Would you look at that? With Family Night behind them and nine practices already in the books, the Packers are about halfway through training camp. It seems hard to believe that there are only seven more public practices to go. The Packers have put a lot of quality work in already, but there is still work to be done in the remaining three weeks of camp.

For most rookies, training camp can be a roller-coaster. They are stepping into a new environment. The game is faster.  Rookies are expected to learn a new system, master a new playbook, and build rapport with 80+ new teammates. Oh, not to mention, they are expected to do all of this while living in a brand new city that they’ve never even heard of before. Bottom line: training camp can be an uncomfortable experience for many first-year players.

The Packers have 23 rookies participating in training camp this summer. Some of these rookies are off to fantastic starts. Others haven’t had the training camp they were hoping for. It goes without saying that a majority of this group won’t be on the roster a month from today, but now that the Packers are about halfway through camp, it’s a good time to check in on how some of the rookies have performed so far.

Matthew Golden

The Packers' first-round pick has been better than advertised. Simply put: Golden is a big-play waiting to happen. Through nine practices, he has demonstrated strong hands, advanced route-running skills, and remarkable speed. He’s been both a playmaker and a field-stretcher. Whether it be team drills, individual drills, or one-on-ones, Golden has made a splash every single day of camp. Check out this 60-yard touchdown catch in team drills from last week.

PoSt mOrE GoLdeN cOnTeNt

Here's a 60-yd TD for you.@emplifybellin pic.twitter.com/Houhnz6Qd5

— Green Bay Packers (@packers) July 29, 2025

It didn’t take Golden long to show why General Manager Brian Gutekunst took him in the first round. In his first set of one-on-ones, Golden was outstanding. He beat Carrington Valentine twice despite quality coverage. Ryan Wood of PackersNews.com detailed the first rep where Golden ran a go route, fought off blanket coverage, and made a ridiculous adjustment to catch the pass. In the second rep, Valentine out-muscled Golden at the line of scrimmage, but Golden shrugged him off on a comeback route to make the catch.

He’s also shown his ability to be special after the catch. Andy Herman of Packer Report and Pack-A-Day described a play where Golden caught a short pass from Malik Willis and then juked out two different players for a big run after the catch. Golden has cooked corners on short slants and double moves because of his speed. The Packers just need to find ways to get the ball in his hands.

Golden has impressed his coaches thus far, too. He’s been described as “a quick study.” Offensive coordinator Adam Stenovich raved about his strong work ethic and diligence. On Family Night, Gutekunst shared, “It’s early, but he’s been a great pro. His hands have stood out as well.”

Jordan Love is also a fan. After one practice, Love raved about Golden’s aggressive hands and willingness to go and high-point the ball. “As a rookie, it’s going to be a process…but for him, he’s doing a great job. He’s been in the book, and he’s been getting more comfortable with knowing where he needs to be, so it’s just to keep building that,” Love said. “The play-making ability is there. You see it. When the ball’s in the air, he’s going to go get it and make that play.”

Last season, the Packers were one of the worst teams in the league at catching the football. Drops plagued the offense on numerous occasions. In just a handful of practices, Golden is already showing to have the best hands on the team. It’s early. Golden hasn’t even played in a preseason game yet, but early returns are strong. Is it too bold to say Golden might be a candidate for Offensive Rookie of the Year?

Grade: A

Anthony Belton

The Packers' second-round pick hasn’t been making waves, but that’s often a good thing for offensive linemen. The massive tackle out of Louisville was seen by many draft experts as a candidate to move inside from tackle to guard. The Packers don’t necessarily disagree, but are planning to start him as a tackle. "I think right now, we want to keep him at tackle. He's a big guy. I like his feet. He's got a ways to go, but I think he has the ability to play tackle in the NFL," said Stenovich.

Belton has worked at both tackle positions throughout camp, but more at right tackle than left. He is working primarily with the second unit, but he did work with the first unit for several snaps toward the end of last week. Belton was able to get a lot of work in on Family Night. Per Andy Herman, there was a play where Belton had a nice block on Brenton Cox, and even forced him to the ground on the play. 

pic.twitter.com/s70CwRt5jJ

— Justis Mosqueda (@JuMosq) August 3, 2025

It wasn’t all smooth-sailing for Belton, though. In one of the team periods, Barryn Sorrell went right around Belton on a pass rush rep. Herman also mentioned a set of one-on-ones that were lackluster, including a rep where Cox tossed Belton to the ground. Hopefully, these reps will serve as quality learning opportunities for Belton.

The 2025 outlook for Belton is interesting. In a perfect world, he won’t get the opportunity to play at all because the first unit can stay healthy. Belton’s role should be as one of the active reserves on game day, but he probably won’t be the first guy off the bench. It would be ideal if Belton could show the ability to backup both guard and tackle, but he just needs to get as many reps as possible over the next few weeks. 

