GREEN BAY – The Packers returned to Ray Nitschke Field on Sunday for their 10th public practice of training camp.
Here are five things we learned:
1. Tucker Kraft caught all five targets in return to 11-on-11.
The Packers' fourth-year tight end sure didn't look like a guy taking his first team reps in nine months, as Kraft was all over the field during the two-hour, 10-minute practice.
Of course, his biggest play was catching a 12-yard touchdown from Jordan Love off a slant during the final team period. After emphatically spiking the ball in the end zone, Kraft chest-bumped a half dozen offensive players in celebration.
"That tired me out," said Kraft, who then caught another pass on the very next play. "It was nice to get back to the 'Starfish.' That's what we call it. That's something I did a lot. Partying in the end zone, starfishes in the end zone. It was fun to get back."
It was another positive step in Kraft's road to recovery from the torn anterior cruciate ligament he suffered last November against Carolina.
The 6-foot-5, 259-pound tight end returned off the physically unable to perform list on July 31 but strictly did individual work prior to getting the green light to do 11-on-11 Sunday.
Asked about his plan moving forward, Kraft again reiterated he'd love to participate in next week's joint practice against Arizona but continues to trust his timeline for return.
"Like I've said since the beginning of training camp, they have a plan for me," Kraft said. "Week by week, they're gonna gradually increase my snap count depending on the full rep range of practice. So my job is just (to be) out there and answer when my number's called."
Kraft also was asked about his decision to be thrown back into 11-on-11 given the nature of his injury and the fact he's entering the final year of his rookie contract.
Kraft said "the goal" is to get an extension done by the start of the regular season but is leaving that in the hands of his agents, the Packers' front office and the good Lord above.
Meanwhile, Kraft is just happy to be playing football again and leaving it all on the field like the rest of his teammates in the locker room.
"I'll always put it back on the team," Kraft said. "Every one of these guys comes in here – this is violent sports and we risk life and limb; guys have to medically retire from this (stuff).
"Guys keep fighting and clawing to come back into this locker room, and that's the reason I do it. There's other attributes. I want to leave a legacy on this sport as a whole. I want my children to see the lengths I would go to, to fight for something I love, and I think I have it right here in the 'G.'"
2. Kitan Oladapo is enjoying the test of playing nickel.
After spelling fellow safety Javon Bullard as the Packers' nickel cornerback through the offseason, Oladapo has been putting all that work to use with the first-team defense over the past week.
With Bullard sidelined with a foot injury, Oladapo stepped up with a sack of Will Howard on a slot blitz during last week's preseason opener in Pittsburgh and followed up with an interception off Love to end a two-minute period Sunday.
Playing nickel is new territory for Oladapo, who played strictly safety at Oregon State and most of his first two seasons in Green Bay, but it's a challenge he's embraced.
"I'm just trying to be as versatile as possible," Oladapo said. "Just gotta get used to the new run fits and alignment, working on my press technique, especially guarding guys like (Jayden) Reed. It's another opportunity. It's another obstacle I gotta face. I'm just excited."
3. Brandon Cisse and Jaylin Simpson made a few plays of their own.
Along with Oladapo, the two young cornerbacks also came away with interceptions in 11-on-11, with Cisse diving down to pick off Love on an out route intended for Matthew Golden.
"You understand in a call like that, the easy access throw for the quarterback is the backside corner because that's his matchup, and that's where the ball is," Cisse said. "It's man on man, and those kind of moments you want to be in as a corner, knowing the ball's coming at you. Just trusting my instincts, athleticism, and just going out there trying to make a play."
Simpson set the tone for the defense when he made a brilliant read on a deep ball down the right sideline from Tyrod Taylor to Kaden Prather, who tried to work a double move.
Simpson conceded the sideline to Prather but maintained inside leverage to catch an over-the-shoulder interception off Taylor on a third down.
It was a confidence-builder for Simpson, who's playing on the perimeter once again after having to fill in on short notice at nickel against the Steelers.
"I just smelled something a little fishy going on," Simpson said. "I just felt it out and I'm just playing my keys. Just being a DB at the end of the day, just smelling stuff and smelled it out, caught a pick."
4. Lukas Van Ness sits with shoulder, Domani Jackson returns.
Van Ness and offensive lineman Darian Kinnard (shoulder) sat out of practice while Jackson returned after missing a week with a core injury.
Van Ness said he'd been dealing with a shoulder injury, which was aggravated on Saturday when it took a shot from a helmet in the Packers' closed practice. He doesn't expect it to be a long-term issue, though.
"Doing good. Just kind of nature of our position specifically is taking a lot of blows to the shoulders," Van Ness said. "I had kind of just caught a helmet wrong early in practice and caught it again (Saturday). It's the hard part of wearing those shells."
Brenton Cox Jr. worked across from Barryn Sorrell with the starting defense while Van Ness was with the rehab group. Dani Dennis-Sutton hasn't practiced since last Monday due to an illness.
5. The Packers aren't anticipating a Jordon Riley return during training camp but remain excited about his potential impact.
Riley, 28, provided a late-season lift for a dilapidated defensive line after signing with Green Bay in early December, recording two tackles in four games before suffering a season-ending Achilles tear in Week 17 against Baltimore.
The 6-foot-5, 338-pound defensive tackle remained in Green Bay throughout the offseason. While likely to start the regular season on the physically unable to perform list, Riley has made significant progress while being a positive addition to the Packers' locker room.
"I don't want to speak for anybody, but it appears to me he's ahead of schedule and he will be a big bonus for us," LaFleur said. "He's come in here; he's been a great teammate – and that's paramount. I think he's really fit into what we do here. So, I'm excited for when he does come back."
A seventh-round pick by the New York Giants in 2023, Riley has registered 22 tackles in 25 NFL games with five starts.
