Omar Brown is interception machine and other takeaways from the Packers’ Family Night practice
GREEN BAY - Following are some takeaways from the Green Bay Packers’ Family Night practice at Lambeau Field on Saturday, Aug. 2, their ninth practice of training camp:
First-year safety Omar Brown drawing notice in camp
Omar Brown was the undeniable standout of Family Night.
The first-year safety, who spent all of his rookie season last year on the Packers’ practice squad, had three interceptions in team periods. That’s on top of the two interceptions he had earlier in camp.
Brown’s five interceptions leads the team, with cornerback Carrington Valentine second with four.
“To see him go out there and ball like he did tonight, that just speaks to the work he’s done throughout the course of this camp,” safety Xavier McKinney said of Brown. “You saw the results tonight of what he can do.”
Brown’s first interception came on a third-down play in a red-zone period when backup quarterback Malik Willis threw late over the middle in the end zone to receiver Julian Hicks with three defenders around him.
The second was on a deep out route to Hicks on a third down when the offense started a possession backed up on its 2. And the third was against No. 4 quarterback Taylor Elgersma on another late throw to Hicks.
Brown faces a tough road to make the Packers’ roster with five safeties ahead of him: McKinney, Evan Williams, Javan Bullard, Zayne Anderson and Kitan Oladapo.
But there’s an unexpected player or two who makes the 53-man roster most years. And if Brown doesn’t, he’ll be a prime candidate for the practice squad or to get claimed by another team if he produces in preseason games like he has in camp.
The Packers signed him to their practice squad last year after Denver released him at the cutdown to 53. They elevated Brown from the practice squad to the 53 three times last season, and he played in two games.
“Tonight I told him after his third one, I said, ‘Stay consistent, stay focused, because as you make those plays everybody is patting you on the back, but you’re still trying to make the team,’” McKinney said. “Tonight really separated him for making that statement of making the 53-man.”
Said Willis: “He's got a feel in camp, he’s been making great plays on the ball. He’s got really good ball skills, and he’s making sure he’s in the right spot to make a play. He's not taking himself out of the play with his drop being super deep, but he’s not playing super shallow so he can still play the vertical routes. It's awesome to see him grow, he’s just a hell of a player in comparison to last year.”
Quarterback Malik Willis has a rough night
The flip side of Brown’s big night was Willis’ tough night as a passer.
Willis threw three interceptions — the two by Brown and another that slot cornerback Kalen King picked off.
The King interception came on an out route to Hicks. Willis’ first read on the play was covered, so he moved onto his second read but threw to Hicks a little late. King jumped the route and made the pick.
On the interception in the end zone, Hicks had three defenders around him and wasn’t close to being open. Willis said he didn’t see Brown on the play.
“The other two more than anything were really good plays by the defensive backs, I give a lot of credit to those guys,” Willis said. “Maybe I check it down. I felt like I gave (the receivers) a chance, and (the defense) made a play on it. That's a part of the game. Half the time the receiver makes that play, and half the time the DB makes it. I could just pull it down and run or check it down.”
One of Willis’ greatest assets is his running ability, but he said he’s consciously been avoiding bolting the pocket when pressured in practice so he can work on reading defenses.
“I just want to get those reps because it’s easier in a game, you’re just reacting and it’s more instinctual,” Willis said. “Probably going to see on film, I think they told me Kalen was squatting on the out route, and on the other one Omar just made a great play. The first one I didn’t even see him.”
Injury update
New out: RB Emanuel Wilson (knee, dropped out of practice Aug. 1), TE Tucker Kraft (groin).
Out: WR Dontayvion Wicks (calf), WR Sam Brown Jr. (ankle), CB Nate Hobbs (knee), RB MarShawn Lloyd (groin), CB Kamal Hadden (hip), DE Arron Mosby (groin), T Rasheed Walker (groin), OL Travis Glover (shoulder).
PUP: WR Christian Watson (knee), DE Collin Oliver (hamstring), OL John Williams (back).
Practice tidbits
∎ Jordan Morgan had two strong reps at left tackle against Lukas Van Ness in one-on-one pass-rushing drills, and a decisive win against Kingsley Enagbare on his third and final rep. But then early in the team portion of practice he gave up a likely sack of Jordan Love to Van Ness on a bull rush.
With starter Walker (groin injury) not practicing, Morgan was the left tackle with the starting offense all practice.
“Team periods, there’s a lot of things that go into that,” Morgan said of the sack he gave up to Van Ness. “I'm thinking about (stunts) and twists and picks. I'm setting up out there cautiously, and I gave up too much ground on that.”
Said LaFleur of Morgan: “There’s been a lot of good moments, and then there’s been some moments we have to clean up. It’s like that for a lot of players, young players. He played six games last year, and this has been primarily (at guard), so to get him outside at left tackle, there’s going to be some hard lessons along the way. But I love how he’s attacked this thing.”
∎ Kicker Brandon McManus went 8-for-8 on kicks, which makes him 36-for-37 in camp. His longest make on Family Night was from 54 yards. In the 2-minute period he made two kicks, from 29 and 51 yards.
“I don’t want to jinx anything here,” LaFleur said of McManus’ start. “I’d rather not say too much about him, but he’s been pretty consistent.”
∎ Second-round pick Anthony Belton had a tough night and fifth-rounder Barryn Sorrell a good one in one-on-one pass rushing.
Belton took seven reps, which is a lot for any one offensive lineman to take in the drill, and won only one or perhaps two.
Sorrell beat him decisively on back-to-back reps to start the period. Belton later had four competitive reps with Brenton Cox Jr., with Cox winning two, Belton one and the fourth probably too close to call.
∎ Rookie receiver Savion Williams has dropped out of the last few practices about halfway through team periods, and he did so again on Family Night. He was in concussion protocol earlier in camp but said he's been dropping out of practice as part of the plan in his recovery from offseason shoulder labrum surgery.
∎ Elgersma, the No. 4 quarterback, had one of his best throws of camp when he hit receiver Will Sheppard with a back-shoulder touchdown on third-and-goal from the 3 in the live tackling period that ended practice.
Quote of the day
Coach Matt LaFleur, on his approach to practice with the New York Jets coming to Green Bay next week for a joint practice and preseason game: “We’re going to grind them pretty good in regards to how we approach this next week with two pretty heavy practices sandwiched in-between two I would say lower, or pretty light practices.”
Practice schedule
There will be no public practices Aug. 3 and 4. The Packers’ next open practice is 10:30 a.m. Aug. 5.