Quarterback

The Packers closed the book on the Aaron Rodgers era after the 2022 season, trading him to the Jets after 15 seasons as the Packers’ starter, which included a Super Bowl victory and 4 MVP seasons. In his place, the Packers turned to Jordan Love, a 2020 1st round pick who spent the first three seasons of his career developing behind Rodgers, but who had only thrown 83 career regular season pass attempts, with mixed results. Love’s tenure as the Packers’ starter got off to an underwhelming start, as he went 3-6 in his first nine starts, while completing 58.7% of his passes for an average of 6.70 YPA, 14 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. However, Love then caught fire down the stretch, completing 70.3% of his passes for an average of 7.71 YPA, 18 touchdowns, and 1 interception in his final eight starts, while going 6-2 and leading the Packers to a surprise post-season appearance.

Going into 2024, expectations for Love were high, but he suffered an injury at the end of week 1, missed two games, and didn’t seem to be 100% for several weeks. Through his first seven starts of the season, Love completed just 61.3% of his passes for an average of 7.58 YPA, 15 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, while leading the Packers to a 4-3 record. However, he seemed to shake off his injury after that and completed 65.4% of his passes for an average of 8.48 YPA, 10 touchdowns, and 1 interception in his final eight starts, leading the Packers to a 5-3 record and taking them back to the post-season for the second time in two seasons as a starter.

Now going into his third season as a starter, Love is still only going into his age 27 season and has a massive upside if he can put it together for a full season. One thing Love did in his first season as a starter that he didn’t do in his second was continue his strong second half into the post-season, as Love completed 67.3% of his passes for an average of 8.47 YPA, 5 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions in two post-season starts in 2023, leading the Packers to an upset of the #2 seed Cowboys and then keeping it close with the #1 seed 49ers, but in 2024 he only completed 60.6% of his passes for an average of 6.42 YPA, 0 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions in a first round playoff loss. However, Love was facing the eventual Super Bowl Champion Eagles and their league best defense in his one playoff game in 2024, so he deserves somewhat of a pass for that.

Even with Love missing time and struggling for a few weeks upon his return last season, the Packers still finished last season ranked 3rd in yards per play differential and 8th in first down rate differential and they largely return the same team as last season, losing just 3 of the 22 players who were in their top-11 in terms of snaps played on offense and defense last season, none of which were key players who played at a high level. Love is still pretty unproven, but if he can stay healthy and put it together for a full season, the Packers have the upside to be among the best teams in the league.

In Love’s absence last season, the Packers got decent play from Malik Willis, who completed 74.1% of his passes for an average of 10.2 YPA, 3 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions across 54 pass attempts, while rushing for 6.90 YPC and 1 touchdown on 20 carries. Prior to last season when he was with the Titans, Willis had completed 53.0% of his passes for an average of 5.30 YPA, 0 touchdowns, and 3 interceptions across 66 pass attempts, while rushing for 4.50 YPC and 1 touchdown on 32 carries, but Willis was a third round pick in 2022 by Tennessee, so it isn’t a surprise that he developed into a solid backup and he could easily remain one in 2025 and beyond. Overall, this is an enviable quarterback room.

Grade: A-

Offensive Line

The one offensive starter the Packers didn’t bring back this off-season is center Josh Myers, but he finished with a 55.7 PFF grade in 16 starts last season, so his departure could be addition by subtraction. To replace him, the Packers are moving guard Elgton Jenkins inside to center, where he has some experience (6 career starts). Replacing Jenkins at guard will be free agent addition Aaron Banks, who joins from the 49ers on a 4-year, 77 million dollar deal.

That contract looks like an overpay, but it shouldn’t be hard for Banks to be an upgrade on Myers. Banks was a 2nd round pick by the 49ers in 2021, but he was mostly a replacement level starter, making 43 starts over the past three seasons, but finishing with PFF grades of just 62.7, 54.9, and 65.4. Already going into his age 28 season, Banks likely is what he is at this stage of his career and will be likely provide the Packers with decent, albeit expensive play at left guard.

Jenkins, meanwhile, has been a solid starter through his career, finishing above 65 on PFF in all six seasons in the league, including two seasons above 70. Most importantly, considering he is changing positions this off-season, Jenkins has played similarly throughout his career regardless of where he’s played, whether it’s his most regular position of left guard, or center, or even left tackle (8 career starts), or right tackle (5 career starts). The one concern is he is now heading into his age 30 season, but he hasn’t shown any signs of decline yet (66.1 PFF grade in 17 starts in 2024) and it wouldn’t be a surprise if he remains a solid starter for at least another season.

The Packers’ best starter for the past two seasons has been right tackle Zach Tom, who was only a 4th round pick in 2022, but who has improved his play drastically in all three seasons in the league, with a 68.3 PFF grade across 5 starts as a rookie, a 77.8 PFF grade across 17 starts in his second season in the league, and a 87.5 PFF grade across 17 starts last season. Tom might not be quite as good again in 2025 as he was in 2024, but, only going into his age 26 season, he looks likely to play at a high level at right tackle for years to come.

Meanwhile, the other two offensive line spots might be up for grabs. The Packers used a first round pick in 2024 on Jordan Morgan, but injuries and ineffective play limited him to 186 snaps as a rookie, all of which came at guard. Morgan was a tackle in college, but it seems the Packers prefer him at guard, even using another high draft pick on a young tackle in this year’s draft, taking Anthony Belton in the second round. At guard, Morgan will compete with incumbent right guard Sean Rhyan for a starting role. 

Morgan probably has a higher upside, but Rhyan had a decent 62.0 PFF grade in 17 starts at right guard last season, in the first extended starting experience of the 2022 3rd round pick’s career and he could easily hold off Morgan for the starting job for another season. Belton, meanwhile, is likely to be the swing tackle, but could theoretically push left tackle Rasheed Walker at some point. Walker, a 2022 7th round pick, has been decent, but unspectacular since taking over the starting left tackle job in 2023, posting PFF grades of 66.4 and 68.4 across 15 starts and 17 starts respectively over the past two seasons. He should keep the job for another year, keeping Belton and either Morgan or Rhyan as above average reserve options. This is an above average offensive line overall, after replacing their one weak spot from 2024, former starting center Josh Myers.

