The Green Bay Packers opened mandatory minicamp on Tuesday with no noted drama. No holdouts, no contract disputes, and no distractions as the team got down to business for the first of three mandatory minicamp practices. (Though apparently there's a chance that changes come training camp...)

While attendance wasn't a storyline, injuries certainly were.

The Packers had 17 players either sidelined or limited due to injury, creating opportunities for several young players to take on larger roles. One of the biggest beneficiaries has been rookie offensive lineman Jager Burton.

With Zach Tom, Aaron Banks and Jacob Monk all unavailable, Burton continues to receive valuable reps with the first-team offense. It's not often a fifth-round rookie gets thrown into the mix this quickly in Green Bay, but circumstances have opened the door and Burton is making the most of it. During today's practice, Burton was lined up at left guard with the first team. 

The injury situation has also thinned out the tight end room. With Tucker Kraft already sidelined and Luke Musgrave leaving practice early due to injury, Messiah Swinson and Josh Whyle were forced into larger workloads. By the end of practice, Whyle, Swinson and undrafted rookie R.J. Maryland were the only tight ends actively participating.

Rookie kicker Trey Smack rebounded from a shaky showing last week. After going just 5-for-9 in the last OTA practice open to the media, Smack connected on 7 of his 8 attempts Tuesday, offering some encouragement that the young kicker can figure things out.

But the player who generated the most buzz today was undoubtedly Lukas Van Ness.

With Micah Parsons expected to miss a decent amount of time while recovering from his ACL injury, the Packers need Van Ness to take a significant step forward. The former first-round pick delivered Tuesday, consistently finding his way into the backfield and flashing the disruptive ability Green Bay hopes to see more of this season.