What to take away from Packers rookie minicamp

The Packers held rookie minicamp last week, and not all the information gleaned from the two-day program actually matters.

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A full week has passed since the Green Bay Packers made their final pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, yet the team still has much to discover about the new blood. Last week's rookie minicamp provided the first look at the new charges, giving them their first taste of life in the pros.

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A week has passed since the conclusion of the 2022 NFL Draft. How do you feel about the Packers' class now that the dust has settled?

Jason B. Hirschhorn: The questions raised by the Packers during the draft remain front and center, particularly the decision to take an off-ball linebacker with the No. 22 overall pick rather than use it for a more understandable purpose. Even the trade to move up for North Dakota State wide receiver Christian Watson still seems odd even if the player makes sense for Green Bay.

But the rest of the Packers' draft seems well handled, at least from a process standpoint. Landing Sean Rhyan and Zach Tom in the middle rounds should yield at least one starter with positional versatility, and the selection of Romeo Doubs has as much upside as any Day 3 pick Brian Gutekunst has made at the skill positions. Whereas Green Bay will depend on Watson developing into a true X receiver over time, Doubs could realistically establish himself as the team's Z early in his career for a fraction of the price.

Considered in all, the Packers addressed their biggest 2022 needs and some of their future needs without forcing any big swings outside the first 34 picks. They might not have addressed safety in a meaningful way — Tariq Carpenter looks more like a sub-package linebacker regardless of his official position — and tight end looks barren after this season, but those seem like minor complaints given everything else Gutekusnt and company accomplished.

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Peter Bukowski: I still like Rounds 2-7 just as much, if not more than I did a week ago, but I am even more confused about what happened at the top of the draft. When the Packers had to give up more draft capital to the Vikings for Christian Watson at 34 than the Lions had to give up for Jameson Williams at 12, there are some questions of process.

This, because the team had to take a linebacker instead, creates logical problems for my brain. That being said, I’m also even more convinced the receivers make sense for this team, which is separate from the value conversation. Watson and Romeo Doubs fit this receiver room beautifully. In a year, Green Bay will have two field-stretching outside receivers, each able to play in the slot as well, to go along with a true slot and a coach-proclaimed “goon” receiver who will work the sidelines and block his butt off.

The geometry of this offense fits and this receiver room may lack that alpha WR1, but it’s a deep, talented class, particularly if Amari Rodgers can take a bit of a step forward in year 2.

Enter the danger zone: What useful information have you drawn from rookie minicamp?

JBH: How an individual player performs at rookie minicamp means next to nothing, a point driven home by Packers head coach Matt LaFleur.

"I think just as one practice, you've got to string these together," LaFleur said Saturday. "It's first glimpse. And like I told you guys yesterday, we're all excited about — you can see the talent on a lot of these guys. But, you know, it's a process, and I think that time will tell in terms of how good these guys will be."

But while assessing an individual's performance doesn't provide much insight, looking at how the coaches deploy him sometimes can. The Packers drafted several players in the middle and late rounds who can conceivably play multiple positions, and the first look at where they line up in the NFL can reveal where the team sees their value maximized.

Sean Rhyan, a third-round pick out of UCLA, saw his most extensive work at right tackle. He will also work along the interior during minicamp as well as future offseason workouts, but it doesn't seem like a coincidence that the Packers have already taken an extended look at him where the offensive line lacks an established starter (at least until Elgton Jenkins returns).

Meanwhile, fellow rookie O-lineman Zach Tom started out at center, one of the two positions he played extensively at Wake Forest. He too will move around during minicamp and beyond, but the Packers have expressed some early confidence in Tom at a highly cerebral position.

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PB: Christian Watson saved his career by moving to No. 9 from No. 82. That’s about as useful as it gets for me. Josh Jones was destined to be a Hall of Famer from rookie camp and Aaron Rodgers couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn with a cow pie.

Rookie camp is just to get guys up to speed. Particularly in a draft class heavy on front 7 players, we learn nearly nothing from seeing these guys in shorts even if Sean Rhyan’s were particularly short. I’m not buoyed by Quay Walker’s interception nor disappointed in Watson’s inconsistent hands. They’re there to learn.

Let’s talk in training camp … and maybe not even then.

Which Packers player is most on notice following the draft?

JBH: For all but a few receivers on the Packers' roster, the three draft picks spent at the position have to raise some alarm bells. Allen Lazard has a clear role in the offense and Randall Cobb has the backing of the quarterback (and a recently restructured deal that makes him expensive to cut). All the other returning wideouts now know they have to deliver something in order to stick around Green Bay for the regular season, albeit to varying degrees.

The terms of Sammy Watkins' contract make him easy to cut, though the Packers probably don't want to enter the season without a veteran deep threat. Similarly, Amari Rodgers won't receive a second de facto red-shirt season, but his status as a third-round pick will allow him to return so long as he shows some modicum of progress. Each still seems decently positioned despite the influx of receiver talent.

However, for the likes of Juwann Winfree, Malik Taylor, and the other wideouts on the roster fringe, the three draft picks look like a direct and immediate threat to their job security. Even if the Packers intend to stash an extra receiver or two on the practice squad come September, those incumbents have no guarantee that they can grab one of those spots. The upcoming training camp and preseason will not only determine if they remain in Green Bay but also potentially whether they can latch on with another team following final cuts.

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PB: Do you play an interior offensive line spot for the Packers? You’re on notice. Josh Myers comes in as a second-round pick from a year ago and Jon Runyan Jr. played well down the stretch for Green Bay, Adam Stenavich and Matt LaFleur proved they’ll cobble together the best group, no matter who that is. If that means Sean Rhyan and Zach Tom have to start in an unholy duo of double-first name players, then so be it.

Could Tom’s best position ultimately be center and are his movement skills significantly better than Myers? Yes. Are Rhyan and Tom each more physically gifted than the guys slotted into all three interior offensive line spots right now for the Packers? Also, yes. That doesn’t mean they’ll win the job or even deserve it, but Green Bay boasts terrific depth and talent at the offensive line, where there’s no such thing as too many good players.

Parting shots

PB: Teams have been wrong before, but am I crazy for thinking the Packers have to be high on Romeo Doubs to give him No. 87? Clay Matthews famously wondered how Green Bay could give away his number so soon after moving on from him.

Green Bay gave Jace Sternberger No. 87 after showing Jordy Nelson the door and that didn’t quite work out, but a team like the Packers doesn’t hand out that number lightly. Doubs wore 7 in college, but first-round pick Quay Walker probably got dibs on that one.

We have to believe 17 was out of the question, and Doubs mentioned James Jones was his mom’s favorite receiver (she’s a Packers fan), but Jones’ 89 is taken by Marcedes Lewis. Doubs sounded acutely aware of the expectations the number brings over the weekend when talking to media in the locker room.

The question is did the Packers give him the number for the same reason?