3 Packers players impressing early during 2023 OTAs

The Green Bay Packers will complete their organized team activities next week. Three more voluntary practices are scheduled before they move on to their three-day mandatory minicamp from June 13-15.

Every rep counts for a much younger Packers roster than in recent years. No longer in all-in mode, the Packers are moving forward without several veteran starters from last season. Many rookies could win starting jobs this summer.

A couple of weeks remain in the Packers' offseason program, but some players have already stood out on the practice field, including these three.

3. Romeo Doubs, WR

Christian Watson's unbelievable second half of the season stole the headlines, making it easy to forget just how good Romeo Doubs was before getting injured.

Doubs, not Watson, starred throughout the summer. By midseason, he had been Green Bay's most impressive rookie receiver, making 30 catches for 296 yards and three touchdowns in the opening eight games. However, he got hurt in Week 9, missed four games, then struggled for consistency once he returned.

But Doubs is off to a fast start this offseason.

He was one of Jordan Love's favorite targets at practice this week. According to Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette, Doubs caught four passes for 42 yards on the same two-minute drill, including two receptions on third down.

"Rome's done an outstanding job. It's amazing the jump you see from guys going from Year 1 to Year 2," said head coach Matt LaFleur.

Doubs is building chemistry with Love and earning his trust, which is a great sign.

2. Luke Musgrave, TE

Explosiveness. Athleticism. Speed. That's what the Packers hoped they were getting from second-round tight end Luke Musgrave. So far, he's provided exactly that.

"He does have an elite trait that he can flat fly and he's a big, long target," LaFleur said, according to Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated. "We're really excited about him and the progress that he's made up to this point and we've got to continue to push him."

While it's important not to get carried away with practice in May and June, there's good reason to be excited about Musgrave.

LaFleur had high praise for his rookie tight end, and they are going to need him to be a key contributor this season. So far, so good.

Musgrave has the size and athleticism to be a matchup nightmare in the NFL. LaFleur also spoke about his intelligence.

These early reps will make a huge difference as Musgrave learns the playbook and builds a connection with Jordan Love. He will only continue to improve as he gains experience, but he is already turning heads on the practice field.

The Love-to-Musgrave connection is going to be one to watch throughout the summer and into the regular season.

1. Lukas Van Ness, EDGE

All it seems Lukas Van Ness does is make plays. Throughout OTAs, Van Ness's name continues to come up. He is making an impact.

Paul Bretl of Packers Wire broke down some of Van Ness' most impressive plays from practice.

Bretl wrote: "Van Ness was able to create separation between him and the tackle, but instead of going directly to the quarterback, he set the edge and identified if the running back had the ball before then pursuing Clifford for what would have been a sack."

Van Ness has been working with the No. 2 defense, but that doesn't matter when you're lining up against Yosh Nijman, a starting NFL right tackle. Van Ness isn't just making plays against backups, but versus talented pass-protectors like Nijman.

Again, it's early in the offseason. We haven't even arrived at minicamp yet and training camp is still way off in the distance, but it's encouraging to see the impact Van Ness is already making. Whether he's a starter or backup this season, the first-round pick will have a significant role to play in Joe Barry's defense.

Mike McCarthy used to stress the importance of stacking success. Van Ness has done this in the opening two weeks of OTAs.

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