What We Learned From Day 1 of Packers Training Camp

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Green Bay Packers training camp started on Wednesday. The first few days are OTA-style practices. The pads – and the hitting and ferocity that are a hallmark of the sport – will have to wait until next week.

Still, here are seven key takeaways from the first practice of training camp.

Tucker Kraft’s Timeline

The Packers want to sign tight end Tucker Kraft to a contract extension. Kraft wants to sign that contract extension.

Preferably sooner than later.

“I think it would be best if we got it done as soon as possible,” Kraft said.

This offseason, the Packers have signed receivers Jayden Reed and Christian Watson and defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt to lucrative extensions. You might say they’re saving the best for last with Kraft, who is one of the best tight ends in the NFL and one of the best players on the roster.

“We’ve gone through a bunch of extensions this summer, kind of knowing this was going to be the one right about now,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said.

All of the signings and extensions have been important. Kraft, though, will be the most important of all because of his impact as a receiver and a blocker, and as a vocal and by-example leader.

“I think the best chance for Green Bay to win a Lombardi [Trophy] is with me on the field, as well,” he said. “That’s people under the front office telling me that and the importance of us getting this deal done in a timely fashion. But, ultimately, like I’ve said over and over again, I’m just so grateful to be a part of this organization and I would like to keep it that way.”

Green Bay Packers tight end Tucker Kraft rides a bicycle to practice during the first day of training camp on Wednesday. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Jonathan Gannon’s Imprint

It doesn’t mean he’ll be a better defensive coordinator, but Jonathan Gannon brings a more animated and vocal approach to the unit than his predecessor, Jeff Hafley. His voice was cracking at times on Wednesday.

Until the pads are on and “real football” begins, the approach is what matters this time of year. The players appear to be following his lead.

“It’s just about being a dominant defense,” safety Evan Williams said. “Really, what we emphasize every day is just motor and violence. Obviously, we don’t have the chance to show violence this early in camp. But really just about our play style. That’s something that we hang our hat on as the Packers.

“Just turning on the silent tape and looking at yourself from an unbiased perspective. Are you going as hard as you can on every play? Are you straining to the ball? That’s something that we take very seriously pride in and I feel like that’s what makes good defenses turn into great defenses is everybody’s taking accountability for themselves and just trying to put their best foot forward on every snap.”

Kyron Drones’ Potential

Green Bay Packers quarterback Kyron Drones throws a pass during Day 1 of training camp. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

There’s a reason why the Packers signed Kyron Drones instead of some other quarterback in April. They see a Malik Willis-style skill-set that needs time to develop and proper coaching.

Drones made one of the plays of the day when he escaped pressure to the right and threw an absolute rocket to Isaiah Neyor for a touchdown of about 20 yards.

Drones is raw. He was inconsistent during his three years at Virginia Tech. But – and this is no exaggeration – there aren’t many quarterbacks who could have made that throw.

Kamal Hadden’s Wheels

With Kamal Hadden replacing Carrington Valentine with the No. 1 defense, Hadden suffered a broken tibia, broken fibula and a dislocated ankle during the Week 17 game against Baltimore. It’s led to seven long months behind the scenes to get ready for the season.

Hadden is on PUP and there’s no timetable for him to return to practice. However, the former sixth-round pick can fly. On Marlon Jones’ 99-yard pick-six, the closest pursuer was Hadden, who sprinted right behind Jones on the way to the end zone.

“I was in that fast lane,” Hadden said. We’ll have more on him in a story scheduled to publish at noon Thursday.

Fired-Up Matt LaFleur

This is coach Matt LaFleur’s eighth training camp. He is fired up for it.

“Oh, absolutely!” he said before practice. “I told the team yesterday: This is as excited as I’ve ever been coaching this football team in my time here, and it’s because of the people we have in the room. I mean, players, coaches, support staff, everybody. So, we’re just ready to go.”

This is Year 9 for Gutekunst as general manager.

“I think those of us that are fortunate enough to work in this building, in this profession, really, it’s always been a blessing for me,” he said. “I’m not good at very much else. I could bartend a little bit when I was in college.

“I love it. I love the scouting aspect of it, the team-building part of it. I really do like the training camp process, watching guys go through these days and the ups and downs of it. I think across the league, everybody’s really energized right now. It’s a brand-new year, so no matter what happened last year, it’s different and everybody’s excited about what they have ahead of them. That never really changes.”

Some Depth Chart Notes

A few notes from the depth chart that were sorted out on Wednesday.

- Who would be the first rookie to play with the No. 1 unit? As expected, that was third-round defensive tackle Chris McClellan.

- If the Packers keep a second nose tackle, Nazir Stackhouse is ahead of Jonathan Ford. With Devonte Wyatt not taking team repos and Javon Hargrave on PUP, Stackhouse went directly from PUP to being on the No. 1 line.

- Without Kraft and Luke Musgrave, the No. 1 tight end, as you’d expect, was Josh Whyle. Drake Dabney was No. 2.

Green Bay Packers tight end Drake Dabney catches a pass during Day 1 of training camp. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

“Obviously, I'm blessed to be in a spot where I'm getting some good opportunities, but I think it's just day to day, attacking it one day at a time, one play at a time,” he said. “Regardless of who I'm out there with, just doing the best I can.”

- Without Keisean Nixon, rookie Brandon Cisse – not free-agent addition Benjamin St-Juste – ran with the starters at cornerback. Maybe that’s because St-Juste missed the offseason program. Or, maybe it’s because Cisse is off to a good start. Whatever the reason, the pairings were Cisse and Valentine at cornerback and St-Juste and Jaylin Simpson with the second unit.

“Obviously, OTAs we were watching him and he made a lot of plays out there,” quarterback Jordan Love said of Cisse. “He is a very talented corner, so I think he’ll be getting some more reps and I’ll be going against him a lot more during training camp, and I’m just excited to see the progression.”

The Real MVP

Jordan Love has the 12th-shortest odds to win NFL MVP, but that doesn’t mean he’s the MVP of training camp. That honor after Day 1 goes to long snapper Matt Orzech, who is on PUP with what Brian Gutekunst called “a little bit of a calf.”

Because he’s the only snapper on the roster, the Packers had to scrap Day 1 of the critical kicking competition between Trey Smack and Lenny Krieg.

“It does disrupt practice when you don’t have a guy who can snap it,” Gutekunst said. “Special teams guys don’t like that; I don’t see what the problem is. It does disrupt practice and, quite frankly, with a rookie kicker we want to have as much practice there as we can get.”

Expect the Packers to have a snapper on the field ASAP, because the kicking battle might be the most important battle in training camp.

Packers training camp begins today. It could be a long, dismal season if they don't get this problem figured out over the next month.

Subject to change based on how things develop, here's my season prediction.⬇️https://t.co/6MorNf6wWI
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) July 29, 2026

The Packers will take their 91-man roster onto the field for the first practice of training camp at 10:30 a.m.

Who will be the 53 players they take into Week 1? Here is our first roster projection. ⬇️https://t.co/CxTL3eMjw5
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) July 29, 2026

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