for the 2024 rookie class, who have already dipped their toes into the NFL. Before we go one-by-one, it’s important to keep in mind that there is obviously one key item that will be crucial to every player at training camp: playing time

In order to improve, a player has to play. And in order for a player to play, they have to earn reps. Standby while we also confirm that water is still wet. It might not be as simple as it seems, however, and this is part of the intrigue, the “behind closed doors” nature.Not all practice reps are created equal. The nature of training camp is such that every player gets snaps. From Jordan Love to Alex Hale, and everyone in between, they will get their shot to prove that they deserve a spot on the final 53 man roster. This usually takes the form of individual drills held position group by position group, but also team practices that are divided by a player’s position on the depth chart. There’s a first team group, a second team group and a third team group. For everyone of these sophomore players, keep a close eye on which group they are practicing with, especially as training camp gets deeper and deeper, and those depth chart positions become a little more obvious. 

Now, let’s dig in.

Jordan Morgan

The first, and most prominent of the team’s “redshirt” sophomores, Morgan was obviously a controversial pick on draft night due to perceived needs on the team at other positions. Despite having played left tackle for his entire football career, Morgan seemed in line to share a rotation at right guard with Sean Rhyan. It was clear the team had no intention of letting their first round pick sit on the sidelines for a year, but ultimately that was exactly what happened. Three shoulder injuries ensured a lost year for Morgan, and while Sean Rhyan played at an adequate level in 2024, the team had to watch as its first round pick could only rehab. 

Morgan’s role in 2025 is not yet defined, due to the logjam of talent the Packers possess on the offensive line. Will Morgan finally challenge Rasheed Walker for a rotation or outright ownership of the left tackle spot, as the Packers seemingly want him to do? Whether Morgan practices at left tackle or right guard will be a massive hint as to his future with the team. 

Edgerrin Cooper

The linebacker phenom has a massive platform to build off of in 2025, following a stellar rookie campaign. His season culminated on Sunday Night Football, where in front of the entire nation he recorded three pressures, one sack, four tackles, and provided stifling coverage to the tune of a 93.8 overall PFF grade. 

While injuries did hold Cooper out for a few games, his main struggle to see the field more in 2024 are a bit of a mystery. Speculatively, one could surmise that the team’s plan for Cooper was a gradual integration into the lineup. It’s not hard to imagine, seeing how different playing linebacker is when playing college football (where the role is mostly stopping RPO’s and spying the QB) to the NFL where the position is much more multi-faceted and complex. 

During training camp, we’ll be paying attention to the linebacker’s command of the defense and his role within it. There’s no reason to believe Quay Walker will be surrendering his green dot responsibilities, so Cooper only has to focus on his “see ball, get ball” role. I’m also interested to see if he will get looks during 4-3 base alignments, as that could indicate whether or not the team is ready to fully unleash Cooper onto the league. 

Javon Bullard

While Bullard was obviously the first safety taken in the 2024 draft, he was also the one called upon by the team to play beyond the scope of his job description. Following the injury to Jaire Alexander, Bullard was called upon to fill a hole at nickel corner, and became the first rookie since 2007 to play 250 snaps at both safety and corner, and one of only five players to do so in the entire league. 

Impressive as that is, there still remains the question of whether he can really make the nickel position into his home. Getting to spend the entirety of training camp focusing on nickel corner only could be exactly what he needs to get his feet on the ground, and capitalize on the potential the Packers saw in him when they took him last year. 

Marshawn Lloyd

Lloyd’s year in 2024 was categorized by perhaps the most unlucky run of injuries the team has seen in a long time. Early in last year’s training camp, Lloyd suffered a hip injury, followed by a hamstring issue in the preseason opener against the Browns. An ankle injury landed Lloyd on IR injured reserve after the week three contest with the Colts, and appendicitis surgery later in the year closed the door on his chances of seeing significant playing time as a rookie. 

With the running back finally feeling healthy and ready for a big role in 2025, we’ll be looking to see if Lloyd has retained his athletic edge through multiple lower body injuries. Lloyd has the ability to provide the Packers with a lightning compliment to Josh Jacob’s thunder. He’s a speedy, shifty threat to create explosive plays out of the backfield, and has the full confidence of Adam Stenovich and Matt Lafluer.  

Ty'ron Hooper

The major “head scratcher” of 2024’s draft, Ty’ron Hooper was an expected fifth round selection by most of the “draft community”, and certainly by the consensus big board who had Hooper ranked as the 190th prospect (sixth round). It’s possible the team was lured by Hooper’s prototypical size, and considering how hard it is to find linebackers at the NFL level, choose to double dip at the position with Cooper. 