Grade: B+

Receiving Corps

In the receiving corps, the Packers didn’t lose any of their key players from a year ago, but Christian Watson is likely to miss at least a significant portion of the season as he recovers from a torn ACL he suffered in week 18 last season. An excellent deep threat, Watson finished last season with a 29/620/2 slash line on 53 targets with an average of 2.26 yards per route run, good for 14th among eligible wide receivers. In three seasons in the league since being drafted in the 2nd round in 2022, Watson has averaged 16.86 yards per catch, 9.61 yards per target, and 2.03 yards per route run. Watson was only a part-time player (554 snaps) in a deep overall receiving corps though and the Packers used their first round pick on one of the fastest wide receivers in the draft, Matthew Golden, who will fill in for him early in the season and then will give them even more depth at wide receiver after Watson returns, so Watson won’t be missed too much.

With four wide receivers rotating, it didn’t give any of them the opportunity to put up big numbers, but Jayden Reed was their nominal #1 receiver, leading the team with a 55/857/6 slash line on just 75 targets and averaging 2.20 yards per route run. A 2nd round pick in 2023, Reed also had an impressive rookie season, with a 64/793/8 slash line on 94 targets and 2.05 yards per route run. Additionally, he provides some value on the ground, taking 31 carries for 282 yards (9.10 YPC) in two seasons in the league. He should remain efficient again in 2025, still only in his age 25 season, but his overall production will probably remain limited by a limited snap count and target share.

Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks were not as efficient as Reed and Watson, as Doubs turned 72 targets into a 46/601/4 slash line and 1.67 yards per route run and Wicks turned 76 targets into a 39/415/5 slash line and 1.42 yards per route run. Last season was actually a career best for Doubs, as the 2022 4th round pick had slash lines of 42/425/3 and 59/674/8 on target totals of 67 and 96 in his first two seasons in the league, while averaging 1.36 yards per route run and 1.32 yards per route run. Wicks, on the other hand, showed a lot more potential as a rookie in 2023, with a 39/581/4 slash line on 58 targets and 2.04 yards per route run, but he was only a 5th round pick in 2023, so it’s not a surprise he couldn’t translate that into a larger role. Both are likely to remain decent, but unspectacular receiving options in 2025.

Tight end Tucker Kraft also had a solid receiving season in 2024, with a 50/707/7 slash line on 70 targets with 1.61 yards per route run. Also a young recent draft pick, the 2023 3rd round pick was not as good as a rookie, with a 31/355/2 slash line on 40 targets and 1.20 yards per route run, but he probably has permanently turned a corner and will remain a solid starting tight end going forward. The Packers also used a 2nd round pick in 2023 on a tight end, Luke Mugsrave, and, after their rookie seasons, it looked like Musgrave would be the better player long-term, as he finished his rookie season with a 34/351/1 slash line on 46 targets and 1.28 yards per route run in 11 games.

However, Musgrave took a big step back in year two, finishing with a 7/45/0 slash line on 10 targets and 0.66 yards per route run in 7 games. He has the talent to bounce back in 2025, but he is probably locked in as a backup long-term, given how Kraft played ahead of him last season. Durability has also been an issue for Musgrave thus far in his career, as he’s missed 16 games over the past two seasons. This is a talented young receiving corps, even if they lack a clear #1 option.

Grade: B+

Running Backs

The Packers’ passing offense was very effective last season, but they actually had more rush attempts (526) than pass attempts (479) on the season and their running game was very effective too, ranking 5th in the NFL in rushing yards (2,496), 5th in rushing touchdowns (23), and 6th in yards per carry (4.75). Josh Jacobs, who they signed to a 4-year, 48 million dollar deal last off-season, led the way, rushing for 1,329 yards and 15 touchdowns on 301 carries (4.42 YPC), with a 52.2% carry success rate, 13th in the NFL among running backs.

That shouldn’t have come as a surprise, as Jacobs averaged 4.25 YPC on 1,305 carries with a 51.6% carry success rate in his first five seasons in the league with the Raiders before signing with the Packers, doing so despite playing on a much worse offense with the Raiders than the one he gets to play on with the Packers. Jacobs also had a 36/342/1 slash line on 43 targets with 1.36 yards per route run last season, slightly up from the 39/290/0 slash line on 51 targets with 1.15 yards per route run that Jacobs averaged with the Raiders. His one Achilles heel is durability, as he has missed time in four of six seasons in the league, but as long as he stays healthy, Jacobs is likely to remain a high level feature back in 2025, still only in his age 27 season.

Backup Emanuel Wilson also had a great season in a limited role, averaging 4.87 YPC on 103 carries with a 59.2% carry success rate. Wilson went undrafted in 2023, had just 14 carries as a rookie, and kind of came out of nowhere to have that kind of season in 2024, as he was expected to be no higher than the 4th running back and only got an opportunity because of injuries to long-time backup AJ Dillon and 3rd round rookie MarShawn Lloyd. Dillon is no longer with the team and, while Lloyd is expected to be healthier in 2025, after playing in just one game as a rookie, it will be hard for Lloyd to beat out Wilson to be the primary backup, given the season Wilson just had. This is a deep and talented backfield overall.

Grade: A

Edge Defenders

While the Packers’ offense played at a high level last season, ranking 5th in yards per play and 10th in first down rate allowed, their defense was also a solid unit, ranking 5th in yards per play allowed and 14th in first down rate allowed. This season, there is actually reason to believe they will be even better. For one, their top edge defender Rashan Gary actually had a down year last season. He still had a 73.8 PFF grade across 638 snaps, but he had PFF grades of 89.3, 82.9, and 80.0 in 2021, 2022, and 2023 and, still only in his age 28 season, he has a great chance to bounce back and be better in 2025. Also a solid run defender, Gary has totaled 32 sacks, 43 hits, and a 15.4% pressure rate in 59 games over the past four seasons.

