Five Green Bay Packers That Had Stellar Training Camps

Training camp is over.

Preseason games are finished.

The Green Bay Packers must set their 53-man roster by Tuesday by Tuesday at 3 p.m., then all eyes will turn to their Week 1 matchup in Chicago.

Before looking ahead, though, here’s a look back at the five most pleasant surprises of the summer.

1. QB Sean Clifford

Green Bay took a lot of grief when it selected Clifford in the fifth round of April’s draft. And yes, Clifford still hasn’t proven anything in a regular season game.

When he’s tasked with that challenge, though, the Packers feel awfully good that Clifford can succeed.

Clifford finished the preseason 41-of-57 for 391 yards with one touchdown and two interceptions for an 81.8 passer rating. He convincingly won the job to be Jordan Love’s backup.

Clifford showed command of the offense, enough arm strength to make the necessary throws and surprising athleticism throughout the summer.

“Probably halfway through OTAs, I started to feel like I can make all the throws that are necessary to be in this league,” Clifford said. “And then I would say, probably the second week of this camp, I started to really feel comfortable in and out of the huddle.

“That’s probably when I was like, ‘OK, now I’m feeling pretty good.’ And then the culmination of that was the Bengals game (in the preseason opener). Once I played in that, I felt like, if I eliminate the turnovers, I can do some things in this league.”

2. CB Carrington Valentine

The Packers took a flyer on Valentine in the seventh round of April’s draft in large part due to his 40-yard dash time of 4.44 seconds.

Throughout the summer, Valentine showed he’s more than just a speed merchant. He’s also smart, instinctive and mature for being just 21.

Aside from a rough outing in the second preseason game, Valentine shined throughout camp. He made plays on a daily basis in practice, and followed that up with a team-high six passes defensed and an interception during preseason games.

Valentine is a virtual lock to make the 53-man roster and should be able to find his way onto the field.

“I think he’s a guy that obviously has a lot of talent and I think he’s approached it the right way,” Packers coach Matt LaFleur said of Valentine. “He’s getting a lot of opportunities … and he’s taken full advantage of those.”

3. OL Zach Tom

When camp began, Tom was in a battle with Yosh Nijman to win a starting job at right tackle. Not only did Tom win that going away, he proved he could develop into an elite starter in this league.

Tom has the versatility to play anywhere on the line — and did so at times throughout camp. But when given the chance to spread his wings at right tackle, he excelled.

“Obviously, it would be nice if I could play one position,” Tom said. “I’m not going to complain. They trust me at multiple positions so I’ve got to go out there and continue to earn that trust. That’s the way I see it.”

4. WR Malik Heath

Heath, an undrafted rookie from Mississippi State, wasn’t on the radar when camp began. He kept climbing the ladder, though, and looks like the frontrunner to be Green Bay’s No. 4 receiver in Week 1.

Heath led the Packers by a wide margin during preseason games with 12 receptions for 146 yards. He worked with the No. 1 and 2 offense — even getting a start Saturday — and excelled against whoever he faced.

“Getting in with the ones, it was mind-blowing coming from undrafted,” Heath said Saturday. “Getting in with the ones, starting with the ones, that’s how you know I did a lot of great stuff and I stayed down. I stayed humble.”

Now, he’ll have to prove it against starting defenses that will gameplan for him.

5. QB Jordan Love

While the Packers’ new starting quarterback had his share of highs and lows, there was far more good than bad — particularly in game action.

Love finished the preseason 21-of-33 for 193 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for a passer rating of 109.8.

He was poised throughout the summer, showed total command of LaFleur’s offense and seems more than ready to replace the departed Aaron Rodgers.

“I don’t think anything’s caught me by surprise,” Love said. “My main thing is just focusing day-by-day, just taking one day at a time. Don’t look too far ahead. Don’t be looking in the past. Just take it day-by-day and keep growing.”

JUST MISSED

TE Luke Musgrave, NT T.J. Slaton, OLB Kingsley Enagbare, WR Jayden Reed, LB Isaiah McDuffie