Five Things We Learned So Far From Packers Training Camp

Green Bay Packers training camp is almost complete, with a joint practice against the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday before the preseason finale against them on Saturday.

After that, the roster will be trimmed from 90 to 53 on Tuesday before all attention is turned to Week 1 against the Detroit Lions.

How good are they? Can they get back to a conference championship game or even play in the Super Bowl? We’ll learn those answers as the season u nfolds. For now, here’s what we learned during training camp.

1. Golden Receiver Will Make Immediate Impact

Matthew Golden may be the biggest storyline coming out of Packers camp. You know the story by now. Golden was the team’s first-round pick, and the first receiver taken in the first round by Green Bay since Javon Walker in 2002.

Golden came into camp with high expectations but with questions as to how quickly he could acclimate to Green Bay’s offense.

The answer?

He might be Green Bay’s best receiver right now.

He has taken advantage of additional opportunities that were afforded to him by injuries to Dontayvion Wicks, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed and Christian Watson.

One of the big reasons the Packers drafted Golden was due to the speed he possesses. Coach Matt LaFleur smiled after the draft when asked about Golden’s speed and simply said, “You can’t teach 4.29,” referring to Golden’s 40-yard-dash time at the NFL Scouting Combine.

Golden has proven quickly, however, that he is no one-trick pony. Even going back to the offseason practices, he’s looked polished as a route runner with strong hands.

In his first preseason game, he beat New York Jets’ star corner Ahmad “Sauce” Gardner for the first unofficial catch of his NFL career. On two third-down targets against Gardner, he gave the Packers a pair of first downs.

Perhaps the biggest endorsement for how important the Packers think he will be to their offense came during the team’s second preseason game. Golden was not on the inactive list, but he did not play. That was true of any other key contributor on the roster who was not fighting for a spot on the field.

Golden appears to have his spot on the field sewn up, and he might be an impact player immediately.

2. Jordan Morgan Looks Worthy of First-Round Pick

From one first-round pick to another.

As a rookie, Jordan Morgan missed most of training camp with a shoulder injury, which would rear its ugly head again after he made his first career start and lead to season-ending surgery.

Last year, Morgan did not compete at his natural position of left tackle. Instead, he split time with Sean Rhyan at right guard. Nonetheless, when offseason practices began, Matt LaFleur and Brian Gutekunst were adamant that, despite Rasheed Walker’s presence on the roster, Morgan would compete to be the team’s starting left tackle.

Morgan had a rough sequence during the team’s Family Night practice, when Lukas Van Ness bullied him. Through two preseason games, however, Morgan has been rock solid. He has not allowed a pressure, according to PFF, and kept the blindside of Jordan Love and Malik Wi llis clean.

At practice this week, Walker took the No. 1 reps at left tackle because injuries forced Morgan to play left guard.

“It’s 100 percent still a competition,” LaFleur said.

Walker will not win by default.

Even if Morgan does not win the job for this season, the Packers have to feel good about him if he had to play there in case of an injury. Plus, with Walker entering his free-agent season, they’ll have a ready-made replacement.

Regardless of where Morgan is placed in the lineup, he looks like someone who should be more than capable if he were asked to start.

3. Nazir Stackhouse Is Top UDFA

Who doesn’t love a good undrafted free agent story? As it turns out, undrafted defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse out of Georgia is full of them.

From battling narcolepsy from making a bet with his mother before the Packers’ Super Bowl XLV victory, Stackhouse has endeared himself to the fanbase in addition to his teammates.