The first week of Green Bay Packers training camp has flown by. They've missed a few star players, notably Micah Parsons, but there have already been some important takeaways.
Green Bay put the pads on for the first time on Monday. That's when training camp truly begins. The Packers host their annual Family Night scrimmage at Lambeau Field on Friday, and they'll kick off the preseason against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers next week. Training camp is moving at lightning speed.
They've only put the pads on once, but six practices into camp, we've already learned plenty. Here's a look at the biggest winners and losers from the first week.
Biggest winners and losers from Week 1 of Packers training camp
Winner: Matthew Golden, WR
Fans of rival teams were quick to take their victory laps after Matthew Golden's quiet rookie year. The "bust" label has been thrown around all offseason. We've heard about the historical comparisons and why the Packers' 2025 first-round pick is doomed.
I'll allow Jacob Morley of Packer Report to set the record straight: "I hope you didn't sell your Matthew Golden stock," Morley wrote.
I echo Jacob's statement. Golden has been nothing short of outstanding so far at training camp.
"Matthew Golden has not only picked up where he left off summer, but he absolutely looks ready to explode," said Cheesehead TV's Aaron Nagler. "Golden has absolutely started red hot."
Nagler added that Golden has been in "lockstep" with Jordan Love. This isn't surprising. Love trusted Golden in big moments last year for a reason. Golden just needs more opportunities, and he will get them this year with Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks gone.
Winner: Anthony Campbell, DT
Anthony Campbell started training camp by raising a few eyebrows. Now he's full-on turning heads. His rise is the definition of stacking success.
Campbell had four batted passes in just three practices and he showed his talent in run defense and some pass-rush potential by chasing down Tyrod Taylor. Then, just when you thought Campbell was due a quiet day, he turned heads again on Tuesday.
"Don't look now but Anthony Campbell with a strong debut in one on ones against two blue chips in (Anthony) Belton and (Jager) Burton," writes Weston Hodkiewicz of Packers.com.
That's a starting offensive lineman in Belton and a rookie who could soon push for a starting gig in Burton. Campbell is holding his own against the best the Packers can throw at him, and he is forcing his way into the conversation for a roster spot.
Winner: Brandon Cisse, CB
It's always important not to overreact at training camp. That said, the Packers may have struck gold with second-round pick Brandon Cisse.
Matt LaFleur told Kay Adams of the Up & Adams Show that Cisse is "mature beyond his years" and is "everything you look for in a football player."
And he looks like a starting NFL cornerback. Cisse was phenomenal in the one-on-one drills during Tuesday's practice, an exercise that often gives the receiver an unfair advantage. There's a reason why the rookie has become a permanent fixture of the first-team defense ahead of free-agent addition Benjamin St-Juste.
There will be ups and downs along the way, but Cisse could have the biggest impact of any Packers rookie cornerback since Jaire Alexander almost a decade ago.
Winner: Jordan Morgan, LT
One of the biggest questions entering training camp: Could Jordan Morgan finally find his home at left tackle?
The answer has been a resounding yes. Morgan has been asked to play at various spots during his Packers tenure, including left guard, right guard, and right tackle. He is finally back home at left tackle, the position that helped him become a first-round pick.
Morgan's impressive start continued on Tuesday. He faced Lukas Van Ness on three one-on-one reps, winning all of them. According to Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, Van Ness tried to beat Morgan with a bull rush, on the outside with speed, and on an inside-out move. None of it worked.
Second-year Barryn Sorrell got the better of Morgan on one rep, but it's the only time Morgan lost.
Perhaps the biggest compliment you can give Morgan is that we haven't heard his name much in the first week of training camp. That's usually a sign that an offensive lineman isn't getting beaten too often.
Loser: Trey Smack, K
You know what's not a good sign for rookie kicker Trey Smack? Matt LaFleur has told the officials at practice to stop signaling whether a kick is good. Reporters at practice don't always have the best view of the ball's trajectory, so taking away the refs' signals makes it less clear whether a kick went through the uprights or not.
Yeahhhh, that's how big of a deal the Packers' kicking woes have become. You don't need to make those bizarre changes if Mason Crosby is your kicker, do you?
LaFleur is understandably trying to take the spotlight off his rookie kicker, whose shaky start to training camp follows an equally up-and-down offseason program. The Wisconsin winds have given Smack trouble, but he'll need to get used to those unfriendly conditions when fall arrives at Lambeau Field.
The Packers want to be patient, and right now, Smack is the only kicker on the roster. He finished Tuesday's practice by nailing a 51-yarder. Hopefully, that's the turning point.
Loser: Carrington Valentine, CB
Carrington Valentine was always going to face immense pressure for his starting job from Brandon Cisse and Benjamin St-Juste. He may have already fallen down the depth chart.
Valentine is currently sidelined with a hamstring injury, which has opened the door for Cisse. The rookie's rapid rise has given him a great shot at taking the starting job opposite Keisean Nixon. St-Juste has also made plays and could move into the CB3 position before long.
It's unclear how much time Valentine will miss, and it's fair to wonder whether he'll be the CB4 behind Nixon, Cisse, and St-Juste by the time he returns.
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