Looking beyond the team's premier players, here are eight Green Bay Packers who might have helped their chances on Saturday.
QB Tim Boyle: Boyle has everything you’d ever want in a quarterback, with a strong arm, intelligence and good-enough movement. He has experience, too, as he enters his third year in the NFL and second year in coach Matt LaFleur’s offense. He clearly isn’t going to sit by and watch first-round pick Jordan Love take over the No. 2 gig. Boyle looked as confident as ever as he delivered one quality pass after another on Saturday, including a bomb to Marquez Valdes-Scantling early in practice. Based on rep counts, he’s the clear No. 2 behind Aaron Rodgers.
QB Jordan Love: Love didn’t make any “wow” plays but it was pretty easy to see the potential that had general manager Brian Gutekunst trade up in the first round to select him in April’s draft. Pocket presence is the secret sauce to quarterbacking. While it can be trained to some extent, scouts generally believe a player has it or he doesn’t. One play that stood out was Love feeling the pressure coming from behind him, stepping up, escaping right and floating a pass to Darrius Shepherd. While it was a tad underthrown and knocked away by rookie corner Stanford Samuels, everything leading up to the throw showed Love’s promise.
“I’m pleased at how he attacks it on a daily basis,” LaFleur said afterward. “I think he’s a really intelligent kid and he’s very athletic, so I think it’s a matter of time before he can pick up mechanics. Our challenge to him each and every day is you’ve got to get that 1 percent better.”
RB AJ Dillon: Based on the scale, there are some similarities between Dillon and Eddie Lacy. Based on the eye test, there are no similarities at all. Dillon’s 247 pounds look like they are formed of redwoods and reinforced concrete. It was a nonpadded practice and perhaps means nothing, but it was eye-opening to see the second-round pick push defensive lineman Kingsley Keke 3 yards into the end zone during a red-zone drill. He’s got vision and acceleration, too. Lacy had vision and acceleration, too. Plus, he could pass protect and catch. Time will tell if Dillon has a similarly well-rounded skill-set.
TE Josiah Deguara: The third-round pick will be a work in progress. It took him four reps to get through a blocking drill to tight end coach Justin Outten’s liking. But based on the multitude of positions where he aligned, it seems clear the coaches want him on the field ASAP.
WR Reggie Begelton: Begelton caught 102 passes last season in Canada. Sure, it’s Canada, but 102 catches is 102 catches. He carved up the secondary on a few occasions on Saturday, including a touchdown catch from Boyle. At 6-foot and 200 pounds, he’s a bit short but he’s definitely not small. LaFleur’s offense might not need a true slot receiver but he probably wouldn’t pass one up, either.
ILB Christian Kirksey: You know Kirksey’s story of two seasons of stellar play followed by two years of injuries. It’s hard to judge linebackers when they’re not actually getting blocked but his nose for the football and quickness to get there were obvious.
“It felt good for me, especially seeing how last year went for me as far as not being able to play a lot in the season. It felt good to actually be out there and ball,” Kirksey said after practice.
OLB Randy Ramsey: It wouldn’t have been a surprise had Ramsey made the team last year as an undrafted free agent out of Arkansas. He spent his rookie year on the practice squad, often emulating the opponents’ best pass rusher. On Saturday, he showed his wheels by running stride for stride with a running back and breaking up a pass in the end zone.
DB Chandon Sullivan: As expected, Sullivan lined up as the No. 1 slot between corners Jaire Alexander and Kevin King. Sullivan was excellent in relatively limited action last season and got off to a strong start to camp. He was beaten a bit by receiver Allen Lazard but recovered to knock the ball loose for either an incompletion or forced fumble. Generally, he spent the day as his man’s shadow.
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