The Packers have completed the first part of summer! The minicamp period is closed until July 23rd, when Training Camp will start back up. Until then, here is a recap of minicamp and what to look forward to coming up!
Quarterback Play
With the Quarterback room returning a healthy Jordan Love, as well as a proven starter now in Malik Willis, the room will have plenty of talent per usual. Love started strong and continued his pace through minicamp. The highlight of the minicamp for Love would have to be a 74-yard bomb downfield to Mecole Hardman in the two-minute drill for the score. Love will finally have two fully healthy legs for the first time since the beginning of week one last season, and he will look to continue the momentum from minicamp into training camp this year.
Bo Melton
Bo Melton has been all over the field for the Packers thus far. Not only is he lining up on offense at Wide Receiver, but with such a crowded room, he has been showing his value by also running with the defense at Cornerback. If you thought that Travis Hunter was playing a lot of spots... add in Running Back for Melton as well. He has been at three different positions throughout the first few practices at minicamp, and this will be a fun one to watch going into training camp.
Mecole Hardman
The Packers added some experience to the Wide Receiver room in Free Agency when they added Mecole Hardman. In training camp thus far, Hardman has been a standout each day, whether it was running with the third team offense and making grab after grab, or if it was on the receiving end of Jordan Love's 74-yard bomb for the touchdown in the minute drill with the first team offense. In a Wide Receiver room that has plenty of talent in it, it will be interesting to see who can separate themselves come training camp, but Hardman is off to a hot start.
Wide Receiver Room
Between some veterans, as well as rookies that have been added this year, the Wide Receiver room is primed to have a good battle going into camp once again. With Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Romeo Doubs, Malik Heath, as well as Bo Melton having an added three receivers in Matthew Golden, Savion Williams, and Mecole Hardman, means that there is plenty of competition to be had along the way. Christian Watson, who will likely not count towards a roster spot to start the season, is also in this room and will count towards a spot when he is cleared around midseason. If that wasn't enough names for you to throw into this room, add Cornelius Johnson to the mix as well. The former Los Angeles Charger 2024 7th Round Pick found himself a new landing spot in Green Bay on the Practice Squad last season, and has emerged thus far in minicamp, making play after play in the second and third team runs. In the two-minute drill on the last day of minicamp, Johnson would get it going, tallying 4 receptions for 48 yards on the drive. With a room of Reed, Golden, Wicks, Doubs, Williams, Hardman, Heath, Melton, and Watson, Johnson starting to put it all together adds an even bigger level of competition into this room that should be fun to watch through training camp, as well as those three preseason games as well.
Valentine's Next Step
Carrington Valentine is being thrown into the spotlight now as former Packer Jaire Alexander has officially signed with the Baltimore Ravens. With Alexander's departure, Valentine will take over the full-time outside corner spot alongside Nate Hobbs and Keisean Nixon. While the Alexander loss hurts the depth, the Packers' second half of the season defense, as far as the secondary, only lost Eric Stokes, and added Nate Hobbs. That same defense ranked top ten in all passing defense categories, and should look to be on the come up with the addition of Hobbs in the slot. As far as Valentine during the start of camp, he was flying across the field, making the plays that the Packers' front office was hoping to see from the start. His best play of camp came on a jump ball in the endzone where he would deny Romeo Doubs of a touchdown and win the rep during team time. Valentine will look to continue that momentum going forward and take it into the first day of Packers training camp on July 23rd.
Edgerrin Cooper
In Matt LaFleur's press conference, he mentioned that Edgerrin Cooper has put on some muscle this offseason, but is still just as, if not more, explosive than last year. An outstanding rookie season for Cooper has everyone, both in the organization as well as fans, ready to see just how big of a jump Cooper can make in year two.
Rookie Recap
The Packers have a lot of receivers on the rookie side of things, but the rookies are headlined by Matthew Golden and Savion Williams. These two will look to bring a new dynamic to the offense in each of their own ways, as well as somemore secure hands. Golden has been running with the first team offense already, and I don't see that changing come Training Camp time. All of the other rookies have been running with the second and third teams, but will look to move themselves up on the depth chart starting July 23rd.
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