The Packers need Gary to bounce back because the rest of this edge defender group is underwhelming. Kingsley Enagbare (509 snaps) and Lukas Van Ness (427 snaps) ranked second and third among Packers edge defenders in snaps played last season and both struggled, with PFF grades of 56.0 and 53.8 respectively. Enagbare, a 2022 5th round pick, had better seasons in his first two seasons in the league, with PFF grades of 61.4 and 64.5 across snap counts of 465 and 453 and he’s still only going into his age 25 season, but, even if he does bounce back in 2025, he doesn’t have a high upside.

Van Ness, on the other hand, should have a high upside, but the 2023 1st round pick hasn’t come close to living up to his draft slotin two seasons in the league. He was slightly better in a limited role as a rookie, with a 64.0 PFF grade across 366 snaps, but overall he has been underwhelming through two seasons in the league, particularly as a pass rusher, with a career 8.9% pressure rate. Still only in his age 24 season, it’s possible he takes a step forward in 2025 and has his best season yet in his third season in the league, but that’s far from a guarantee.

The Packers added some long-term insurance in the draft by using a 4th round pick on Barryn Sorrell, but he is no guarantee to contribute in a positive way as a rookie. The Packers do have Brenton Cox, a 2023 undrafted free agent who showed some promise in the first significant action of his career last season, with a 72.2 PFF grade, but that came across just 160 snaps and he’s a projection to a larger role who could easily struggle if he sees his snap count increase significantly. Rashan Gary elevates the overall grade of this position group and the rest of the group does have some upside, but they also have significant downside as well.

Grade: B+

Interior Defenders

Things remain largely the same at the interior defender position this season. The one major difference is the loss of TJ Slaton, who played 427 snaps last season. Slaton struggled with a 45.3 PFF grade though, so, even though the Packers didn’t really replace him, his departure could be addition by subtraction. Slaton was their worst interior defender, but the rest of this group is still pretty underwhelming, especially against the run, as none of their interior defenders finished above 60 against the run.

The Packers did at least get good interior pass rush from Kenny Clark and Devonte Wyatt. A first round pick in 2016, Clark used to be a good run defender as well in his prime, leading to him finishing above 70 on PFF in five straight seasons from 2017-2021, but his overall grades have fallen to 66.4, 68.8, and 59.3 over the past three seasons and now he’s heading into his age 30 season, so his best days are almost definitely behind him. He still had a 7.9% pressure rate last season, but even his pass rush has fallen off in recent years, as that is well below his career pressure rate of 10.2%. At best, he will probably be a mediocre run defender and slightly above average pass rusher in 2025, but he could fall off further.

Wyatt is also a former first round pick, selected in 2022. He has finished above 70 in pass rush grade in all three seasons in the league, while totaling a 12.8% pressure rate, but he has also finished below 60 in run defense in two of his three seasons in the league and, as a result, the Packers have limited his playing time to 24.2 snaps per game and 379 snaps per season. Wyatt is already heading into his age 27 season, so he might just be who he is at this stage of his career, but the Packers might not have a choice but to increase his playing time in 2025, given the state of the rest of the position.

Karl Brooks ranked second at the position behind Clark (685 snaps) with 440 snaps played last season, but he struggled with a 58.8 PFF grade. He had a 66.9 PFF grade across 379 snaps as a rookie in 2023, but he was only a 6th round rookie and, overall, looks like an underwhelming option. The Packers also have Colby Wooden as a deep reserve, but the 2023 4th round pick has received PFF grades of just 58.2 and 47.8 on snap counts of 256 and 234 over the past two seasons respectively and will likely continue struggling in 2025. The Packers also added Warren Brinson in the 6th round of this year’s draft, but it’s unlikely he will make a significant positive contribution in year one. Overall, this looks likely to remain an underwhelming interior defender group.

Grade: B-

Linebackers

The Packers lost linebacker Eric Wilson this off-season and he was solid with a 65.8 PFF grade across 556 snaps, but his absence will open up an every down role for 2024 2nd round pick Edgerrin Cooper, who flashed a lot of talent as a rookie with a 84.0 PFF grade across 489 snaps, excelling both in coverage and against the run. He might not be quite as good in an expanded role in 2025, but he has a massive upside and could easily be at least an above average every down linebacker. Cooper ascending to an every down role is another reason why this defense could be better in 2025 than 2024.

Cooper will start next to Quay Walker, a 2022 1st round pick who has been an every down linebacker for the Packers since he entered the league, averaging 55.5 snaps per game in 44 career games. He hasn’t lived up to his draft slot though, finishing with PFF grades of 52.0, 60.0, and 57.4 respectively. He still has upside going into his age 25 season, but, even if he has a career best year in 2025, the Packers probably can’t expect more than decent every down play out of him.

Isaiah McDuffie returns as the top reserve and he has finished with PFF grades of just 58.4 and 56.0 on snap counts of 511 and 698 over the past two seasons respectively, in the only two seasons of the 2021 6th round pick’s career in which he’s seen significant action. He’s a decent situational run stopper, but struggles mightily in coverage. The Packers also took a flier on former 8th overall pick Isaiah Simmons, but he has finished below 60 on PFF in three of five seasons in the league and, as a result, has been limited to just 559 snaps as a reserve over the past two seasons. Now going into his age 27 season, it’s becoming increasingly unlikely he will ever be more than a reserve in the NFL. Edgerrin Cooper slightly elevates the overall grade of this position group, but, aside from him, this is an underwhelming group.

