Everything That Happened at Practice 2 of Packers Training Camp

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers’ defense dominated 2-minute and third-down periods during the second practice of training camp on Thursday.

Here are the highlights from the second of three consecutive practices.

Jordan Love’s Day

Jordan Love is off to a solid start to his third training camp as Green Bay’s starter, going 9-of-14 on the day after going 8-of-12 on Wednesday.

The 9-of-14 doesn’t accurately portray his day, though.

Love’s first throw of the day was a bullet to receiver Jayden Reed, who was arrowing across the field for a big gain. In a live setting, safety Xavier McKinney would have hit Reed to the middle of next week.

On the next pass, Love connected with receiver Mecole Hardman underneath; defensive end Lukas Van Ness charged unblocked into the backfield and safety Evan Williams almost made a diving interception. On the next play, Javon Bullard, who lined up in the slot, beautifully read an out to Romeo Doubs and broke up the pass.

Love’s final segment of practice was a third-down period consisting of five plays. Love was 3-of-4 passing, with the three completions moving the chains.

On third-and-9, it was Love to Doubs. On third-and-7, Love coaxed the defense offside and threw incomplete on a free play. On third-and-5, it was Love to Tucker Kraft for a first down. On third-and-4, Love fielded a low snap – a theme for the day – and overthrew Josh Jacobs, who had gotten behind Carrington Valentine and Xavier McKinney. Finally, on third-and-3, Love extended the play and used a lightning-fast release to connect with Matthew Golden between Bo Melton and Isaiah McDuffie for the first down.

Player of the Day

At cornerback this offseason, the Packers let Eric Stokes, Corey Ballentine and Robert Rochell walk in free agency and released Jaire Alexander. Their lone big addition was Nate Hobbs, who signed a four-year, $48 million contract in free agency.

During a third-down period, Jordan Love got Hobbs to jump offside on third-and-7. On the next snap, third-and-5, Hobbs got his revenge. On an out to Dontayvion Wicks, Hobbs made a diving interception at the sideline and let the offense know all about it.

“It was third down, I knew my personnel and I knew it was 87 (Romeo Doubs), I wanted to jump him, make him get into his route and apply the pressure on him so the quarterback knew he can’t just hold the ball, surprise him a little bit. The first hard count I didn’t go for. The second hard count, I’m like OK, cool, and I jumped offsides. A mistake we can’t have.

“But I knew if I was to jump offsides, I had to make that (next) play to get us off the field, so I told my teammates, ‘That’s on me. I promise I’ll make that play.’ That builds trust. When your teammates are looking around and are like, that could lose a game, you’ve got to know as a man you’ve got to be accountable. I just told my guys, ‘I’ve got you all. I promise.’ That builds trust.”

It was a big-time play for Hobbs, who also was all over a checkdown to Josh Jacobs early in practice.

“He’s done a great job,” coach Matt LaFleur said before practice. “You can really see the guy’s a competitor, and that’s why we loved him on tape. He’s tough. He was primarily a nickel with the Raiders, and so it’s been pretty cool to watch him come in, played a lot more outside corner, but also we know what he can do, you know, if we want to put him inside.”

Play of the Day

During a backups-vs.-backups 2-minute drill, rookie quarterback Taylor Elgersma completed his first pass to set up a third-and-4 from the 31. Elgersma rifled a seam shot to tight end Ben Sims, which first-year safety Omar Brown grabbed for an interception.

“We were in man. It’s been a while since I’ve been in man. I’m usually in the post,” Brown said. “Just playing man and playing ball, pretty much. Seen the throw, slipped it and caught it.”

Brown, who intercepted eight passes at Northern Iowa before finishing with two seasons at Nebraska, went undrafted in 2024 and signed with the Broncos, who gave him $250,000 guaranteed. He failed to make their roster, though, and spent all of last season on Green Bay’s practice squad. He played special teams in two games.

“It means something to me,” he said of the interception. “It’s my second camp so every pick means something to me. I just can’t wait to do it in a game, honestly.”

Packers Injury Updates

Training camp opened with seven players on injury lists. That’s down to five, as rookie seventh-round cornerback Micah Robinson (knee) and linebacker Quay Walker (ankle) passed their physicals.

While Robinson returned to action after missing minicamp, Walker remained in the background, watching the defense from far behind the formation.

Coach Matt LaFleur wouldn’t put a timeline on Walker’s return to practice.

“It’s just good to get him back acclimated with the guys, communicating in the huddle, seeing it from that position,” LaFleur said.

