Search for Answers Really Starts Today With Pads On at Packers Training Camp

Pajama Party. Underwear Olympics. Shorts and a T-shirt.

Coaches have a lot of euphemisms for what non-padded practices look like throughout the offseason.

On Monday, the Green Bay Packers will be in full pads for the first time since their season ended in early January against the Chicago Bears.

This, coach Matt LaFleur said, is the real beginning of the season.

"He's another guy that's definitely flashed over the course of the offseason and into the early portions of camp,” LaFleur said when asked about the impact of rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton, before delivering the money line.

“I'm just most excited for all those guys to get the pads on to see. That's real football."

With real football on the horizon, here are some things to watch for the unofficial official start of Packers training camp.

Jordan Morgan

There is likely not a single player on the roster who will be under more scrutiny than left tackle Jordan Morgan.

Morgan is a former first-round pick who the Packers have insisted since he was drafted that he was picked to be a left tackle. He’s started one game at left tackle since, and it came in a throwaway game against the Vikings to end last season.

Now, Morgan is the unquestioned starter at left tackle, and he might be the only plan the team has.

In the past, Morgan served as an insurance policy to Rasheed Walker. Before Morgan, there was Yosh Njiman.

Who is the Packers’ swing tackle now? That’s a great question. Darian Kinnard is the likely answer, but it’s hard to feel confident in that as a potential option.

Morgan has a chance to be an upgrade at left tackle from what they got from Walker. The offensive line as a whole is a position the Packers need to improve at. Outside of Zach Bako-Bewele (the former Zach Tom), every other projected starter will enter the season surrounded by questions.

This is the position that Morgan has wanted to play since he came into the NFL. He’s made no secret about that.

If Morgan can prove to be a franchise left tackle, the Packers will be in much better shape in front of Jordan Love.

Pass Rushers

Green Bay Packers edge Lukas van Ness (90) rides a scooter to training camp. — Green Bay Packers edge Lukas van Ness (90) rides a scooter to training camp on Wednesday. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The biggest question on both sides of the ball comes on the line of scrimmage. On offense, how are the Packers going to be better protecting Jordan Love and opening holes in the run game? On defense, who is going to rush the passer while superstar edge rusher Micah Parsons is on the mend from a torn ACL?

Lukas Van Ness is projected to start, but after that it’s anyone’s guess. With pads coming on for the first time, the restrictions on the guys up front are going to be mostly off.

“We don’t want to see any bull rush out there,” LaFleur said on Thursday. “It’s just hard to do that when you don’t have pads on.”

With fewer restrictions, that means more opportunities for players to make an impact using their full arsenal of skills as they try to get after the quarterbacks.

Along with who’s going to start opposite Van Ness, who can show he can rush the quarterback on passing downs?

One player with a lot to prove is Collin Oliver. Last year’s fifth-round pick missed most of the season with a hamstring injury – he played in only one game – and missed this year’s offseason practices, as well.

He’s taken first-team reps. He’s taken third-team reps. An impact pass rusher in college, these practices will see if he can help improve the pass rush.

“It's a complete 180,” he said. “Instead of riding bikes or running with our strength coach, I'm actually out there on the field and playing football on a consistent basis. I'm enjoying it a lot and I'm not taking it for granted, just the learning curve and the whole process of getting back to it.”

While there may not be a lot of jobs up for grabs in training camp, a spot on the edge is one of them, and the first day of pads is when the competition begins in earnest.

Marshawn Lloyd

So far, no news is good news for the Packers’ embattled backup running back. Marshawn Lloyd has made it through the first four practices of camp unscathed as he tries to shake off the snake-bitten nature of the first two seasons of his NFL career.

The Packers need him, too. Chris Brooks is on the non-football injury list, which means the proven depth behind Josh Jacobs is virtually nonexistent.

Lloyd has a skill-set that can help the Packers’ run game as they try to rebound from last year’s disappointing showing. Perhaps keeping Jacobs off the field more so he can remain fresh is one of the keys to keeping the run game going.

Lloyd has plenty of talent, which the Packers say they can trust. They just have not been able to trust that he’ll be available when games begin.

Last year, Lloyd’s injury issues began in a padded practice where he was tackled by cornerback Nate Hobbs and left the field.

Lloyd would return for a preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts, but that was the last game he would play in 2025 as injuries piled up throughout the year.

The first padded practice is a chance for Lloyd to prove he can remain healthy and make an impact on the offense. If he can do that, there are endless possibilities for LaFleur and his offense in 2026.

Tight End Emerges

Tucker Kraft today at Packers training camp. pic.twitter.com/iujBH7rNtl
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 2, 2026

The tight end position is thinner than a piece of loose-leaf paper at this point of the offseason.

Tucker Kraft is back, which was good news. Beyond him? That’s anyone’s guess. Luke Musgrave is on the PUP list with a neck injury that is not going to be resolved anytime soon.

Behind him there are players that are either inexperienced or have yet to establish themselves in the league like Josh Whyle, Luke Lachey and Messiah Swinson.

Whyle has been the de-facto starting tight end in Kraft’s absence and has a pretty good chance to make the roster. Lachey has a great story as the son of a former “Hog” and has some skills that could be attractive to LaFleur and the coaching staff.

Ultimately, someone has to prove it. They don’t need someone to be as good as Kraft. Few are. They need someone who can complement him and perhaps lessen some the load of Kraft as a blocker so he can remain dangerous in the passing game.

“I’m excited to get the pads on and get blocking,” Lachey said.

Rookie Impact?

Brandon Cisse, Chris McClellan, Dani Dennis-Sutton and Jager Burton have received praise at different points of the offseason program and the start of camp.

With offseason hype often comes hyperbole and unrealistic expectations for players. That’s always true, and it’s especially true for the Packers, who didn’t have a first-round pick and whose first selection, Cisse, came at No. 52 overall.

None of them have put on pads in an NFL environment, so Monday’s practice could be an instance of watching young players trying to drink water out of a firehose.

It’s also an opportunity for them to showcase their skills.

There are jobs to be won for all four of the aforementioned players. Dennis-Sutton could make a run to start across from Lukas Van Ness. Ditto for Cisse across from Keisean Nixon. McClellan is in the competition to be the starting nose tackle and earn a rotational role in sub packages. Burton could be the team’s preferred option off the bench on the interior.

A big play or two in a padded practice could go a long way toward winning more snaps.

What happened today at Practice 4⃣ of Packers training camp?

A lot.

Here's the winning unit, the Play and Player of the Day, Trey Smack's Day, the injury report and much, much more. ⬇️https://t.co/tfU9z0VzpS
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 2, 2026

Talk about a great day at Packers training camp.

The Play of the Day from Sunday brought back memories from 1981 and the Player of the Day is about the most under-the-radar player imaginable. ⬇️https://t.co/pWIOqOsXro
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 2, 2026

SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY PACKERS NEWSLETTER

Add us as a preferred source on Google