Grade: B

Secondary

The position group on this defense that has undergone the most changes this off-season is the cornerback position. Jaire Alexander was released for salary cap reasons and, while he had a 75.2 PFF grade last season, injuries limited him to just 361 snaps in seven games, so he won’t be missed too much. Meanwhile, free agent departure Eric Stokes had a 61.3 PFF grade last season, but that came across just 587 snaps, so he won’t be missed much either. The Packers also mitigated the loss of Alexander and Stokes by signing Nate Hobbs from the Raiders and he should be a solid starter, having finished above 60 on PFF in all four seasons in the league, though he has missed 16 games with injury over the past three seasons, which is a concern.

Hobbs will probably start next to Keisean Nixon, who led Packers cornerbacks with 1,018 snaps played last season. Nixon had a decent 64.5 PFF grade last season, but it was a career best year for him, as the 6-year veteran played just 563 snaps in his first four seasons in the league from 2019-2022 and then struggled in his first season of significant playing time in 2023, with a 59.0 PFF grade across 808 snaps. He could face competition for the starting job from Carrington Valentine, a 2023 7th round pick who struggled as a rookie with a 57.5 PFF grade across 694 snaps, but took a step forward in year two, with a 70.3 PFF grade across 546 snaps. He has some upside, but is also an underwhelming starting option. Whoever doesn’t start opposite Hobbs between Nixon and Valentine will probably still have a significant role as the #3 cornerback.

The Packers don’t have much depth at cornerback behind their top-3, as none of the other cornerbacks on the roster have ever played a defensive snap and the only two who were drafted were 2024 7th round pick Kalen King and rookie 7th round pick Micah Robinson. Fortunately, the Packers have a lot of depth at safety and could use three safeties together frequently in sub packages to offset their lack of depth at cornerback.

When the Packers use three safeties together, Javon Bullard will man the slot, but he was the worst of the Packers’ safeties last season, with a 52.3 PFF grade across 785 snaps. He was a 2nd round pick in 2024 and could take a step forward in his second season in the league in 2025, but that’s not a guarantee. Evan Williams, meanwhile, was only a 4th round pick in 2024, but he showed a lot more promise as a rookie, with a 72.4 PFF grade across 473 snaps. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see him start at safety over Bullard. He’s a projection to a larger role, but easily could be the better of the two second year safeties. The Packers also have Zayne Anderson, who had a 80.8 PFF grade last season, albeit across just 122 snaps, after the 2021 undrafted free agent played just two snaps across his first three seasons in the league prior to last season. Still, he’s not bad depth to have.

The Packers best safety is Xavier McKinney, who is one of the best safeties in the league. The 2020 2nd round pick was a bit inconsistent early in his career, but he has received PFF grades of 87.5 and 84.8 over the past two seasons respectively and, overall, has finished above 70 on PFF in four of five seasons in the league. Still only in his age 26 season, he should remain one of the best safeties in the league again in 2025. The Packers have some issues at cornerback, but are much better at safety, which makes up for their issues at cornerback somewhat.

Grade: B+

Kicker

Brandon McManus was the Packers’ kicker last season and had a solid season, accumulating 3.12 points above average. He also has 12.96 total points above average in the past ten seasons, but he did finish below average in both 2022 and 2023 and now he’s going into his age 34 season so, despite a solid year last year, he is on a downward trajectory overall. He could have another solid season in 2025, but also could easily regress. The Packers do have competition for him in Alex Hale, but the 2024 undrafted free agent spent his rookie season on the practice squad and overall doesn’t seem like a legitimate candidate for the starting job.

Grade: B

Conclusion

The Packers finished last season 3rd in yards per play differential and 8th in first down rate differential, despite Jordan Love dealing with an injury for the first half of the season. Love has shown the ability to be an elite quarterback when healthy and, even though he’s still pretty unproven, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him put it all together in 2025 and take a talented team to the next level.

Update: The addition of Micah Parsons via trade just adds to the likelihood of this team having a breakout season and joining the short list of Super Bowl contenders.

Prediction: 13-4, 1st in NFC North

Quarterback

Three years ago, the Packers made a surprising decision in the first round of the draft, selecting quarterback Jordan Love to be the long-term replacement for quarterback Aaron Rodgers. It made some sense, with Rodgers set to enter his age 37 season and coming off of a season in which he had the 3rd worst QB rating of his tenure as a starter in 2019, but Rodgers responded by posting a career best QB rating en route to winning MVP, while Love struggled behind the scenes.

The original plan was probably to trade Rodgers following 2020 and replace him with the younger, cheaper Love, but with Rodgers playing well and Love not progressing like they had hoped, suddenly the tables were turned and the Packers spent most of the off-season convincing Rodgers to stay, after he demanded a trade and threatened retirement, feeling disrespected by the selection of Love. 

Rodgers eventually stayed after receiving a pay raise and followed up his 2020 MVP season with another MVP season in 2021, while Love struggled in a lone spot starter in place of Rodgers. However, things started to shift in 2022. Rodgers started showing his age, posting a career worst QB rating, while Love started to improve significantly behind the scenes, showing his progress in mop up duty in a meaningless week 18 game. 

Last off-season, Rodgers and the Packers finally agreed to a mutual split, with the 4-time NFL MVP being sent to the Jets for a draft pick, leaving the job to Love as he entered his 4th season in the league. The Packers were in an awkward contract situation with Love, whose first round contract required the Packers to either pick up an expensive guaranteed 5th year option for 2024, or let him be a free agent following the 2023 season, but the two sides came on an agreement where the Packers declined his 5th year option, but gave him a one-year extension that was cheaper than the 5th year option would have been.

