The Green Bay Packers defeated the Denver Broncos by the score of 33-13 on Friday night. Indeed, Green Bay 's second preseason game was a great deal more enjoyable to watch than their first one. Additionally, there were numerous strong performances from young players trying to make their mark on the team.
Here, we will highlight one player from each unit that shone the brightest.
Aug 21, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Green Bay Packers place kicker Trey Smack (28) and punter Daniel Whelan (19) watch a point after attempt in the fourth quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
Admit it Packers fans: when it was announced that Green Bay traded back up into the sixth round to select Trey Smack in the 2026 NFL Draft, your stomach dropped. Visions of Anders Carlson came flooding back into your brain and despair started to consume you.
And when it was reported that Smack struggled in his first few days of training camp, you were convinced the Packers had made another mistake.
Since those shaky first few days, though, Smack has been as good as fans could have possibly hoped. In Denver, he made all four of his field goals, including two from beyond 50 yards. His second kick was a 59-yard bomb that probably would have been good from 70, and he sent that pigskin right down the middle of the uprights.
Mark Perry could have been a good selection due to his interception in the second half of the game, but for our purposes, 2026 third round pick Chris McClellan gets the nod. He finished the game with six total tackles, including a massive tackle for loss after he almost single-handedly blew up a running play.
It was not just the number of tackles, though, that made McClellan stand out. He was able to generate consistent pressure on Denver's quarterbacks, sometimes beating multiple offensive linemen who could only hope to slow him down.
He will likely start the season as a backup lineman, but if he plays like he did against the Broncos, he will make several splash plays throughout the year and could carve out a nice career for himself in the Green and Gold.
Admittedly, we're cheating here a bit. Wide receiver Will Sheppard had himself a very fine game, hauling in six receptions for 47 yards and a beautiful toe-dragging touchdown catch. He, too, would be an easy pick.
But we're going with running back Pierre Strong, who not only shined brightly on offense, but also special teams. In addition to the eight carries and 37 yards he had on the ground (both team highs for the night), he had two kickoff returns for 89 yards. One of them was an exciting 68-yard return that set Green Bay up for an easy score.
Almost all offseason long, it was been a foregone conclusion that the Packers will carry three running backs onto their 53-man roster: Josh Jacobs , Marshawn Lloyd , and Chris Brooks .
But Strong is playing so well, many are starting to believe they may carry four. The fact that he has made this conversation warrants his selection here.
Aug 21, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Green Bay Packers quarterback Tyrod Taylor (6) hands the ball off to running back Pierre Strong Jr. (22) in the second quarter against the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images
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