Grade: C+

Savion Williams

Williams is one of the trickier players to assess thus far because his time on the field has been a bit limited. When camp first started, Williams was in and out of practice due to a concussion. After recovering from that injury, he then missed a practice for an undisclosed injury and even dropped out of Family Night injured. When he’s been on the field, he’s made some plays. He just hasn’t been on the field much.

When on the field, Williams has worked mostly with the second unit. Williams appears to be building a strong rapport with quarterback Malik Willis, and that showed up on Saturday night. On one instance, Williams caught a deep pass over the middle for about 35 yards, followed by a slick run after the catch.. He later caught a nice pass along the sideline.

The coaching staff is optimistic about what Williams can bring to the offense. “He’s made some plays, and you can see he’s got a really good skill-set. Obviously, his size and speed are pretty impressive,” said Stenovich. The next few weeks will be important for Williams. He’s a bit buried on the depth chart behind Doubs, Wicks, Reed, and Golden. Luckily for Williams, he’s bound to get a ton of reps in all three preseason games if he can stay healthy.

Grade: C-

Barryn Sorrell

It was hard not to fall in love with the fourth round from Texas on Draft Day. The day three pick waited around in Green Bay just to hear his name called by the commissioner. It just so happened he was being picked by the Packers. This incredible, feel-good story earned Sorrell fans before he even set foot on the field. Now, Sorrell’s strong start to training camp has him gaining even more fans.

Matt LaFleur doesn’t always hand out compliments, but he lauded Sorrell’s start. “He’s done a great job…You can get a good feel for the character of the guy, and he is A+ in terms of how he’s going to approach everything,” LaFleur said last week. “He will absolutely reach his ceiling because of how he approaches the game and the time he puts in, and how detailed he is. You can coach him hard, and he takes everything to heart. I think he’s getting better every day.”

On the practice field, Sorrell is making his presence felt. He’s had several tackles for loss and multiple would-be sacks over the last several practices. Sorrell also had a really good showing on Family Night, including a sack during the two-minute drill. Sorrell has also performed well in one-on-ones. "Barryn Sorrell looked good, had a competitive three reps vs Belton. Finished with a nice shed of Brant Banks,” per Wes Hodkiewicz of Packers.com.s

The Packers desperately need their pass rush to improve this season, and Sorrell will be expected to help. The fourth-round pick will have every opportunity to work his way into being one of the rotational pass rushers for Jeff Hafley’s defense. Sorrell has positioned himself well. He’s performing well on and off the field, so much so that it’s hard not to be excited about this guy. 

Grade: B+

Oh, and he already has a leg up over Matthew Golden in one area.

Collin Oliver

The fifth-round pick out of Oklahoma State hasn’t had the training camp many were hoping for. Oliver opened camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list due to a hamstring injury, and it sounds like he could be there for a while. At Gutekunst’s opening press conference, he shared that Oliver “is probably a few weeks away” from being able to practice. If Oliver’s recovery stays on track, he could start practicing next week, but that’s probably the best-case scenario. The sooner he can get onto the practice field, the better.

Grade: N/A

Warren Brinson

How does the old saying go? “It’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.” That adage describes Brinson’s first couple of weeks. There wasn’t much buzz regarding Brinson throughout the first few days of camp. But lately, Brinson has been gaining more and more attention on the practice field. The sixth-round pick out of Georgia is trending in the right direction. 

The last several days of practice have been Brinson’s best. Brinson has been making plays both against the run and pass, and it’s earned him more reps with the second unit. Paul Bretl of ESPN La Crosse detailed Brinson’s practice last Thursday: “Speaking of good days, we can put Warren Brinson in this category. Against both the run and pass, there were three or four plays in total where Brinson was in the backfield being disruptive. In a little over a week, Brinson has gone from mostly playing with the 3s to being what I would say is a rotational defender with the 2s.”

Brinson continued his strong performance into Friday’s practice and Saturday’s Family Night, where he made several nice plays in the backfield. Among the interior defensive linemen, Kenny Clark and Devonte Wyatt are going to play a majority of snaps. After those two, Brinson has as good a chance as anyone to earn snaps. Expectations for sixth-round picks typically aren’t high, especially for defensive linemen, but Brinson is putting himself in a position to play an important role for the Packers' defensive line.

Grade: B

Micah Robinson

Cornerback is arguably the weakest position on the team. The Packers moved on from Jaire Alexander and Eric Stokes, and the only additions to the position group were Nate Hobbs and Micah Robinson. The front office neglected to use a high draft pick on a corner. The lack of certainty at the position put Robinson in a strong position to fight for one of the final cornerback spots on the 53-man roster.

