Winners and Losers (Including Three Starters) From Packers Family Night

GREEN BAY, Wis. – On Thursday at Green Bay Packers training camp, Anthony Belton moved from his customary spot at right guard out to right tackle.

As it turns out, it wasn’t a one-day shuffle to help build depth.

At Packers Family Night on Friday, Belton once again was playing right tackle. It was a clear signal that the right guard position is up for grabs. The key combatants headline the winners and losers from Practice 8 of camp.

Loser: OL Anthony Belton

Belton was drafted in the second round last year after playing left tackle at North Carolina State. At midseason last year, the Packers inserted him at right guard. The overall performance wasn’t good enough, but there were enough high-level flashes to be confident that he’d grow into the role.

Now, what was expected to be a coronation has become a competition.

“Yeah, it’s always going to be that way,” coach Matt LaFleur said after practice. “I love Belton. I love his versatility. Certainly, I think the tackle position comes a little bit more natural for him, just time on task. But I think he continues to show great promise at guard, as well.”

Belton really struggled on Friday night at his new position. He was beaten a few times in pass protection and was flagged a couple times for false starts.

“I’ve got to be able to perform,” he said. “There’s no excuse to, I guess, [do] some of the things that happened tonight. Like, when we’re out there, we’ve got to perform. So ain’t nothing to blame it on about guard or tackle. I’ve just got to be able to do it. It’s that simple. So, I’ve just got to be a better player.”

Winner: OL Jager Burton or (Probably) Jacob Monk

If Anthony Belton might be slated for swing-tackle duty this season – an important role, to be sure – that means someone else is going to start at right guard.

Jager Burton, this year’s fifth-round pick, has played left guard and center during camp. He took the first-team reps at left guard on Friday night, filling in for Aaron Banks, who once again didn’t practice. Jacob Monk, who has played both guard positions during camp, took the right guard snaps for the second consecutive day.

“Yeah, I think both those guys have done a really nice job and are pushing to crack the lineup,” LaFleur said.

Winner: K Trey Smack

Trey Smack was 8-of-13 on field goals during his first two days of training camp. On Friday night, he was 6-of-7.

“Yeah, it’s a great experience,” he said. “I can definitely say the fans might just be as rowdy as they were in Gainesville, or maybe a little bit even more. I know it means so much to them, and I was honored to kick in there today.”

Here’s our full story from Smack’s promising performance.

Winner: Edge Lukas Van Ness

After a quiet start to padded practices, Lukas Van Ness was a force on Friday night. He worked over left tackle Jordan Morgan and right tackle Anthony Belton on multiple occasions. During a 2-minute drill at the end of practice, he had big wins against both players.

There might not be a player more important to the defense than Van Ness, especially without Micah Parsons for the first several games. This was a huge step in the right direction.

LaFleur wasn’t able to focus on Van Ness during practice but did notice he was “disruptive.”

Winner: Edge Barryn Sorrell

Barryn Sorrell got off to a red-hot start. The presumptive Week 1 starter alongside Lukas Van Ness, Sorrell stuffed running MarShawn Lloyd on the first run play of the night and Pierre Strong on the second run play of the night.

Winner: DT Jonathan Ford

Really, all of Green Bay’s defensive tackles could be listed as a winner. It has been an incredibly disruptive group even without Devonte Wyatt and Javon Hargrave participating.

Ford made one of the more incredible plays of the night, though, which is why he gets singled out. First, he tossed aside rookie center Dylan Barrett. Then, he stopped rookie running back Jaden Nixon. Literally. Ford wrapped up Nixon with one arm and lifted him off the ground.

From Warren Brinson, who has taken a big Year 2 jump, to the unheralded tandem of Anthony Campbell and Jaden Crumedy, they were forces throughout the night. Campbell batted down his fifth pass of camp and forced an incomplete pass with a dominating swim move. Brinson and Karl Brooks spent most of the night in the backfield.

Winner: LB Ty’Ron Hopper

Ty’Ron Hopper had a couple of impact plays. First, with the offense backed up at the 2, he stuffed Damien Martinez about 4 yards in the end zone for a safety. Later, during the live-tackling period to end the night, he clobbered Jaden Nixon.

Winner: WR Savion Williams

Savion Williams, last year’s third-round pick, made exactly one impact play last season – a crucial third-down catch at the Giants. He hadn’t done much during training camp, either. However, on third-and-8, Tyrod Taylor threw a jump ball to Williams in the end zone, with Williams winning the battle against Kitan Oladapo for a touchdown.

He “absolutely” could be a red-zone threat, LaFleur said.

“Savion, his measurables are off the charts in terms of his size, speed, and strength,” LaFleur said. “And then he’s just a young player that’s still learning and he’s got a long way to go, but I think he’s showcased a lot of great traits and that’s why we drafted him and that’s why we loved him coming out.”

Winner: WR Matthew Golden

Matthew Golden has had a superb training camp but the first-round speedster hadn’t made any downfield catches. He made two on Friday, including a 50-some-yard touchdown bomb from Jordan Love against standout defensive back Javon Bullard.

“Jordan gave me a good ball and all I had to do was go down there and make the catch,” he said.

During one-one-ones, he torched Keisean Nixon.

“I feel like we’ve got great competition,” Golden said. “In practice, he pushes me and I push him. For us, I feel like the competition we’ve got between each other is good, and I feel like overall I’m getting better from practicing against him.”

Loser: CB Keisean Nixon

The one-on-ones were not kind to Keisean Nixon. Golden beat him three times. On the first, Golden got quick separation at the line of scrimmage. The next two were downfield strikes, with one a touchdown and the other ruled out of bounds at the 1.

Nixon probably is going to start, but he’s going to have to play well to keep his job following the additions of Brandon Cisse and Benjamin St-Juste. Plus, he needs a strong season for his next contract. He was much better in the 11-on-11 periods, which he’d be the first to tell you is all that matters.

Loser: RB Damien Martinez

We’ve written this statement before, but it’s nothing against Damien Martinez that he’s listed as a “loser” here. He hasn’t had a prayer. Time and time again, he gets the ball behind the young linemen and has absolutely nowhere to go.

Even a physical runner like Martinez needs at least a little help from his friends.

Loser: S Xavier McKinney

During the starters vs. starters 2-minute drill, Xavier McKinney had a chance for an interception but bumped into intended receiver Christian Watson and couldn’t make the play. That’s the type of play an All-Pro needs to make for a team that’s looking to close games better than last season.

Loser: Families Attending Family Night

Before the post-practice fireworks, the fans want to be entertained. Entertaining football usually means a bunch of big plays. Instead, they were subjected to a bunch of penalties.

During the starters vs. starters 2-minute drill, there were five penalties. Five! For good measure, there was a checkdown to Pierre Strong that hit the running back in the back.

“I thought it was definitely sloppy,” coach Matt LaFleur said. “It was our biggest workload we’ve had yet to date. So, I think it was really good for those guys to have to fight through fatigue. We’ll look at it. It was our first time.

“It was great to have Shawn Hochuli’s crew here. This is the first time in my time here that we’ve had NFL officials for this so, naturally, you’d love to have those guys every day out at practice because I think some of this stuff can be avoidable. But it’s a lot of good stuff for our guys to look at and learn from and to teach off of.”

The festivities at Family Night begin in about 15 minutes. Here are five veterans who might be worth a shot at positions of need. ⬇️https://t.co/XZ1JrUg5Xa
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) August 8, 2026

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