Today marks another important milestone for the Green Bay Packers as they prepare for the 2026 season. Rookie minicamp opens today, giving the Packers’ six draft picks, reported undrafted free agents and numerous draft invitees their first chance to impress the team’s coaching staff and front office.
Because teams have more players on their 90-man rosters before the draft, the number of rookies under contract during training camp this year will be smaller than usual. That means there will likely be more players on trial this season than usual, and we’ll be bringing you the rookie minicamp roster as soon as this afternoon.
advertise
Nonetheless, this two-day event serves multiple purposes. For the draft picks, this is their first chance to start acclimating to the Packers facility knowing they will be around for the foreseeable future. For UDFA signings, they will sign a contract and then have the opportunity to state early that they deserve serious consideration for the 53-man roster during the season. For draft players, it’s even simpler: have a few good games and show you belong on the 90-man roster.
The Packers may end up adding a few trial players to the roster, but they’ll need to make room for them. We’ll see if that turns out to be the case – teams have discovered some good players this way before (see Patrick, Lucas as recent examples). For a quick recap of who we already know will be signing as UDFAs or participating as draftees, check out our UDFA tracker here , and then head back to the APC this afternoon for the full training camp roster.
Packers Jam: Raw Desserts | Packers.com
Mike and Wes of the Packers’ official website discuss the entire draft class now that there have been a few days to work on the picks.
Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst was smart to retain his ’27 draft pick | Packersnews.com
The Packers should get 11 picks next year unless they use any picks between now and then to acquire players or add more picks via trade. That’s not a bad thing for a class that’s expected to be better than the 2026 class.
advertise
Packers could pester Matt LaFleur’s brother to address need in draft SI.com
Still, maybe sending a late-round pick to address a position of need is a good idea. Maybe another LaFleur now has a surplus of veteran running backs and is willing to let one go? The Cardinals drafted Jeremiah Love with the third overall pick and signed Tyler Algier in the offseason, while already having James Conner and Trey Benson on the roster.
NFL fifth-year option tracker: 2023 first-round draft picks | ESPN
As expected, the Packers picked up Lucas Van Ness’ option on Thursday. As of this morning, only eight of the 31 players with 2023 first-round picks have yet to be drafted.
What Draft Experts Say About Packers UDFA Offensive Lineman Josh Gesky Packing Line
Gesky is one of the UDFAs expected to sign his contract today and will look to make a good first impression on the field this weekend.
Report: Calais Campbell returns to Ravens for 19th NFL season | NFL.com
Especially with the addition of Chris McClellan, Campbell doesn’t really make sense for the Packers since he doesn’t play tackle. DJ Reader is truly the one remaining free agent defensive tackle who could be a clear upgrade to any role on the line.
Dave Bautista discovers Loch Ness Monster in Scottish Highlands The Independent
Celebrities, they’re just like us!