Six players did not practice: Walker (ankle), receiver Christian Watson (knee), linebacker Collin Oliver (hamstring), running back Amar Johnson (hamstring) and offensive lineman John Williams (back) and center Elgton Jenkins (back).

Left guard Aaron Banks, the team’s big-ticket free agent, was on the field but did not participate during the second half of practice for unknown reasons.

Packers Practice Highlights

- Focusing on cornerback during training camp, Bo Melton made a pair of impressive plays on back-to-back snaps. First, he was in position to thwart a bootleg and scramble by Malik Willis. On the next play, he broke up a crossing route from Taylor Elgersma to Savion Williams.

Green Bay Packers cornerback Bo Melton goes through drills at training camp on Thursday. | Jovanny Hernandez / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

“Day 1 was good, did some nice things,” coach Matt LaFleur said before practice. “I just love the attitude and what he’s all about, what he represents. His story is awesome. Just how he’s had to earn everything in this league. And I think that’s a good lesson for all our players, whether you’re a first-rounder or seventh-rounder, a UDFA. It doesn’t matter. You got to earn it every day and he definitely has done that.”

- With Elgton Jenkins missing a second consecutive day, both of the backup centers, Jacob Monk and Trey Hill, had wayward shotgun snaps. After Hill’s was wide right of Willis, he was briefly benched.

- Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness had a race to the backfield to devour Josh Jacobs on a running play. On the next snap, the defense would let Jayden Reed turn the corner on a jet sweep.

- On the first play of the second-team’s 2-minute drill, Isaiah Simmons rushed into the backfield, got his hands up and deflected Malik Willis’ pass, which was intercepted by Carrington Valentine.

“Just playing what I was supposed to do on the call and just trusted what I was supposed to do and let my instincts take over,” Simmons explained.

- The 2s got a re-do. On the first play, Willis threw a splendid corner route that was thrown just a few inches beyond receiver Julian Hicks. After a third-down completion from Willis to Savion Williams for a first down, second-year linebacker Ty’Ron Hopper blew up a screen to MarShawn Lloyd, which helped kill the drive.

- This was quite a sequence by the defense. Edgerrin Cooper turned on the jets to tackle Jacobs near the line. On the next play, Jordan Love faked a toss and completed a pass to Dontayvion Wicks, but Rashan Gary might have had the sack. On the next play, Love was sacked by Isaiah McDuffie.

- Much has been made of first-round pick Matthew Golden’s speed. His elusiveness was on display on a third-and-3 catch. First, he juked cornerback Gregory Junior. Then, he sidestepped Hopper. It led to a long catch and run.

- The day ended with rookie defensive tackle Keith Randolph sacking Sean Clifford. We’ll have a story on Randolph this weekend.

Packers Lineup Notes

- The No. 1 offensive line consisted of Rasheed Walker at left tackle, Aaron Banks at left guard, Sean Rhyan at center, Jordan Morgan at right guard and Zach Tom at right tackle. Jacob Monk got some first-team snaps at center, which allowed Rhyan to move to his customary spot at right guard.

With Banks missing about half of practice, Travis Glover stepped into the action. His goal is to “re-earn trust” after being benched in the playoff loss to the Eagles, when replaced Elgton Jenkins.

Morgan has not taken any snaps at left tackle.

- The No. 2 line consisted of Anthony Belton at left tackle, Donovan Jennings at left guard, Monk at center, Glover at right guard and Kadeem Telfort at right tackle. The No. 3 line consisted of Brant Banks at left tackle, J.J. Lippe at left guard, Trey Hill at center, Tyler Cooper at right guard and Belton at right tackle.

- Once again, the first reps at safety in the base defense went to Xavier McKinney and Evan Williams, signaling that Williams is ahead of Javon Bullard. The first reps in nickel went to Keisean Nixon and Nate Hobbs at corner and Bullard in the slot.

- In the punt-return rotation, it was Jayden Reed, Keisean Nixon, Matthew Golden, Mecole Hardman, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks. Hardman’s experience in that role is obvious; Wicks’ muffed one right off his private area.

Packers Training Camp Schedule

The Packers will practice again at 10:30 a.m. Friday. After an off-day on Saturday, the Packers will practice at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday and Monday. Monday will be the first in full pads.

Quote of the Day

Packers cornerback Nate Hobbs, on the empty banner alongside all the championship banners on the hallway leading from the locker room to the field.

“They need to take them 1930s and ’40s down. Nah, I’m kidding. I’m playing. I’m playing. But I feel like it’s been too long. From 2010, there’s a big old gap. That’s not good enough. That’s not the standard, that’s not the Green Bay standard. If you’re coming here to just work and get better yourself, you’re wrong. There’s no point in coming here.”

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