The Green Bay Packers are officially back on the practice field as Organized Team Activities (OTAs) began Monday in Green Bay, marking the first meaningful on-field step toward the 2026 season.
The practices may not feature pads or full contact, yet they provide the first real questions and clues about position battles, player development and offseason priorities. For a Packers team hoping to bounce back defensively and contend in the NFC, the Packers OTAs will come with several major looming questions this season.
Packers OTAs: 4 Major Questions Coming into 2026
1. Which Rookie Makes an Early Impression?
Every year, there is at least one rookie who becomes the buzz of offseason practices. Sometimes those expectations prove accurate, but sometimes they fade by August. Either way, first impressions matter.
The obvious name is second-round pick Brandon Cisse because of both his draft status and positional need. If he looks comfortable against Green Bay’s receivers during OTAs, excitement will build quickly for him. However, he is not the only rookie worth watching this summer.
Third-round defensive lineman Chris McClellan could push for snaps quickly, especially with Green Bay looking to strengthen its defensive front this year. Also, edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton also enters a favorable situation given the uncertainty surrounding the pass-rush rotation early in the year with Micah Parson’s injury.
Domani Jackson, the corner from Alabama may be the most fascinating developmental player of the group. The tools are there. The consistency has not been. But, sometimes rookies simply need confidence and coaching. OTAs will often provide the first signs of who is adjusting quickly and who may need more time this year.
2. How Are Injured Players Progressing?
No OTA storyline may matter more long term than health. The Packers enter 2026 with multiple players recovering from significant injuries, and while OTA participation will likely remain limited for them, even small updates can reveal meaningful information.
Parsons naturally headlines the group. Green Bay knows what kind of player he is when he is healthy, but watching his movement and rehab progression matters. If he looks ahead of schedule, fan optimism surrounding the defense will grow quickly this year.
One important name to monitor is tight end Tucker Kraft. Green Bay’s offense looks very different when he is healthy, and reports have suggested he could be slightly ahead of schedule. Zach Tom’s recovery will matter tremendously, too. Few players are more important to the offense than the veteran tackle, and any signs of progress would be welcome news.
On defense, Devonte Wyatt’s return also looms large after injury issues slowed him down. No one expects full workloads this early in the offseason. Still, even small updates on movement, conditioning, and participation levels could tell us plenty about Green Bay’s readiness for 2026.
3. Who Emerges Opposite of Lukas Van Ness at Edge Rusher?
The Packers invested heavily in the pass rush this offseason, but one major question hangs over the room: who helps carry the load until Parsons returns? Parsons is still working his way back from a torn ACL and is expected to miss at least the first few games of the season. That means meaningful snaps are available immediately, making this one of the most important competitions of the summer.
And it all starts with former first rounder Lukas Van Ness. After exercising his fifth-year option this year, Green Bay made its belief in the former first-round pick crystal clear. They still see enormous upside in him, and coaches have repeatedly spoken about his physical gifts and potential. But entering Year 4, “potential” has to begin translating into consistent production.
Beyond Van Ness, the battle becomes fascinating. Barryn Sorrell could be one of the most important players on the roster early in the year. The former fourth-round pick played sparingly as a rookie, but he ended the season on a strong note and now enters his first full NFL offseason focused solely on football development rather than draft preparation.
Brenton Cox Jr. remains an intriguing wild card. Injuries limited him significantly last season, but when healthy, he has shown flashes of disruptive pass-rush ability. Then there is defensive lineman Collin Oliver, who almost feels forgotten after injuries disrupted nearly his entire rookie season. Oliver may actually benefit from Gannon’s scheme more than anyone in the room. His athleticism, explosiveness, and ability to move in space make him an interesting chess piece as both a pass rusher and coverage defender.
Without Parsons available early, this competition carries far more importance than a typical OTA storyline. Someone will need to step up.
4. What Will the Cornerback Rotation Look Like?
No position is highlighted or circled more for Green Bay than cornerback. The Packers spent much of 2025 searching for answers on the perimeter, and often struggling to find consistency. Brian Gutekunst clearly recognized the glaring issue this offseason, responding with a major overhaul at the position.
While Keisean Nixon appears locked into one starting role, nearly everything else feels up for grabs for the corner room. The first name to highlight would be the free-agent addition of Benjamin St-Juste. At 6-foot-3, he brings rare size to the position and comes off a strong season in coverage. If he looks comfortable in defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s system early, Green Bay may have found an immediate contributor.
Then there is Cisse, arguably the most important rookie defender on the roster. Second-round corners are usually expected to play early, especially at a position of need. How quickly Cisse climbs the depth chart will be one of the biggest stories of the summer.
Domani Jackson also adds intrigue. Once viewed as a potential first-round talent, the Alabama product slipped to the sixth round after an inconsistent final college season. Meanwhile, Carrington Valentine enters a critical offseason. After starting much of last season, inconsistency and tackling struggles have left his role uncertain.
OTAs Will Set the Tone
It is easy to dismiss OTAs because football in shorts rarely tells the full story. And that is fair.
Still, it offer an important first look at several key questions and problems surrounding this roster. The corner room feels wide open, edge rusher battles suddenly matter more without Parsons, rookies will begin making impressions, and injured stars are trying to work their way back. Training camp will ultimately determine jobs. But the groundwork starts now.