Cooper’s ascension and Hooper’s struggles mean that the team is now in an awkward position with the sophomore linebacker, as he seeks to find playing time in what is suddenly a crowded linebacker room. There’s no doubt he will need to find a role on special teams in order to see the field, but there will also be a training camp battle to keep an eye on between Hooper and the newly extended Isiah McDuffie (with maybe a bit of Isiah Simmons thrown in?) for that third linebacker spot behind Cooper and Quay Walker. 

Evan Williams

Evan Williams shocked the team, fans and media alike when he grabbed hold of the starting safety spot beside Xavier McKinney. While it’s true Javon Bullard was moved inside due to injuries elsewhere in the secondary, Williams had already been outplaying him and was well on his way to becoming the starting safety anyway. Following the week six game against the Cardinals, Williams was even the league’s second highest rated safety. 

Williams crashed down to Earth in a major way however, dealing with injuries and a second half of the season that was, frankly, bad. Multiple games graded in the 50’s and 40’s, and an eye test that doesn't do much to help his case either. There’s no clear answer to what caused the regression, but I’m sure injuries or even the dreaded “rookie wall” took their toll. 

It’s vital to Williams that he enter training camp focused, hungry, and ready to regain his early 2024 form. 

Jacob Monk / Travis Glover / Donovan Jennings

I’ll lump these three together, because the goal is the same: make the team. For sophomore fifth and sixth round offensive linemen, that's not guaranteed in the slightest. Between Jacob Monk, Travis Glover, Donovan Jennings, Kadeem Telfort, and Tyler Cooper there may be only three spots available. 

Jacob Monk started the season seeing lots of opportunities at interior offensive line, and even looked to be the possible heir apparent to the center position. As the season went on however, Monk seemed to almost fall out of favor with the coaching staff, spending late-season games on the inactive list, and when Elgton Jenkins left the wildcard game against the Eagles, Monk was passed over for the chance to enter the game. 

The team instead turned to Travis Glover, who saw his first NFL action at that moment (to little success, considering he was thrust into play against the eventual super bowl champions). Glover is an absolute monster at 6 '6, 325 lbs, and could fit in with the team’s long term plans at offensive line should the team truly be going in a direction favoring large, mauling linemen. I even wonder if a move inside could be in store for Glover, a la Mecki Beckton, in that scenario. 

Donovan Jennings was the Packer’s priority UDFA last year, and while he did not end up making the final 53 man roster, holds some potential upside. Jennings was a benefactor of Elgton Jenkins’ holdout during OTAs, and the team chose to insert him into the one’s lineup at center for a portion of the workouts. Remember our point about how not all practice reps are equal? Here's a perfect example. 

Kitan Oladapo

Oladapo will in fact be enjoying his first full training camp as a Packer this year, having missed all but a few training camp sessions last year with a broken foot. His lack of reps and familiarity with the defense cost him playing time, but when given the opportunity to play late in the season. He was given the opportunity to make his first NFL start against the Bears in week 18, and made the most of it despite the eventual loss. 

Oladapo will need to stand out on special teams to see his maximum possible snaps, but I wonder if there is another versatile piece for Jeff Hafley to make the most of here. Oladapo’s size and strength puts him on the very cusp of linebacker status, and I think there’s a chance to work him into an emergency dime or nickel linebacker role. Versatility is the name of the game within the Packers organization right now, and with a logjam at safety, there could still be room for Oladapo to carve out a role for himself.

Kalen King / Kamaal Hadden

Last but certainly not least, the pair of sophomore cornerbacks who, while having spent last season on the practice squad, look to take advantage of a corner room that lacks depth. They’ll have to beat out this year’s seventh round selection Micah Robinson to do so, and possibly each other depending on how many corners the Packers choose to keep. 

Both King and Hadden were projected as mid-round draft picks before the 2024 draft, but slipped. King was selected in the seventh round, and Hadden in the sixth by the Kansas City Chiefs. The comparisons can stop there however. King is likely a nickel only corner at the NFL level, while Hadden would excel more in a boundary role. 

We’ll be keeping a special eye out for snap percentages between the two, especially if one seems to rise above the other on depth chart teams. 

If you can’t make it out to training camp yourself and you’re looking to follow along with training camp news and notes, look no further than your very own Cheesehead TV! We’re so close to actual football now, and before you know it we’ll be watching the players run out of the tunnel against the Lions on September 7th.