5 Packers players with most at stake during training camp
· Yahoo Sports
Training camp is rapidly approaching for Matt LaFleur and the Green Bay Packers. Come Tuesday, July 28, all players will be reported to camp. Come Wednesday, July 29, all healthy players will be on the field for the first training camp practice.
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Camp will provide the perfect stage for specific players to rise to the challenge and cement themselves as important parts of LaFleur's team in 2026. Injuries, contract status and roster battles all factor into an individual's situation entering camp. Some have more at stake than others.
Training camp opens in roughly two weeks. Here are five Packers players with the most at stake during camp:
RB MarShawn Lloyd
Lloyd figured out the shortcomings and mechanics of his lower body during the offseason, and then he got through the entire workout program without an injury issue. These were all big steps forward for the 2024 third-round pick who has played in exactly one regular season game in two seasons. Can Lloyd keep the momentum going and get through training camp unscathed? Opportunity is knocking. Loudly. Gone is Emanuel Wilson, clearing a path to playing time and touches. And Josh Jacobs is dealing with an on-going legal issue. The Packers may need Lloyd to step up in a big way. It all starts with checking another box during training camp.
CB Carrington Valentine
Valentine, a 2023 seventh-round pick, has started at least seven games during all three of his NFL seasons. But he'll go into Year 4 needing to fight for his starting job at perimeter corner. The Packers finally invested at the position, signing veteran Benjamin St-Juste -- who is coming off an excellent season in 2025 -- and using their top pick on Brandon Cisse, an immensely talented young player who only just turned 21 on July 3. Training camp will determine who is the preferred player at a key position opposite Keisean Nixon. Entering training camp of a contract year, Valentine has a lot to prove in terms of both his starting status in 2026 and future in Green Bay past this season.
LB Ty'Ron Hopper
The Packers' long-term plan at linebacker likely involved Hopper ascending into a starting role by Year 3. Instead, the Packers replaced departing starter Quay Walker with veteran Zaire Franklin via trade and extended the contract of Isaiah McDuffie, relegating Hopper to backup status once again. A traditional 3-4 front only features two off-ball linebackers, and Hopper is no higher than No. 4 on the depth chart entering training camp. Can the 2024 third-round pick prove he's ready for more and push for bigger role? Hopper didn't look great in his lone start in the regular season finale at Minnesota. It's a big summer for the former top-100 pick.
C Sean Rhyan
Rhyan is facing the expectations of a new contract, the difficulties of playing a new position and the threat of an intriguing competitor. Rhyan proved he could play center at a capable level down the stretch in 2025, earning himself a new deal in Green Bay, but he's still green at the position, and there will likely be more peaks and valleys as he gets comfortable as a first-time preferred starter at center. What if Rhyan struggles more than expected at center? Rookie Jager Burton played a ton of snaps at center while at Kentucky and appears to have arrived in the NFL ready to play right away as a rookie. He is going to push Rhyan and right guard Anthony Belton to play their best to keep their jobs, starting immediately at training camp. The new contract will give Rhyan some leeway, but Burton could make the "best five" conversation interesting this summer.
K Trey Smack
The rookie kicker is in a competition where he is the obvious favorite, given his draft status. But training camp will determine if he holds onto the job and enters 2026 as the Packers kicker -- an incredibly important point-scoring position that will be in the spotlight after Brandon McManus struggled at points in 2025. Smack went through some ups and downs during the offseason workout program, but inconsistency is part of life as a young NFL specialist. Building up to consistency will be the key to Smack's summer at camp. He's got the big leg, but can he consistently hit the kicks in the 35-45-yard range, where points need to be close to automatic in today's NFL? Lucas Havrisik looms if Smack struggles.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: 5 Packers players with most at stake during training camp