Green Bay Packers rookie kicker Trey Smack had an inconsistent start to the offseason, according to reporters who attended organized team activities. Honestly, that’s not the worst thing. He should get those misses out of the way now rather than once the season starts.
Any drafted kicker will face high expectations, and Smack is no exception. There’s always pressure that comes with the position, especially in Green Bay, where the Packers have been searching for stability at kicker ever since Mason Crosby left.
The good news for Green Bay is that Smack seems to genuinely enjoy those moments.
“I like to have fun with it,” the 2026 sixth-round pick said after the draft. “Pressure is fun to me.”
Smack finished his Florida career converting 53 of his 64 field goal attempts, an 82.8% success rate. He had no issues being successful from long range. Smack connected on 10 of 13 kicks from 50-plus yards, setting a new school record in the process.
He also brought steady production year after year, hitting at least 80% of his field goals in each of his three seasons with the Gators.
Naturally, some offseason reports about the former Gator might trigger flashbacks for Packers fans after what happened with Anders Carlson in 2023. However, Smack and Carlson aren’t comparable as prospects entering the league. Carlson was much more of a developmental project with intriguing traits, while Smack entered the draft as the top kicker in the class.
LaFleur has said Smack’s transition to the NFL will extend beyond adjusting to colder weather. He noted that new special teams coordinator Cam Achord will also ask for some things that differ from what he was used to at Florida, with technical details and expectations that aren’t the same at the college level.
“I’m sure Cam is going to have a bunch of stuff for him to go back [home] and work on, but it’s a little bit different in regards to the kicking playbook,” LaFleur explained. “Schematically, you’ve just got to put the ball in a certain spot.
“So it is a little bit different in that regard,” he continued. “But a lot of it’s going to be just how to take care of your leg, how to take care of your body and training and all that. But probably Cam would have a better answer for you than me.”
It’s worth keeping perspective here, especially given the timing. As Sports Illustrated’s Bill Huber noted, this was a voluntary June practice well before any kicks will have consequences. Looking at the bigger sample, nothing about Smack’s profile has really changed. He showed a strong leg and consistent long-range accuracy at Florida, which helped him stand out in the draft class.
Green Bay’s approach also signals clear confidence. They moved on from veteran Brandon McManus early rather than extending what many expected would be a longer competition.
Let’s relax a bit and give the rookie some time to develop without overreacting to a voluntary June practice. If anything, the Packers must stay patient because Smack has a chance to be the guy who finally stabilizes the position and puts an end to the long-running kicker carousel in Green Bay while giving them a dependable long-term answer at kicker.
