13 Most Important Packers to Watch at Broncos, Including Starters vs. Stars

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers will play most of their starters against the Denver Broncos in Friday night’s preseason game. So will the Broncos.

Thus, this should be a good litmus test between two Super Bowl contenders. The Packers are 6.5-point underdogs – the line was 5.5 at the start of the day – at FanDuel Sportsbook. Both starting quarterbacks will play.

Here is a look at a baker’s dozen of the most important players.

QB: Jordan Love

The Broncos have an elite pass rush and a premier cornerback with Pat Surtain II. There could hardly be a better test for Jordan Love, who really struggled when pressured last season.

“Like I talked about last week, it’s another away game, so another chance for us to have that communication in the huddle, make sure everything’s on point and we’re hearing everything right,” Love said after Tuesday’s practice.

“It’s a lot different than being at practice with just the music blasting, so just being in that environment if we’ve got to go work on our operation with silent (count). But just make sure the operation’s smooth, everything’s crisp. We’ll be seeing new looks, so make sure everybody’s on the same page. Really just getting those game jitters out, so when Week 1 hits, everybody’s ready to fly around.”

Love’s over/under, for what it’s worth, is 20 passing yards.

WR: Isaiah Neyor, Will Sheppard, J. Michael Sturdivant

Could the Packers keep seven receivers?

General manager Brian Gutekunst wouldn’t rule it out.

“I think if you’re going to do that, there’s going to be a couple of those guys are going to have to be pretty valuable teams guys. And I think we have some of those,” Gutekunst said.

If the Packers keep a seventh, it will be one of these players. They’ve all had their moments at training camp but haven’t strung together consistently productive days. Isaiah Neyor led the team with four catches at Pittsburgh; J. Michael Sturdivant had two productive practices this week.

LT: Jordan Morgan

Green Bay Packers offensive lineman Jordan Morgan (77) signs autographs before practice on Aug. 4. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Jordan Morgan is the team’s new starting left tackle. For however long he’s in the game, he will face a premier matchup against Broncos outside linebacker Nik Bonitto.

Bonitto is Denver’s right outside linebacker so will see plenty of Morgan. The two-time Pro Bowler had 13.5 sacks in 2024 and 14 sacks in 2025 with a total of 30 tackles for losses and four forced fumbles.

“I think he’s done some great things,” Love said of Morgan. “I think he’s definitely improved tremendously. And I think it’s one of those things where I just want to get to the games and see how we just keep building and how he looks out there. But definitely got a lot of confidence in him, a lot of trust. That’s one of those things where my back’s going to be to him all game. So, got to have that confidence that he’s going to hold it down and he’s been doing great things.

LG: Aaron Banks or Jager Burton

Starting left guard Aaron Banks finally took part in team reps this week. Regardless of whether it’s Banks or rookie Jager Burton manning the position at Denver, he will face an enormous challenge against Zach Allen.

Allen, who lines up mostly on the right side of the defense, is one of the most underrated defensive linemen in the NFL. He led all interior rushers in pressures each of the last two seasons, when he was second-team All-Pro in 2024 with 8.5 sacks and 15 tackles for losses and first-team All-Pro in 2025 with seven sacks and four TFLs.

“I think there’s plenty to work on,” Burton said on the heels of starting last week at Pittsburgh. “Always for me, it’s the consistency. When I do it right it looks good, just like anybody else, but finding a way for that to be every time – my best every time – is really what this game is all about.

“It’s kind of chasing ghosts getting there because it’s probably never going to happen, but you want to get as close to that as possible. That’s why this game is so awesome.”

DT: Jonathan Ford, Nazir Stackhouse

Jonathan Ford has taken the lead in the race for the starting job at nose tackle. Nazir Stackhouse isn’t going to go quietly into the night, though, in a battle in which only one might make the roster.

Broncos coach Sean Payton played his No. 1 line a lot last week, with at least 25 snaps for all three interior starters – a group that includes elite right guard Quinn Meinerz.

“Just consistency,” Ford said of what he needs to show over the final two games. “I think that’s the biggest thing in this league is being consistent and being able to show coaches you can do it snap after snap. If you have a bad snap, you can correct it – take the corrections, bring it back on the field and do it the right way that coaches coached you to do it.

“I think the biggest thing for me is being consistent and showing that I’m a player down in and down out and I can do my job and do it at a high level.”

CB: Keisean Nixon

Denver Broncos wide receiver Courtland Sutton (14) catches a pass under against Green Bay Packers cornerback Keisean Nixon. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The coaches seem reluctant to replace Keisean Nixon in the starting lineup. After a horrendous missed tackle at Pittsburgh in the game last Thursday night, Nixon took all the No. 1 reps at the next practice.

If Nixon shows up and plays fast and physically against the Bo Nix-led Broncos offense, he might wrap up his spot in the starting lineup for Week 1 at Minnesota.

“Kei has always answered the bell,” coach Matt LaFleur said this week. “Every time we’ve given him any opportunity, he’s performed. He’s a very competitive dude.”

CB Kamal Hadden

The Packers have lined up without nickel Javon Bullard for more than a week. What would the Packers do if Bullard were to miss a game that matters?

Coming off last year’s season-ending ankle injury, Kamal Hadden has been fully integrated into practice. A perimeter cornerback by trade, he took a lot of first-team reps in the slot this week. If Hadden plays well against the Broncos – their backup quarterback is veteran Jarrett Stidham – he might win the job.

S: Mark Perry, Murvin Kenion

If the Packers keep five safeties, one of these players will win the job. Perry went undrafted in 2024 and hasn’t played in a regular-season game in his career. Kenion went undrafted this year and might be the team’s best bet to extend its streak to 22 consecutive years with an undrafted rookie on the Week 1 roster.

Both players displayed the desired physicality last week. Now, can either make a big play to push the battle in his favor?

The final stretch is here for the Packers, with a game at Denver tonight, a joint practice against Arizona on Wednesday and the final preseason game against Arizona on Friday.

Who's rising? Falling? Here's our pregame Packers stock report. ⬇️https://t.co/d492ZFEM2T
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 21, 2026

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