The Packers kicked off their rookie minicamp by signing most of their draft picks.
They announced that they have signed five of their six selections. Third-round defensive tackle Chris McClellan, fourth-round edge rusher Dani Dennis-Sutton, fifth-round offensive lineman Jager Burton, sixth-round cornerback Domani Jackson, and sixth-round kicker Trey Smack. All five players agreed to four-year deals with the team.
Second-round cornerback Brandon Cisse is the only unsigned member of the Green Bay draft class.
The Packers also signed 10 undrafted free agents. They are Iowa State guard Dylan Barrett, Virginia Tech quarterback Kyron Drones, Illinois guard Josh Gesky, UCF edge rusher Nyjalik Kelly, Nevada safety Murvin Kenion, SMU tight end RJ Maryland, UCF running back Jaden Nixon, Louisville linebacker TJ Quinn, Florida wide receiver J. Michael Sturdivant, and Auburn guard Dillon Wade.
Wide receiver Chase Claypool is trying to get back into the NFL.
The Packers’ roster for this weekend’s rookie minicamp shows that Claypool is taking part in the session as a tryout player.
Claypool landed on injured reserve with the Bills during training camp in 2024 and did not play at all last year. His last game action came in nine games with the Dolphins in 2023.
Claypool was a 2020 Steelers second-round pick and had 121 catches for 1,733 yards and 11 touchdowns his first two seasons. He was traded to the Bears for a second-round pick in 2022 and failed to produce at the same level before falling out of favor entirely ahead of a trade to Miami the next season.
Eight other tryout players are taking part in the Packers camp, including rookie running back Isaiah Jacobs. He is the younger brother of Packers running back Josh Jacobs.
The Packers are electing to put one of their defensive players under contract for 2027.
Per Matt Schneidman of TheAthletic.com, Green Bay has exercised edge rusher Lukas Van Ness’ fifth-year option.
That puts Van Ness in line to make a projected $13.8 million guaranteed in 2027.
The No. 13 overall pick of the 2023 draft, Van Ness has appeared in 43 games with two starts in his career. He played nine games with two starts in 2025, missing much of the season due to a foot injury.
Van Ness finished 2025 with 1.5 sacks, three tackles for loss, and seven quarterback hits.
In all, Van Ness has recorded 8.5 sacks, 17 TFLs, and seven QB hits through his first three seasons.
The Cowboys added a receiver late in the draft over the weekend and now have added a veteran to the mix.
Dallas has signed receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling, according to the transaction wire.
Valdes-Scantling, 31, split last season between the 49ers and Steelers. He appeared in five games each for San Francisco and Pittsburgh, catching four passes for 40 yards for the 49ers and 10 catches for 80 yards with a TD for the Steelers.
A fifth-round pick in 2018, Valdes-Scantling has caught 219 passes for 3,686 yards with 21 touchdowns in his career.
The Packers signed wide receiver Jayden Reed to a contract extension during the draft and the team may not be done giving new contracts to current members of the receiving corps.
Christian Watson signed a one-year extension with the team ahead of the 2025 season and General Manager Brian Gutekunst waved away any thoughts that the Reed deal was a sign that the team was planning to part ways with Watson.
“Absolutely with Christian,” Gutekunst said, via Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. “Amongst a bunch of other guys that we’re going to hope over the next few months to try to maybe do some of that with.”
The Packers traded Dontayvion Wicks to the Eagles and saw Romeo Doubs leave for the Patriots as a free agent, which thinned out a receiver group that may have had too many mouths to feed in 2025. They did not draft anyone, which leaves Reed, Watson, and 2025 first-rounder Matthew Golden as the clear top three heading into the 2026 season.
Should things come together on the contract front, that trio will be set for a multi-year run in those roles.