To start the 2023 season, Love looked like he wouldn’t be the long-term solution for the Packers, completing just 57.7% of his passes for an average of 6.38 YPA, 11 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions with a 64.5 PFF grade in the first 7 games of the season, while going just 2-5. However, something seemed to click for him mid-season, as he was one of the best quarterbacks in the league the rest of the way, leading the Packers to a 7-3 record in the final 10 games of the regular season and not just an unlikely playoff berth, but also an unlikely first round upset of the Cowboys, before a close loss to the 49ers in the second round. In total, Love completed 68.5% of his passes for an average of 7.83 YPA, 26 touchdowns, and 5 interceptions with a 90.5 PFF grade in his final 12 starts of the season, including playoffs, the 2nd best PFF grade in the NFL over that stretch.

It was a small sample size and it’s far from a guarantee that Love will continue playing at that level, but he’s unlikely to regress to his first half of the 2023 season form and, even if he isn’t quite as good in 2024 as he was in the second half of 2023, he has clearly cemented himself as the Packers long-term quarterback of the future and at least an above average starting quarterback. As of this writing, he has yet to be signed long-term ahead of the final year of his contract, but an extension is reportedly in the works and he figures to be one of the highest paid quarterbacks in the league. 

Love will likely be backed up for the second straight year by Sean Clifford, a 5th round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. With Love not missing any time last season, Clifford only attempted one pass his whole rookie season and it’s unclear if he’ll develop into a capable backup long-term, but he’s probably the best option the Packers have, with the alternative being Michael Pratt, a 7th round pick in this year’s draft. Whoever wins the backup job, they would almost definitely be a massive downgrade from Love in case of injury. The Packers will need Love to stay healthy if they want to continue being a playoff caliber team.

Grade: A-

Receiving Corps

Jordan Love did significantly improve his play down the stretch last season, but he wasn’t the only reason for this offense’s significant second half improvement, as the Packers had a very talented, but very young receiving corps that significantly improved as the season went on. Jayden Reed, a second round rookie, led the group in receiving with a 64/793/8 slash line and a 2.05 yards per route run average, while posting a 75.1 grade from PFF. 

Fellow rookie Dontayvion Wicks was also very efficient, albeit in a smaller role, playing just 458 snaps and only finishing with a 39/581/4 slash line, but on an average of 2.04 yards per route run with a 78.4 PFF grade, despite only being a 5th round pick. Romeo Doubs, a 2022 4th round pick, led the group in snaps played (845) and targets (96), but was not nearly as effective as Reed and Wicks, posting a 59/674/8 slash line with just a 1.32 yards per route run average, and a 68.9 PFF grade. Doubs was also underwhelming with a 42/425/3 slash line, a 1.36 yards per route run average, and a 62.6 PFF grade as a rookie in 2022 and could easily end up in a smaller role in year three, given that other young receivers have outplayed him. 

Coming into last season, 2022 2nd round pick Christian Watson was expected to be the best receiver on this team, after a rookie season in which he shined in a limited role, only playing 507 snaps, but averaging 2.26 yards per route run and finishing with a 41/611/7 slash line, despite the limited playing time. However, Watson missed 8 games with injury in 2023 and was limited in several others, leading to him averaging just 1.56 yards per route run and posting just a 28/422/5 slash line. Watson still has a lot of upside though and could easily take a big step forward in 2024 if he’s healthy. Reed, Wicks, and Doubs also have the upside to be better in 2024 than they were in 2023.

Bo Melton and Malik Heath also saw small roles last season and both are also young. Melton only played 139 snaps in five games as an injury fill-in, but he excelled in limited action, with a 16/218/1 slash line, a team best 88.1 PFF grade, and a team best 2.83 yards per route run average. It’s a very small sample size for a 2022 7th round pick who had never played an offensive snap in the NFL prior to that, but he’s a good insurance option to have. 

Heath, meanwhile, was not nearly as good, as the 2023 undrafted free agent played 260 snaps and averaged just 1.07 yards per route run. Heath is far from a guarantee to even make the final active roster in 2024 given all of the other wide receivers the Packers have and the same is the case for Samari Toure, a 2022 7th round pick who has played just 251 career snaps with a 0.98 yards per route run average, and Grant DuBose, a 2023 7th round pick who didn’t play an offensive snap as a rookie and spent most of the season on the practice squad.

The Packers have more youth at the tight end position, with 2023 2nd round pick Luke Musgrave (468 snaps) and 2023 3rd round pick Tucker Kraft (621 snaps) leading the position in snaps as rookies last season. Musgrave missed 6 games with injury last season and was their primary pass catching tight end when healthy. His 34/352/1 slash line and 1.28 yards per route run average were mediocre, but he has the talent to take a step forward in year two. Kraft, meanwhile, played all 17 games and had a 31/355/2 slash line with a 1.20 yards per route run average. He also has the upside to take a step forward in year two, but will probably be more of a blocker than a receiving option as long as Musgrave is healthy. Overall, this is a talented young receiving corps with the upside to keep getting better in 2024. They don’t have a true #1 receiver, but this is a very deep group.

Grade: B+

Running Backs

The Packers made a big addition at the running back position this off-season, signing ex-Raider Josh Jacobs to a 4-year, 48 million dollar deal, making him the 5th highest paid running back in the league in average annual salary. In the process, the Packers moved on from Aaron Jones, who had been a talented running back for them for many years. Last season, Jones missed six games with injury, but remained a talented back when healthy, rushing for 656 yards and 2 touchdowns on 142 carries (4.62 YPC) in 11 games, while averaging 1.40 yards per route run and posting a 30/233/1 slash line as a receiver. 

Jacobs is about the same price as Jones would have been, with Jones originally set to make 12 million this season, but he’s significantly younger (age 26 season vs. age 30 season), which is a big deal at the running back position, and Jacobs should be healthier than Jones was a year ago, having only missed 10 games in five seasons in the league. Jacobs has been inconsistent throughout his career and has just a 4.25 YPC average in five seasons in the league, but that’s in part due to having a mostly mediocre offense around him with the Raiders (3.01 career yards per carry after contact), he still has an impressive 51.6% career carry success rate, and he he has routinely carried the load at the running back position, averaging 304 carries per 17 games in his career, while averaging 1.15 yards per route run and a 46/337/0 slash line per 17 games. His expensive contract almost ensures he’ll have a similar role with his new team.

