We're finally here. Our Green Bay Packers will be playing real football against another team. Not their own players, not practice dummies, not in shells, no tackling restrictions, no red jersey for the quarterback. None of that nonsense. Just real competitive football against another NFL team. Oh, it's just preseason, you say? I don't care. The score doesn't matter but how the players perform certainly does. Jobs will be on the line. We'll get our first real glimpse of what this team has to offer for the 2026 season. Here's what I'll be looking at.
The primary focus for me will be the offensive line, even though some assumed starters will be missing. And that's kind of the point, the odds they get through a season with all five starters healthy are slim, so what exactly do the backups look like? Are they close to NFL starting caliber players or are they barely adequate at best? What we've seen in camp so far hasn't been promising. The Packers own defensive front has pretty much dominated the OL when the pads have come on. Should we be encouraged for the defensive line or worried about the offensive line? I choose both.
First, I'm praying that Jacob Monk shows me something, anything, that changes my mind that he is NOT an NFL-caliber player. The Packers apparently think there is something there worth developing, but I hated the pick when they made it and he hasn't shown me much to change my mind. Of course, players do sometimes suddenly "get it," or develop skills, or gain strength, etc. Monk has added weight this offseason, so let's see if it makes a difference for him.
As for Anthony Belton, I was one of the people in the minority that thought he was a tackle prospect from the jump and not a guard. Here's what I wrote about him in the CHTV Draft Guide:
After two years at Georgia Military Academy, Belton joined the Wolfpack, where he started at left tackle for two and a half seasons. Belton flashes above-average feet and surprising overall quickness for a long and wide-framed player his teammates nicknamed “Escalade.” Belton is a right tackle mauler-type yet gets off quickly at the snap with good burst and straight-line agility. He excelled in NC State’s inside zone scheme, showing surprising mobility for his size. Belton is the proverbial large block of clay that you hope to mold into something special, but is he the Packers’ type of clay? He also had a problem with penalties, drawing 24 flags during his time at NC State.
Thus far, the "large block of clay" is still that. While forced to play guard last season, I'm glad the Packers still seem to think tackle is his best spot, although it's unlikely they will free him from being an option at guard anytime soon.
One of the biggest surprises of camp is John Williams. After missing all of last season, no one knew what to expect from him, and certainly few people would have expected him to leapfrog the other backup OL hopefuls so soon. The fact that he can play every position on the line and hasn't looked poor at any of them would seem to make him a strong candidate to make the 53-man roster. But the real test of his ability starts now - competing against other NFL players fighting to make their own team's roster. I have a feeling the Packers would like to phase out Darrian Kinnard with Belton and Williams as the backup tackles and use one of them in the 6 OL formation they used Kinnard in last season.
Jager Burton intrigues me. I love that he is getting an opportunity with the ones with Aaron Banks banged up (yet again). I would love even more if Burton proves to be better than Banks and steals the job away from him. By anyone's measure, Banks was a disappointment last season, even when he was fully healthy. The reality is that his contract will likely mean the Packers look at him as the starter and it will take Burton playing like a Pro Bowler as a rookie to unseat Banks.
Jordan Morgan got his wish - he's now the Packers' left tackle. Green Bay has put all of their faith in Morgan being up to the task of protecting Jordan Love's blindside. Morgan has the footwork and movement skills, but functional strength and hand usage/placement has been my concern for him as a tackle since the pre-draft process. I'll be watching him closely to see if he's done enough in those areas to allay my concerns.
Sean Rhyan seems to have settled into the center position this camp, a hoped-for development after been thrown into the fire last season. All indications are that the operation between him and Love has become a smooth one and he has learned the other nuances specific to the center position, like setting protections and calling out blitzes. What I really need to see is if his pass protection ability has improved. The one thing about the center position in pass protection is that not a lot of finesse is needed, it's more about staying stout and holding his ground when some massive defensive tackle comes charging at him and tries to rip past him or bull rush him into the quarterback. At 6'6" and 321 lbs, Rhyan has plenty of size and he's entering his fifth year in the NFL, so I'll be checking to see how his pass blocking holds up.
The newly minted Zach Bako-Bewele will certainly not be participating on Thursday night, having just been included in some camp team drills for the first time. Not that there's anything to figure out about him, other than this peculiar fact: He's the only offensive lineman on the roster listed under the category of "OL." There are three offensive linemen listed as "C/G" (Burton, Monk, Rhyan), five as "G" (Banks, Barrett, Gesky, Wade, Williams), one as "G/T" (Jennings), four as "T" (Banks, Belton, Cooper, Glover) and two as "T/G" (Kinnard, Morgan). I'm not sure what all of this means but listing only ZBak as "OL" seems odd, dontcha think?
Anyway, enjoy Thursday's game, it should be great fun as far as preseason games go, with both Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Love slated to see some action. Me, I'll be watching the big uglies up front.
Go Pack Go!
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"Jersey Al" Bracco is the Editor-In-Chief, part owner and wearer of various hats for CheeseheadTV.com and PackersTalk.com. He's a lifetime Packers fan living in the land of the Giants (and Jets). Follow Al on twitter at @JerseyalGBP.