Bullet point summary by AI
- The Packers need unexpected contributors to emerge during training camp if they are to contend for a Super Bowl title this season.
- Three players could define Green Bay’s preseason — each brings unique traits that could reshape the team’s depth chart before the regular season begins.
- Watch for athletic upside, arm strength, and raw speed to determine which names climb from the fringes to key roles in Matt LaFleur’s plans.
The Green Bay Packers enter training camp with a roster they fully believe is capable of competing for a Super Bowl title. If that dream is going to come true, fans in Green Bay need some off-the-radar players to emerge as quality contributors during their 2026 campaign.
Getting off to a good start in training camp can provide unheralded players with a golden opportunity to force their way into a team’s plans. Rest assured, Matt LaFleur and his staff will be casting a watchful eye over ever player currently on the roster.
The Packers know what to expect from big-name stars like Jordan Love and Xavier McKinney. The preseason is the time for their higher-ups to learn who might surprise them heading into the regular season. Fans in Green Bay should keep a particularly close eye on these three potential breakout candidates.
Matthew Golden should flash in his second season
The Packers broke a long-standing franchise draft tendency by spending a first round pick on wide receiver Matthew Golden. He showed flashes of quality production as a rookie, but the team needs much mroe consistency out of him during his sophomore season.
The good news with Golden is that he has all of the athletic traits required to be a high-quality NFL starter. The game should slow down for him dramatically during his second year in the league. That will permit the former Texas star to leverage his athleticism for more production.
Getting off to a good start in the preseason must be Golden’s first step towards fulfilling the lofty expectations placed on him by Green Bay when they drafted him. No fan should be surprised to see him soak up a heavy target share in the preseason while some of his more established peers stand on the sidelines. He should lead the receiving corps in targets and yards during most of his preseason action.
Kyle McCord’s arm should flash at the quarterback position
Jordan Love isn’t going see the field much, if at all, during the preseason. That leaves a lot of open snaps for the other quarterbacks on Green Bay’s roster to use to their advantage.
Tyrod Taylor has been brought in to replace Malik Willis as the team’s backup, but he does not possess much upside at this late stage of his career. Kyle McCord currently occupies the No. 3 spot on the depth chart and will be gunning to unseat Taylor during the preseason.
McCord has above-average NFL arm strength at his disposal which does give him a shot to flash enough to become a legitimate competitor for Taylor. He’ll need to play something close to a perfect preseason to win the backup job, but don’ be surprised if he does enough to make it interesting. At the very least, McCord should flash enough to catch on as a backup with another team.
Brandon Cisse’s speed will impress Packers’ fans
Brandon Cisse is not the most refined rookie corner that will see the field in 2026, but he is one of the fastest. That pure speed should be enough to catch the eye of plenty of Packers’ fans during the preseason.
Like Golden, Cisse should also benefit from players ahead of him on the depth chart being protected during the run up to the regular season. That means Cisse has a strong chance to start every preseason game for Green Bay.
Cisse’s middling technique will cause him to bust on occasion, but his upside as a speedy, physical corner is difficult to ignore. The goal for the Packers should be to get him ready for meaningful snaps by the time the playoffs roll around. A good preseason will provid him a platform to make that happen.