With Jones missing significant time last season and being limited in some games even while healthy, AJ Dillon led this team in carries with 178, but he struggled with a 3.44 YPC average (2.69 yards per carry after contact) and it was a surprise the Packers brought him back on a 1-year, 2.75 million dollar deal, despite the signing of Jacobs to be the feature back. Dillon has been better in the past, with a 4.34 YPC average on 418 carries (3.10 yards per carry after contact) in his first three seasons in the league, after going in the 2nd round in 2020, and he’s a useful passing down back, with a career 1.09 yards per route run average, but he’ll be a true backup to Jacobs and might not even be that, with the Packers using their 3rd round pick on MarShawn Lloyd as competition for the #2 back role. With Lloyd added, Jacobs likely to be healthier than Jones was, and Dillon having some bounce back potential after a career worst 2023, this should be a deeper backfield than a year ago, albeit at an expensive price.

Grade: A-

Offensive Line

The Packers made some changes on the offensive line this off-season. The biggest name that is gone is left tackle David Bakhtiari, who was released this off-season ahead of 21.5 million non-guaranteed owed in his age 33 season in 2024, but he had been consistently injured in recent years and only played one game in 2023, so his absence won’t be felt too much. The Packers also lost free agent departure Yosh Njiman, a useful reserve who had played in Bakhtiari’s absence in recent years, but he only played 230 nondescript snaps last season (61.7 PFF grade), so he won’t be missed too much either.

Guard Jon Runyan leaving in free agency is the most noteworthy loss on the offensive line, as he started 17 games last season, but he struggled with a 54.7 PFF grade, so it won’t be too hard to replace him either. Options to replace him include Royce Newman and Sean Rhyan. Newman has made 24 starts in three seasons in the league since going in the 4th round in 2021, but he has earned grades of 55.7, 57.5, and 44.3 in those three seasons and barely played in 2023 (183 snaps), so he would be an underwhelming option, while Rhyan, a 2022 3rd round pick, missed his whole rookie year with injury and then underwhelmed with a 51.7 PFF grade on 183 snaps in 2023. Rhyan is still only in his age 24 season and could take a step forward, but Newman is already in his age 27 season and is unlikely to develop into more than a backup caliber player.

More likely, the Packers will either move first round pick tackle Jordan Morgan inside to guard, or keep him at tackle and move tackle Zach Tom inside. Tom was only a 4th round pick in 2022, but flashed talent with a 68.3 PFF grade on 489 snaps as a rookie before breaking out as the Packers’ best offensive lineman in 2023, making 17 starts at tackle with a 77.8 PFF grade. It’s a little risky to change his position after such a strong season at tackle, but Tom has the versatility to play guard or even center and it sounds like the Packers think he has even greater upside long-term on the inside.

Assuming one of Tom or Morgan moves inside, Rasheed Walker figures to continue starting at tackle opposite whichever of Tom or Morgan stays outside. Walker was only a 7th round pick in 2022 and didn’t play an offensive snap as a rookie, but he was solid with a 66.4 PFF grade in 15 starts at tackle in 2023 in place of the injured Bakhtiari and, while he doesn’t have a big upside, he could remain at least a capable starting tackle in 2024. If Tom and Morgan start at tackle, Walker would move to the swing tackle role, but most likely he’ll remain in the starting lineup. The Packers also signed veteran Andre Dillard, a former first round pick, in free agency, but he’s been middling at best in just 19 career starts in five seasons in the league, including a 51.0 PFF grade on a career high 562 snaps in 2023, so he’s very likely to be a backup and not a real option to start.

Guard Elgton Jenkins has also played some tackle in his career, but the Packers seem to prefer him at guard. A 2nd round pick in 2019, Jenkins has been a solid or better offensive lineman throughout his career, posting grades of 69.2, 67.7, 82.1, 72.3, and 65.4 on PFF in five seasons in the league. His career best season in 2021 was shortened to 496 snaps in 8 games by a torn ACL, but he’s only missed four games in his other 4 seasons combined. Still only in his age 29 season, I would expect more of the same from him in 2024.

At center, Josh Myers remains, but could move to guard if the Packers decide center is Zach Tom’s best spot. Myers was a 2nd round pick in 2021 and has made 40 starts in three seasons in the league, including all 34 in two seasons since an injury plagued rookie season, but he has been pretty mediocre, with grades of 58.3, 60.4, and 55.8 from PFF in three seasons in the league. Only in his age 26 season, he may have some untapped upside, but most likely he’ll remain a middling at best starter at whatever position he ends up and, given the depth on this offensive line, it’s possible he winds up getting benched if he struggles to start the season or disappoints in training camp. The Packers also used a 5th round pick on Jacob Monk, a versatile offensive line whose best pro position is likely center, but he’s unlikely to see significant playing time at any position as a rookie, barring multiple injuries. This isn’t an elite offensive line, but it’s not a bad group either and the Packers have a lot of versatile options.

Grade: B

Interior Defenders

The success the Packers had down the stretch last season actually came in spite of their defense getting worse as the season went on, as their offense improved so much that they were able to cover for the other side of the ball. On offense, the Packers averaged 5.58 yards per play and had a 31.35% first down rate last season and those jump to 5.84 yards per play and a 32.85% first down rate if you more heavily weight their late season games. On defense, the opposite happened as their 5.37 yards per play allowed and 31.16% first down rate allowed jump to 5.54 and 31.51% if you more heavily weight their late season games.

The Packers made a few changes on defense this off-season, but none of those were at the interior defender position, where Kenny Clark (809 snaps), TJ Slaton (627 snaps), Devonte Wyatt (552 snaps), Karl Brooks (379 snaps), and Colby Wooden (256 snaps) were their top-5 last season and all return for 2024. They should all have similar roles this season, though it’s worth noting that all five played all 17 games last season, which is highly unlikely to happen again this season.

