Expectations for MarShawn Lloyd, Packers' Top Rookies in Preseason

The Green Bay Packers have officially kicked off training camp at Nitschke Field. Now it won't be long until they are taking on the Houston Texans on August 9 to start their three-game preseason schedule.

The preseason might not mean a whole lot in terms of the final scores. It does, however, hold importance for those who are fighting for a role on the team or to simply make the roster. To some extent, that's true of every single rookie on the Packers roster.

Outside of a few notable signings the Packers were relatively quiet in free agency. They will mostly rely on their ability to draft and develop for improvement from last year's squad.

The preseason will represent the first chance to see many of the 11 players they drafted back in April.

Here's what to expect from three of the biggest names they added.

OL Jordan Morgan

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GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - MAY 03: Jordan Morgan #77 of the Green Bay Packers participates in drills during the rookie minicamp at Ray Nitschke Field on May 03, 2024 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

As the team's first-round pick, Jordan Morgan is going to have some pressure to get on the field sooner rather than later. But his status as a first-round pick isn't going to guarantee him a spot in the starting five. He'll need to prove something throughout camp and the preseason.

Morgan played left tackle at Arizona. He's been adamant that it's a position he can continue to play in the pros. However, he took reps filling in for Zach Tom at right tackle during OTAs and also slid inside to play some guard while Elgoton Jenkins was out.

In reality, Morgan should be considered for left tackle and right guard. Rasheed Walker will be the other candidate at left tackle and Sean Rhyan could be the right guard. The Packers have a history of rolling with their best five without boxing in a player at a specific position.

B/R offensive line scout Brandon Thorn was among those who believe it would be optimal to move Morgan inside to guard.

"Morgan has the frame, build, play strength and physicality to make a smooth transition inside to guard, with the initial quickness and burst to be a high-quality run-blocker. His questionable range and middling redirect skills will be difficult to overcome on an island against NFL edge-rushers, but he could make it work inside a run-first, play-action-based scheme that limits those exposures," he wrote ahead of the draft.

It wouldn't be surprising to see Morgan get a crack at both in preseason action. However, his reps at tackle could be a mixed bag depending on how often they put him on an island in pass-blocking situations.

LB Edgerrin Cooper

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Edgerrin Cooper

The Green Bay Packers have traditionally used first-round picks on defensive players, giving them a starter in most drafts. This year, the Packers went with an offensive player but they probably still wound up getting an early starter with linebacker Edgerrin Cooper.

Cooper was the No. 1 off-ball linebacker on our Bleacher Report's final big board. He was also given the "Best in Coverage" superlative.

With Jeff Hafley taking over as the team's defensive coordinator and converting the unit to a 4-3 base, the Packers have a bigger need for off-ball linebackers. Cooper should fit right into the system.

Half the battle with linebackers is getting them to understand a system and their reads to the point where they don't think. Cooper already sounds like he's getting to that point before camp even started.

"I feel like especially this last week, week and a half, I was able to actually relax in my head," Cooper said during minicamp, per the team's website. "I'm starting to pick it up. So right now it's just, you know, playing ball. It feels good to where I don't have to think as much and just do what I do."

Expect Cooper to stand out in the preseason and make some plays in coverage that show why he'll be a starter early in the season.

RB MarShawn Lloyd

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MarShawn Lloyd

The Packers have rebuilt their offense around Jordan Love and a whole lot of young, emerging talents. There are questions about who will take the biggest roles in the receiving corps, but they have to feel good about the future with Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks.

The Packers also did some work on their running back room. Aaron Jones is gone. The club parted ways with him shortly after signing Josh Jacobs. They handed the 26-year-old a four-year, $48 million contract.

While he's going to command a big share of the offense, it would be wise for the Packers to still take a two-man approach. AJ Dillon has commanded that role over the last few seasons, but he's facing serious competition in the form of third-round pick MarShawn Lloyd.

The Packers only retained Dillon with a modest one-year contract while they used a Day 2 pick on Lloyd. That makes them a little more invested in the rookie and he could use the preseason games to prove that he's deserving of the secondary role.

B/R scout Derrik Klassen was high on Lloyd's explosiveness and big play ability while acknowledging that there could be some untapped potential in the passing game.

"On passing downs, Lloyd is kind of a mystery box. He showed unbelievable explosive potential on screens and flashed solid pass-catching traits otherwise, but he was rarely thrown the ball at USC."

If he can show the abiltiy to pass protect and make things happen as a receiver he could pass Dillon during the preseason.