Jordy Nelson continues to impress the Packers coaching staff with his stellar play in training camp. Credit: Rick Wood

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Green Bay - If wide receiver Jordy Nelson hasn't been the best player on the Green Bay Packers' practice field the last two weeks there certainly haven't been many better.

Beginning his fifth season, Nelson's inexorable march into the upper reaches of his profession has been on display daily at Nitschke Field.

"Wow!" wide receivers coach Edgar Bennett said Tuesday. "This guy just continues to improve. He is an elite receiver."

Nelson's sterling work in the one-on-one Monday night typified his level of performance.

Nelson drove inside against tight coverage by Davon House and then burst back to the corner, leaving the talented cornerback in his wake for what would have been a long touchdown pass.

When House pressed him at the line on their next matchup, Nelson backed him off, stopped quickly and came back down the route stem for a 7-yard reception.

"He has those three 'S' words: size strength and speed," said Bennett. "This guy is a difference-maker.

"You know, it's easy to say something like that. But when you watch the guy work and what he puts into it, then you can see it.

"Now we have to get to the games and let the games speak for themselves."

Entering training camp, Nelson was ranked 19th among wide receivers by Pro Football Weekly. His grade was the same as Dallas' Dez Bryant, Atlanta's Julio Jones, Buffalo's Stevie Johnson, Philadelphia's Jeremy Maclin and Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown.

"He's been outstanding," offensive coordinator Tom Clements said. "He's a great player."

Nelson and James Jones have the fewest dropped passes among wide receivers in camp, according to Bennett.

Dicey situation: The Packers open the exhibition season in San Diego on Thursday night with major injury problems, especially on offense, where 15 of the 47 players weren't able to practice Tuesday.

Coach Mike McCarthy could be down to two running backs and two fullbacks, four tight ends and 12 offensive linemen.

He said Aaron Rodgers was expected to play even though Herb Taylor will have to start at left tackle for injured Marshall Newhouse.

"We're conscious of that," said McCarthy. "But at the end of the day we need to play football. We're not flying out there just to take people on a trip."

The backups on the offensive line have had a long summer trying to block the more experienced and more talented group of backup defensive linemen.

From left to right, the No. 2 line figures to be Andrew Datko, Don Barclay, Evan Dietrich-Smith, Tommie Draheim and Shea Allard. The third-stringers are C-G Sampson Genus and G-C Greg Van Roten.

Of the seven, only Dietrich-Smith has been on a 53-man roster.

"All those young guys, they're taking steps - baby steps," said James Campen, who coaches the offensive line. "The key for them now is just to go out and have fun."

In August 2006, McCarthy coached his exhibition opener in San Diego and got beat, 17-3. Wade Phillips, coach Marty Schottenheimer's defensive coordinator, blitzed heavily and the Packers were unable to hold up physically.

"I definitely remember," said McCarthy. "I remember Marty smacking me on the back saying, 'Kid, don't worry. It gets better.'

"I said, 'Yeah, I sure hope so.' Long night."

Line crunch: After Ryan Pickett, Jerel Worthy and C.J. Wilson, it's a crowded field at defensive end. The next level seems to be former Dolphin Phillip Merling, Jarius Wynn and Lawrence Guy. Mike Neal faces a four-game suspension.

"I think Phillip showed great improvement this second week (of camp)," defensive line coach Mike Trgovac said. "He came in here late (May 23) and Dom's package isn't easy.

"He looks like a second-round pick. His body's good. His weight's coming down, much better than in the spring. He made some really good plays the last couple days."

Wynn, a four-year veteran, wasn't getting many reps as an inside nickel rusher early in camp but his turns increased because rookie Mike Daniels has been out since July 31 with knee and groin injuries.

"We're looking for pass rushers," Trgovac said. "One thing about Jarius: You're going to get his best effort. He made a lot of good effort plays for us last year. Sometimes that makes up for it."

Guy, a seventh-round pick in 2011, suffered a concussion as a rookie and didn't practice from mid-August on.

"Just remember this," Trgovac said. "That kid is 22 years old. He's like a rookie who is still light years away, but he's got good ability. I want him to be more consistent and to turn it loose."

Operations set: On game day, the offensive staff will have Clements, Bennett, Campen and Alex Pelt on the sidelines and Ben McAdoo, Jerry Fontenot, Joel Hilgenberg and John Rushing in the coaches box.

Clements said McCarthy will call the plays.

In practice, most of the plays are scripted before practice. When periods are spontaneous, Clements said McCarthy has been calling some and he has been calling some.