Overall, the group was decent, but unspectacular last season. Kenny Clark was the best of the bunch, which has been the case for years, but his 68.8 PFF grade was actually low by his standards, as he surpassed 70 on PFF in five straight seasons from 2017-2021, including two seasons over 80. Clark also had a 66.4 PFF grade in 2022, so it’s possible he’s starting to regress, but he’s still only in his age 29 season, so he could have some bounce back potential. 

Clark’s run defense is what has fallen off the most, but as a pass rusher he still had 7.5 sacks, 8 hits, and a 12.5% pressure rate last season, even better than his career pass rush stats of 34 sacks, 45 hits, and a 10.5% pressure rate in 123 games. He should continue being an effective pass rusher and his run defense has a chance to bounce back. He’s also by far the most experienced of the bunch, now entering his 9th season in the league, after being a first round draft choice in 2016.

Devonte Wyatt also was a much better pass rusher than run stopper in 2023, with a 80.4 PFF grade as a pass rusher and 5.5 sacks, 5 hits, and a 14.8% pressure rate, but just a 46.4 grade against the run. Wyatt was a first round pick in 2022 and flashed some potential in a limited role as a rookie with a 69.9 overall PFF grade on 224 snaps. Now going into his third season in the league, he could take a step forward, though it’s worth noting he was an old rookie and is already in his age 26 season. Either way, he should remain at least the kind of player he was last year, effective as a pass rusher, but a liability against the run.

Wooden and Brooks were also both much better against the pass than against the run, posting run defense grades of 51.6 and 44.5 respectively on PFF, but impressing with pressure rates of 9.6% and 9.8% respectively. Both were rookies, taken in the 4th and 6th round of the 2023 NFL Draft respectively, and both could take a step forward in year two, but neither has a huge upside, so that’s far from a guarantee. Another player on a rookie contract, TJ Slaton was the best of the bunch against the run in 2023, which is to be expected from a big 6-5 330 pounder like him. 

Slaton being the best of the bunch against the run was mostly by default though. A 5th round pick in 2021, Slaton has mostly been a situational run stopper throughout his career, playing more snaps against the run (663) than against the pass (552) in his career and managing just a 4.5% pressure rate for his career. He’s been unspectacular in that situational role, struggling with a 44.2 PFF grade against the run as a rookie and then posting grades of 61.8 and 62.0 over the past two seasons, much better than his rookie year, but still underwhelming. Now in his age 27 season, it’s unlikely Slaton has much untapped upside, so he should remain an underwhelming base package player. Overall, this is a young group that could be better in 2024 than it was in 2023, but that’s far from a guarantee and they’re unlikely to all remain healthy all season like they did a year ago.

Grade: B+

Edge Defenders

The Packers didn’t make any changes at the edge defender position either, with Preston Smith (730 snaps), Rashan Gary (586 snaps), Kingsley Enagbare (453 snaps), and Lukas Van Ness (366 snaps) all returning as their top-4 edge defenders. There could still be differences this season though, as Gary and Van Ness could see more playing time, with Gary going now being another year removed from the torn ACL that ended his 2022 season and Van Ness now going into his second season in the league, after being a first round pick by the Packers in 2023. It’s also worth noting that, like their top interior defenders, none of their top edge defenders missed any time with injury in 2023, which is highly unlikely to happen again this season.

Despite it being his first season back from a major injury, Gary still played at a high level in 2024, posting a 80.0 PFF grade and excelling as a pass rusher, with 9 sacks, 12 hits, and a 15.6% pressure rate. Gary had a 89.3 PFF grade and a 82.9 PFF grade in 2021 and 2022 respectively while totaling 15.5 sacks, 23 hits, and a 17.8% pressure rate across the season and a half before his injury, so it’s possible Gary could be even better in his second season removed from the injury in 2024, still only in his age 27 season. The former first round pick (2019) Gary is also likely to see closer to the 42.4 snaps per game he played in the year and a half before his injury than the 34.5 snaps per game he played in his first season back in 2023. Van Ness, meanwhile, was decent with a 64.0 PFF grade in his limited rookie year action and has the upside to take a big step forward in a bigger role in year two.

If Gary and Van Ness see more playing time, it would likely come at the expense of Preston Smith, who now heads into his age 32 season and could become more of a rotational player as he ages. Smith had a solid season in 2023, receiving a 73.9 overall grade from PFF, playing the run well and adding 8 sacks, 14 hits, and a 10.7% pressure rate as a pass rusher. He’s mostly been a capable starter throughout his career, surpassing 60 on PFF in 8 of 9 seasons in the league, while playing an average of 46.5 snaps per game with just one game missed in his career, but last season was the third best PFF grade of his 9-year career, so it’s unlikely he’ll be as good again in 2024, especially given his age. Still, he should be a useful rotational player, likely in a smaller role than he’s used to.

Kingsley Enagbare should also remain a rotational player, after the 2022 5th round pick has shown decently in that role the past two seasons, with PFF grades of 61.4 and 64.5 respectively on snap counts of 465 and 453 respectively, holding up against the run and totaling 5 sacks, 11 hits, and a 10.6% pressure rate. Still very young in his age 24 season, it’s possible he could take a step forward in 2024, but even if he doesn’t, he should remain a capable rotational player. The Packers probably won’t have the same health at the edge defender position that they had a year ago and Preston Smith’s age is a concern, but Rashan Gary should play more and possibly at a higher level, now another year removed from his ACL tear, while Kingsley Enagbare and Lukas Van Ness are young players who could take a step forward.

Grade: A-

Linebackers

The Packers did make a big change at the linebacker position this off-season, parting ways with veteran every down linebacker De’Vondre Campbell as a cap casualty. Campbell was one of the better players in the league at his position in his prime, but he fell to a 65.3 PFF grade while being limited to 575 snaps in 11 games by injury last season and the Packers saved 10.75 million by cutting him ahead of his age 31 season in 2024, so it’s understandable why they moved on.

