Packers Rumors: Latest Buzz, Players to Watch at Mandatory Minicamp

There's only one more day of OTAs left on the Green Bay Packers' offseason schedule. Next up is mandatory minicamp, where attendance shifts from voluntary to obligatory.

Over the past three years, most of the Packers' focus in the offseason has revolved around Aaron Rodgers. This year, Jordan Love entered OTAs as the team's unquestioned starting quarterback.

With a veteran like Rodgers at the helm, there was so much built-in chemistry and familiarity that OTAs became a relative formality. The Packers don't have that this year.

Let's take a look at the latest buzz and players to watch ahead of mandatory minicamp.

Luke Musgrave Impressing Early

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ASHWAUBENON, WISCONSIN - MAY 31: Luke Musgrave #88 of the Green Bay Packers participates in an OTA practice session at Don Hutson Center on May 31, 2023 in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

A big tight end can become a young quarterback's best friend. It's early, but it sure sounds like Luke Musgrave might become a favorite of Love's early on.

After making the obligatory caveats about the difficulty of drawing conclusions from OTAs, Packers beat writer Andy Herman had high praise for the rookie. He tweeted that Musgrave "looks fantastic today. Quick, soft hands, body control, over the shoulder catch deep down the field. He's been as advertised."

He wasn't the only one showing Musgrave some love. Head coach Matt LaFleur didn't hesitate to tell reporters that the 6'6", 253-pounder is "different."

Musgrave is already taking first-team reps, which shouldn't come as a surprise. The Packers let Robert Tonyan walk in free agency, and Josiah Deguara is not a traditional in-line tight end.

That leaves rookies Tucker Kraft and Musgrave as the primary options to play tight end.

Musgrave played only two games last season because of a knee injury, so it's a great sign for the Packers that he's already playing this well.

Lukas Van Ness Drawing Rave Reviews

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ASHWAUBENON, WISCONSIN - MAY 31: Lukas Van Ness #90 of the Green Bay Packers participates in an OTA practice session at Don Hutson Center on May 31, 2023 in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

It's one thing for coaches to offer praise for a rookie. It's another for a veteran to notice the efforts of a first-year player.

So when Kenny Clark goes on and on about what Lukas Van Ness has shown in OTAs, it's a noteworthy development.

"He's going to be great for us," Clark said about the Packers' first-round pick, per Paul Bretl of Packers Wire. "He's going to be versatile, play a lot of different spots. He's big and strong, so I think he can play inside, playing the 5 (tech), playing the 3 (tech) inside, and pass rush."

Van Ness' versatility is going to help right away. The Packers have their two primary edge-rushers in Rashan Gary and Preston Smith. The Iowa alum might eventually replace Smith as he gets deeper into his rookie contract.

For now, he's a great chess piece on the defensive front who can play multiple alignments, as Clark noted.

It's an encouraging sign that Clark is seeing what the front office saw when they drafted him. With Dean Lowry and Jarran Reed both leaving this offseason, the Packers need some help on the interior and depth on the outside.

Van Ness is on his way to delivering both.

Love Up and Down Throughout OTAs

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ASHWAUBENON, WISCONSIN - MAY 31: Jordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers participates in an OTA practice session at Don Hutson Center on May 31, 2023 in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Jordan Love is easily the most intriguing player for the Packers this year. Green Bay has been fortunate to roll right from Brett Favre to Aaron Rodgers, and it can only hope that Love keeps the string of franchise quarterbacks going.

We have little evidence to judge Love one way or the other. He's had only 83 regular-season pass attempts and made one only one start as a rookie.

OTAs haven't really told us much either.

There have been a lot of positives. Wide receiver Romeo Doubs told Dennis Krause of Spectrum 1 News that he doesn't see a "big difference" between Rodgers and Love. Head coach Matt LaFleur said Love made some "significant strides" during OTAs.

Then there are reminders that Love is far from a finished product. Matt Schneidman of The Athletic noted Love made a critical error during a two-minute drill when he threw a late pass into the middle of the defense that safety Tarvarius Moore intercepted.

The various reports are likely to be a microcosm of the season. In some ways, Love has had the time to prepare to be an NFL quarterback. In others, he's essentially a rookie, getting thrown into the fire for the first time.

For now, the positive reports should be the focus. It's clear that Love is still working on some things, but he has shown the upside that caused the Packers to take him with a first-round pick back in 2020.