GREEN BAY – NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, in town to celebrate Green Bay being awarded the 2025 NFL Draft, attended Monday's indoor practice after rain pushed the team inside the Don Hutson Center.
Here are five things we learned:
1. Goodell can't think of a better location for the NFL Draft than Green Bay.
Speaking during a ceremony before practice, Goodell praised President/CEO Mark Murphy and his team for all the exhaustive work the Packers did to bring the 2025 NFL Draft to Green Bay.
Goodell mentioned Murphy was one of the first to reach out and say Green Bay wants to host the draft after the NFL announced in 2015 that the league was going to move the event around to different NFL markets after a 50-year residency in New York.
While thanking Murphy for his contributions, Goodell added "there's no one who's been a greater of support of this community and all it can do" than the Packers' chief executive.
Green Bay will be the 14th city to host the NFL Draft. It's the first time the event has been held in the state of Wisconsin since the 1940 NFL Draft took place in Milwaukee.
"You have a long history in the draft," Goodell said. "In 2025, it'll actually be our 90th draft, so I can't think of a better place than to do that in what is really the heart of football."
Goodell and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers were scheduled to ride bikes down to practice Monday, but that plan was shelved due to the weather.
Both still attended practice with many local and state officials. Goodell also shared a hug and quick conversation with two-time All-Pro cornerback Jaire Alexander, whom the commissioner welcomed into the NFL as the 18th overall pick in 2018.
"It's definitely exciting seeing him around here, and having an event like that in Green Bay is going to be cool," receiver Christian Watson. "It's going to be busy in Green Bay during that time, but I'm excited for it."
2. Carrington Valentine knows picks get you paid in the NFL.
The rookie seventh-rounder once again made the play of the day when he intercepted quarterback Jordan Love during the final move-the-ball period.
Facing first-and-10 from the defense's 31, Love tried to sneak a pass to Romeo Doubs on an out route, but Valentine jumped it for what might've been a pick-six.
"I just saw the release of the route," Valentine said. "And when he broke out, I took my eyes there and my eye progression and I just went and broke on the route … I wouldn't say I knew it was coming but I had a hunch."
The 6-foot, 194-pound cornerback has put together an impressive training camp, highlighted by his three passes defensed and interception during the Packers' 36-19 preseason win in his hometown of Cincinnati last Friday.
Valentine had 16 pass breakups during his 35 games at Kentucky but just one interception during his college career. As well as Valentine has played early on, stringing together a few takeaways has been validating in camp.
"Picks get you paid here," Valentine said. "PBUs in college can take you far but picks are the thing, and that's the standard and that's my standard. PBUs are great but picks are amazing."
3. Anders Carlson is looking to perfect his tempo.
The rookie sixth-round pick's prodigious leg strength has come as advertised so far in camp, as Carlson drilled a 51-yard field goal to end a situational period during Monday's practice.
However, Carlson also had two missed extra points wide right in Cincinnati and another Monday. He then rebounded after that Monday miss for makes from 41 and 44.
Carlson said it was helpful that the misses have been to the right instead of both sides, suggesting it's more of a technical issue. Still confident, Carlson feels like he need to "go back to my tempo and maybe go a little slower."
"You're either winning or you're learning. That's how I take it," Carlson said. "I have days that I like, days that I don't like so it's just not freaking out and taking it one day at a time."
4. Matt LaFleur excited to learn from "arguably the best to ever do it."
It's one down, one to go for the Packers on the joint-practice front.
This week, legendary coach Bill Belichick will bring his New England Patriots to Green Bay for two practices with the Packers on Wednesday and Thursday.
LaFleur said he's already had "a couple back-and-forth" conversations with Belichick about this week's schedule and expects pretty smooth practices.
It's the fourth time the Packers have hosted another team for a joint practice under LaFleur after welcoming the New Orleans Saints last summer, the New York Jets in 2021, and the Houston Texans in 2019.
"He's arguably the best to ever do it, so I thought it would be in our best interest to try to learn a few things from him," said LaFleur of Belichick. "I've always admired how their team has played, having gone against him many times. Specifically on the defensive side of the ball, I thought they did a really good job of attacking the football, probably as good as anybody we played last year."
5. Rookie Anthony Johnson Jr. is getting more opportunities.
In their continuous search for a starting safety, the Packers have given the rookie Johnson some looks on the back end with the No. 1 defense the past two days.
LaFleur was very complimentary of the former Iowa State standout, who switched to safety during his fifth and final season in Ames before being drafted by the Packers in the seventh round, though there still was one dropped INT to learn from coming out of Saturday's game.
"I think he's done a great job. You can certainly see his speed, his athleticism," LaFleur said. "He made plays on (special) teams, which is absolutely critical. Outside of the dropped interception, I thought he played pretty well. He's got to make that play, he knows it, we know it. Those opps are few and far between. But I think he's done a great job. He loves football."