The Packers used a second round pick on Edgerrin Cooper as Campbell’s long-term replacement and, without another good option, he’s expected to start and be an every down player right away. He profiles as a long-term starter, but could easily struggle through growing pains in year one. If Cooper doesn’t lock down the job in the off-season, the Packers’ only alternative would be Isaiah McDuffie, who played 511 snaps last season, mostly as an injury replacement when Campbell was out, and struggled with a 58.4 PFF grade. A 6th round pick in 2021, McDuffie didn’t play well in smaller snap counts in his first two seasons in the league either (511 total snaps) and would almost definitely struggle in a season-long starting role.

At the other linebacker spot, the Packers have another young linebacker, 2022 1st round pick Quay Walker. Walker has been disappointing thus far in his career. He struggled with a 52.0 PFF grade on 846 snaps as a rookie and, while he was better in year two, he was still mediocre, with a 60.0 PFF grade on 848 snaps. He still has a lot of upside and easily could have his best season yet in year three in 2024, but that’s far from a guarantee. With an unsettled situation at the other linebacker spot, the Packers need a lot out of Walker. This position group at least has upside with Walker and Cooper both being young, but it easily could be a position of weakness.

Grade: C+

Secondary

The Packers also overhauled the safety position this off-season. Rudy Ford (626 snaps), Darnell Savage (558 snaps), and Jonathan Owens (774 snaps) were all decent as their top-3 safeties last season, with PFF grades of 69.9, 66.3, and 61.9 respectively, but all three were let go this off-season. In their place, the Packers gave a big contract to ex-Giant Xavier McKinney, making him the 4th highest paid safety in the league in average annual salary on a 4-year, 67 million dollar deal, and then used draft picks in the 2nd, 4th, and 5th round on Javon Cooper, Evan Williams, and Kitan Oladipo, with Cooper being the heavy favorite to start opposite McKinney, if only by default.

With inexperience at the other starting safety spot, the Packers will need McKinney to live up to his big contract. If he plays anything like he did last season, when he was PFF’s 4th ranked safety with a 87.5 grade, then he will be well worth what the Packers paid for him. McKinney had never been that good in a season before last year, even receiving a 57.8 grade from PFF in 2022, but he also received grades of 70.0 and 75.4 in 2020 and 2021 and he’s still only in his age 25 season, so, even if he isn’t quite as good as last season, he still has a good chance to play at a high level. Durability is a concern, as the 2020 2nd round pick has missed 18 games in four seasons in the league, but he played in all 17 games last season and in 2021, with all of his missed games coming in 2020 and 2022, so he’s more than capable of making it through a season. He was a good value, even on an expensive contract.

At cornerback, the Packers traded away veteran Rasul Douglas at the trade deadline last year, when the Packers were sellers after their slow start. Douglas’ absence was a big part of the reason why the Packers defense was worse in the second half of last season, succeeding as a team only because their offense was more than able to make up for their defensive decline. The Packers were also without top cornerback Jaire Alexander for much of the second half of last season due to injury, which also contributed to their defensive decline.

The Packers didn’t replace Douglas this off-season, but they should hopefully get more out of Alexander, who was limited to 445 snaps in 7 games, with just two of those games coming after week 9. Alexander had a 70.2 PFF grade when on the field, which was actually the worst single season grade of his 6-year career, as Alexander is one of the best cornerbacks in the league at his best. Alexander received a 90.5 grade in 2020 and a 80.3 grade as recently as 2022 and he’s only going into his age 27 season, but the 2018 1st round pick has also missed 28 games with injury in his career, so there’s a good chance he’ll miss more time and/or be limited with injuries again in 2024. Still, the Packers should get more out of him in 2024 than they did in 2023, which will be a boost for a cornerback group that was a big weakness without him and Douglas down the stretch last season.

In the absence of Alexander and Douglas, the Packers were led in cornerbacks snaps last season by Keisean Nixon (808 snaps), Carrington Valentine (694 snaps), and Corey Ballentine (488 snaps), who all struggled, with PFF grades of 59.0, 57.5, and 60.3 respectively. None have much of a history of success either, as Valentine was just a 7th round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, while Nixon and Ballentine were career special teamers before being forced into significant action in 2023, playing just 563 defensive snaps and 422 defensive snaps respectively in the first four seasons of their career prior to last season. With no significant additions made to this group this off-season, at least one of those three will have to play a significant role at cornerback this season.

It’s possible two of those three will have to play significant roles again in 2024, but the Packers are at least hoping to get something out of Eric Stokes. Stokes was their first round pick in 2021 and his career got off to a decent start, with a 66.3 PFF grade on 934 rookie year snaps, but injuries have limited him to a 53.7 PFF grade in 477 snaps and a 51.5 PFF grade in 110 snaps over the past two seasons respectively. Stokes is only in his age 25 season and still has upside, but he’s far from a guarantee to stay healthy and, even if he does, he’ll have to earn a role, despite the issues the Packers have at the cornerback position. The Packers have a pair of high level defensive backs in cornerback Jaire Alexander and Xavier McKinney, but both have significant injury histories and the rest of this group is a big concern.

Grade: B

Conclusion

The Packers were the youngest team in the league in 2023 in terms of average age and by a pretty significant margin, but they got significantly better as the season went on and surprisingly made the post-season and won a game, in large part due to the breakout of young quarterback Jordan Love, but also because of other young players improving. Going into 2024, the Packers remain the youngest team in the NFL. They probably won’t be as good as they were down the stretch last season, but they should be better overall than they were a year ago, if you include their slow start to last season.

Update: A tough schedule could prevent the Packers from taking a step forward in win total, but they still look like a playoff team.

Prediction: 9-8, 3rd in NFC North