Randall held out of practice with 'minor' ankle injury

The Green Bay Packers were unable to evaluate first-round defensive back Damarious Randall on the field Friday after he was held out of the team's first rookie orientation practice with a "minor" ankle injury.

Randall, who played safety at Arizona State, said he injured his ankle before arriving in Green Bay. The injury wasn't severe enough to give the Packers a scare, especially on a day that showed just how devastating injuries can be for a team.

A "minor" ankle injury is a far cry from what the Jacksonville Jaguars dealt with Friday when edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr., the third overall pick in last week's draft, lost his season to an ACL tear.

Still, Packers coach Mike McCarthy said he wanted to be cautious with Randall. It's unlikely Randall will be able to participate in Saturday's second day of rookie minicamp, either."

Just being smart with him," McCarthy said. "It's something temporary, minor. I'm not going to get into medical situations of any of the guys here today, but he'll be ready to go probably next week."

Next week, the Packers' rookies will stay in Green Bay and work their way into the team's offseason program. McCarthy hopes Randall is ready for Phase 2 of the program, which allows for some on-field work in small groups. It's the first interaction on the field between rookies and veterans.

If Randall is able to handle next week's workouts, he'd likely be ready to participate in the Packers' organized team activities that begin in late May and run into June.

Even though the injury was minor, Friday wasn't an ideal way for Randall to have his first NFL practice. He said it was "tough" to be forced to watch from the sidelines. He hopes to return sooner than later.

"I'm just going to do whatever the coaching staff wants me to do," Randall said. "Whenever they feel like I'm ready, that's what I'm going to do."

-- rwood@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @ByRyanWood