Unfortunately, Robinson hasn’t exactly taken advantage of his opportunity. Robinson started camp on the PUP list due to a hamstring injury, but was activated soon after. Despite not missing a practice, Robinson’s performance on the practice field hasn’t made much of a statement. Robinson hasn’t been terrible; he just hasn’t left much of an impression. 

Robinson’s primary competition for a spot on the roster is with Bo Melton, Kalen King, and Kamal Hadden. Melton, who recently transitioned from wide receiver to cornerback, has been getting more reps with the first- and second-team defenses. King’s start to camp had the head coach singing his praises. "I think he's had a pretty impressive three days," LaFleur said. King followed that up by intercepting Malik Willis on Family Night. Not exactly the most encouraging signs for Robinson’s chances to secure one of the fourth or fifth cornerback spots.

There is still plenty of time left for Robinson to show he deserves to be on the roster.  In addition to improving his pass coverage, he will also need to make an impact on special teams. By all accounts, Robinson has made a few plays, but he needs to start stacking the positives. There’s still time for Robinson to turn things around, but he needs to do it soon. A good showing in the preseason games could change the narrative about him entirely.

Grade: C

John Williams

Seventh-round draft picks are never guaranteed to make the roster, but Williams certainly hasn’t been able to help his cause either. Williams missed most of the off-season activities and then opened camp on the PUP list due to a back injury. Williams has yet to practice, and it doesn’t sound like he will anytime soon. Gutekunst shared that his back injury might keep him out for quite a while. Unfortunately for Williams, there’s a strong chance he could spend most of his rookie season on injured reserve.

Grade: N/A

Notable UDFAs

Nazir Stackhouse

If it weren’t for Matthew Golden, Stackhouse might be the most impressive rookie in camp. The undrafted free agent out of Georgia has made his presence felt from the first day. Before the pads even came on, Stackhouse was consistently disrupting the line of scrimmage, clogging up running lanes, and getting after the quarterback. The rookie defensive linemen is off to an outstanding start.

Nazir Stackhouse can PLAY! pic.twitter.com/0mtthKVnnT

— Andy Herman (@AndyHermanNFL) July 31, 2025

In college, Stackhouse was given the nickname “Big Sleepy” because he was always falling asleep, even during games at times. Bill Huber of Sports Illustrated wrote an excellent piece sharing the history of the nickname. Long story short, Stackhouse was diagnosed with narcolepsy and sleep apnea while he was at Georgia. The prescribed medication at the time brought its share of issues. The Packers have switched up his medication, and Stackhouse is thriving. He’s more alert and awake, and it’s showing on the field. 

Stackhouse is different from most undrafted free agents. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein projected Stackhouse to be drafted in either the fifth or sixth round. He ultimately went undrafted, but the Packers gave Stackhouse $150,000 of guaranteed money to sign with the team after the draft. That’s more than any other undrafted free agent, and even more guaranteed money than some later-round draft picks get. He also joins a position group looking to bolster their depth.

Like Brinson, his Georgia teammate, Stackhouse has put himself in a great position. Every day, he seems to be making another play. Last Sunday, he blew up two consecutive running plays. On Monday, he ate up enough blocks to free up the linebackers. On Tuesday, he had multiple would-be sacks. His performance has his coaches taking note. LaFleur recently shared that Stackhouse has earned more opportunities. Later that day, he was taking snaps with the first-team defense. If Stackhouse can continue to build on his strong start, he’s not only going to make the 53-man roster, he’s going to carve out a consistent role once the regular season comes around.

Grade: A

Sam Brown Jr.

The Packers' wide receiver room is deep and loaded. Five guys are already locks to make the team. There are three more who have spent time on a 53-man roster before. And then there’s Sam Brown Jr. Most fans probably haven’t heard Brown Jr.’s name before, but he’s making a name for himself in training camp. The rookie wideout, who played his college ball at West Virginia and Houston, has been making his presence felt.

“Another practice, another great catch by Sam Brown Jr. Skied to snag it and made sure his body landed in bounds as he falls to the ground. Kid just keeps making plays,” per Aaron Nagler of Cheesehead TV. Later on, Brown Jr. made two impressive catches to conclude practice. One for a touchdown, the other to convert a two-point conversion. These plays from Brown Jr. not only excited the fans, but they also had the entire team celebrating around him after practice.

The reality is, there really isn’t a path for Brown Jr. to make the 53-man roster. There are just too many guys ahead of him on the depth chart. He also isn’t helping his cause by missing the last couple of practices with an ankle injury. But don’t write him off yet. Brown Jr. might not make the final roster, but if he can get back to practicing and continue flashing his potential, he will be a great candidate for the practice squad.

Grade: B