The Green Bay Packers' offseason program is officially in the books. We'll see them next on July 29 at the start of training camp.
It ends a fascinating offseason that saw multiple veteran starters depart, the Packers navigate free agency without many big swings, and the NFL Draft with no first-round pick.
It's important not to make any grand conclusions from OTAs and minicamp. There's still a long way to go before the Packers need to make any final roster decisions. That said, some players will have a lot of work to do once the team returns for camp next month.
The three Packers players who desperately need to impress at training camp
Jacob Monk, C
Jacob Monk's pathway to the starting center job is well and truly blocked following Sean Rhyan's extension and the selection of Jager Burton. The problem is that Monk endured a disastrous preseason last summer, primarily playing guard.
Monk missed the entire offseason program due to injury, which gave other linemen an opportunity. That included Burton, who turned heads and showed why he could compete for a starting job before long, either at center or guard.
It's a huge summer for Monk. The Packers' 2024 fifth-round pick has played just 57 snaps in two seasons, and the pressure is on at training camp.
Nazir Stackhouse, DT
Second-year Nazir Stackhouse spent all of last season near the bottom of the Packers' depth chart, and his snap counts decreased late in the year. Excluding a meaningless Week 18 game when Matt LaFleur rested most of the starters, Stackhouse only played 47 snaps in the final six games. He also earned a disappointing PFF grade of just 43.5.
Since then, the Packers have added free-agent signing Javon Hargrave and third-round pick Chris McClellan to the defensive line, joining Devonte Wyatt, Karl Brooks, and Warren Brinson. McClellan could be a Day 1 starter.
As it stands, Stackhouse is likely sixth on the depth chart and will face competition for a spot on the 53-man roster.
Trey Smack, K
Unlike Monk and Stackhouse, Trey Smack remains the frontrunner for a roster spot at his position. But he didn't do himself any favors with a rocky start to life in Green Bay.
Smack undoubtedly has the power to boom a field goal from distance, but there were concerns with his consistency at college. That has already shown up on the practice field.
According to Bill Huber of Packers On SI, Smack converted 20 of 27 attempts during the offseason program, which is a poor 74.1 percent. As Huber bluntly put it: "That's not good enough."
Perhaps even more concerning is a practice where Smack went 5-of-9, which, in Huber's words, came "with the challenge ratcheted up with longer kicks and blustery conditions." The elements won't get any easier when fall arrives in Green Bay. And the pressure will only crank up.
Smack has plenty of time to turn things around between now and September, but if his struggles continue into training camp, the Packers will have an uncomfortable decision to make.
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