GREEN BAY — When training camp began, there was reason for some down-the-depth-chart safeties to wonder exactly how many chances they’d have to make an impression on the Green Bay Packers coaching and personnel staffs.

With perhaps the NFL’s best safety in first-team All-Pro Xavier McKinney on the roster, along with veteran special teamer/spot starter Zayne Anderson and three 2024 draft picks who all played as rookies (second-rounder Javon Bullard, fourth-rounder Evan Williams and fifth-rounder Kitan Oladapo), the safety room felt like standing room only at times.

But with McKinney sidelined by a calf injury that could keep him out until the Sept. 7 regular-season opener against the Detroit Lions at Lambeau Field and Anderson having suffered a right knee injury during Saturday night’s 30-10 loss to the New York Jets to open preseason play, there are suddenly opportunities galore at the previous logjammed position.

With McKinney and Anderson out, the Packers had Williams and Bullard as their safeties in their base defense, and when defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley went to his nickel package, Oladapo came off the sideline and lined up at safety alongside Williams while Bullard manned the slot.

Family Night hero Omar Brown, who had three interceptions during the annual practice inside Lambeau Field on Aug. 2, is also in the mix.

For Oladapo, whose rookie season was marred by a toe injury he suffered during the pre-draft process, the added action is huge. Although he did see action in nine games last season after the toe sidelined him for much of the offseason and part of training camp, he said he was never fully healthy until this offseason.

“Honestly, I don’t think I [ever] got to 100% last season, but I was still going out there, trying my best every time,” Oladapo said after practice. “My body feels a lot better. I feel like they still haven’t seen me 100%, so just getting those snaps under my belt, feeling more comfortable [with the] playbook is good.”

Anderson, meanwhile, was injured when he went to tackle former University of Wisconsin running back Braelon Allen at the end of a 14-yard run and injured his right knee.

It appeared initially as if Anderson might’ve suffered a concussion or a shoulder injury, but he said he passed the concussion test while in the blue medical tent and thought he could go back into the game with the knee injury until his adrenaline subsided and the pain began.

Anderson said the injury was to his MCL and that his hope is to be ready for the Lions.

“My right leg kind of got stuck in the ground and all that momentum, the torque came down on my knee,” Anderson said. “It’s not ideal, especially given the circumstances of where I’m at and what my goals are, but it could have been way worse. It wasn’t a head injury, it wasn’t a neck due to the hit. So I’m taking the positives out of it — trying to, as frustrating as it is — and rehab and get back for Week 1. That’s the goal.”

Thumbs down? Love practices with wrap | Although it did not appear to significantly affect him during Monday’s practice, quarterback Jordan Love did go through the workout with a wrap on his left (non-throwing) hand, which appeared to be protecting his thumb.

Love was not scheduled to speak with reporters during Monday’s post-practice open locker-room period, so it’s unclear what he might’ve done to his thumb and when/how it happened.

But Love did spend an extended amount of time talking with head coach Matt LaFleur and members of the team’s athletic training/medical staff after practice and appeared to be discussing his thumb with the group.

Love played 12 snaps against the Jets and, according to LaFleur, is not scheduled to play in this Saturday’s second preseason game against the Indianapolis Colts at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Rhyan looks to bounce back | Not that Sean Rhyan didn’t already know that playing center is different than his usual position of right guard, but the fourth-year offensive lineman got a reminder against the Jets.

After giving up a sack to Jets defensive tackle Jay Tufele while playing guard in front of Love during the first quarter, Rhyan was at center when he was bull-rushed into backup Malik Willis during the second quarter by defensive tackle Leonard Taylor, who stripped the ball from Willis inside the end zone. Tufele recovered the ball for a touchdown.

“Obviously, there’s a lot of things to be cleaned up. Especially if I’m going to be playing center,” Rhyan said Monday after practice. “You don’t want [a game like that] at all, but you would rather have it when it quote-unquote ‘doesn’t count,’ as opposed to when it does count. I’m glad that happened, because now I know I really need to work on that.

“When I’m at center, I’ve got to remember I’m not at guard and I’ve got to really get over there and cover guys up a little more. Because you are in the middle and you can’t really give up leakage like that.”

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