NFL 2018 Squad Preview: Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers are used to being serious contenders in the NFC, but the 2017 season did not go as planned. The Packers franchise Quarterback Aaron Rodgers went down with a broken collarbone in week 6, causing him to miss the majority of the rest of the season.

With Rodgers missing, the Packers failed in their quest to make the playoffs. Furthermore, with their star QB out of action, the weaknesses in the Green Bay squad were clear to see. Without Rodgers putting consistent points on the board, more pressure was put on a depleted defense, with backup QB Brett Hundley unable to keep up with the opponents' scoring. There were a lot of holes in this team that needed to be addressed this offseason.

The Packers have strengthened some of their weaknesses through the Draft and a somewhat busier Free Agency, under the direction of new General Manager Brian Gutekunst.

Green Bay Packers

Here, I break down the Packers roster to determine their strengths and weaknesses by position.

Quarterback - STRENGTH

The Quarterback position is obviously a strong one for the Packers. Aaron Rodgers is one of the best QBs that the league has ever seen. He is fully recovered from his collarbone injury that derailed his 2017 season. He is expected to once again be in the MVP talk come the end of this coming season.

Behind him, Brett Hundley showed he can play in the NFL, but nowhere near the standard the Green Bay faithful have become accustomed to over the last 25 years. Hundley’s play last year obviously made the Green Bay hierarchy think twice about the backup situation. So much so, the Packers traded their best CB from last year, Damarious Randall, to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for their starting QB Deshone Kizer.

Kizer was thrown into the deep end in his rookie season. He struggled in a poor team, failing to get a win during the whole season. Kizer did flash potential though, and the Packers obviously think he can progress his game sitting behind Rodgers for a few years. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top if Rodgers suffers another injury.

Offensive Line - STRENGTH

NFL: DEC 31 Packers at Lions

The Packers had an injury-hit 2017 season at Offensive Line. The only player to play all 16 games was Center, Corey Linsley. Linsley had a decent season as the linchpin of the Packers OL, giving up just one sack on the year. The Packers showed they have good strength in depth as they used a number of different combinations of players, including David Bakhtiari, Jahri Evans, Lane Taylor, Justin McCray, Jason Spriggs, Kyle Murphy and Bryan Bulaga.

This year, the Packers will hope that their line can stay healthy and string together games without having to change up players positions. Pro Football Focus had Green Bay’s OL ranked at number 13 in the league which is impressive considering how many changes had to be made.

Going into 2018 training camps, The Packers depth chart currently reads:

LT – David Bakhtiari

LG – Lane Taylor

C – Corey Linsley

RG – Justin McCray

RT – Bryan Bulaga.

Bakhtiari is arguably one of the best Left Tackles in the game when he’s healthy, excelling in pass protection and improving his run blocking. He is vital for the Packers as the leader of the OL. Linsley earned himself a new contract in the offseason, after his displays in 2017.

Bryan Bulaga will be welcomed back after injury. Bulaga has regularly played at a Pro Bowl level when on the field, but injuries have really hampered his career, playing 16 games in just 2 of his 7 seasons in the league. When healthy, Bulaga and Bakhtiari form an imposing pair of tackles for opposition defenders to try and get around.

Justin McCray has earned himself a shot at the Right Guard position following the 2017 season, where he was asked to fill in all across the Offensive Line. His play convinced the Packers to not re-sign veteran Jahri Evans. I expect the Packers Offensive Line to be amongst the Top 10 OLs this season if they can keep their core players healthy.

Running Back - STRENGTH

Jamaal Williams celebrating his touchdown run

This year, the Packers possess one of the strongest Running Back Corps in the NFL. At the same time last offseason, there were concerns about the Packers backfield as it comprised of 2 rookies and a converted Wide Receiver. A year on and there is a lot more optimism due to their impressive displays in 2017.

Ty Montgomery started as the lead back last year until an injury derailed his season. He was a true workhorse in the opening couple of games, being on the field for over 90% of snaps. Even though he impressed when called upon, the former Wide Receiver is entering this training camp as the RB3 in the Packers Offense.

This is due to the impressive form shown by both Jamaal Williams and Aaron Jones. Williams was second on the depth chart to start the year and took over from Montgomery when he got injured. The injury bug once again struck as Williams was the next to go down. Aaron Jones showed that he can lead the backfield with an impressive run of performances. All in all, the Packers have 3 very capable Running Backs on their roster.

There has been talk and speculation all offseason about who will be atop the depth chart come September 9th. Much to the frustration of fantasy owners everywhere, the latest from the Green Bay camp is that it’ll be a ‘committee approach’ at running back this year. Unless someone goes down with injury in the early weeks, expect a 3 headed monster at RB for the Packers this season.

Wide Receiver – WEAKNESS

Adams and Allison

The Wide Receiver position is usually one of strength for the Green Bay Packers. However, this season it is different, as the departure of Jordy Nelson has left a huge hole at outside receiver. Nelson was Rodgers favourite target, and his telepathic relationship with his QB will no doubt be missed.

The WR1 spot will be strong as Davante Adams has the chance to be a true elite WR in this league. Adams has the most TDs in the league over the past two seasons, and has also shown he can get it done with either Rodgers or Brett Hundley throwing to him. Adams will continue to be Rodgers favorite Red Zone target. Behind Adams, Randall Cobb has to step up. Cobb, who will play the majority of snaps out of the slot, will see an increase in targets with Nelson gone. He will hope to rekindle his 2014 form where he scored 12 TDs and caught 91 passes for over 1200 yards.

Opposite Adams on the outside, Geronimo Allison is the de facto WR2. Allison has shown he can produce decent performances when called upon in the past. It will be interesting to see if he can make that jump in productivity and keep a starting slot.

Behind him, The Packers drafted 3 Receivers in the 2018 draft. J’Mon Moore, Marquez Valdes-Scantling and Equanimeous St Brown will battle it out at training camp to determine their position on the depth chart. Moore is being projected to nudge Allison out of his WR2 spot come the end of the season.

Tight End – STRENGTH

NFL: MAY 31 Packers OTA

The Tight End position has been somewhat problematic for the Packers over the past few seasons. Many have tried and failed to produce on a consistent basis. Last year's Free Agency acquisition Martellus Bennett didn’t work out, Richard Rodgers was released after a few poor years and Jared Cook was free to go to Oakland after the 2016 season.

However, the Packers dipped their feet into the Free Agency market again, signing Jimmy Graham to a 3 year $30 million contract. Graham will be a vital component of this offense, providing a big weapon for Rodgers in the Red Zone. Graham has lost a step in recent years, but he still had double-digit TDs last season.

The Packers also signed Marcedes Lewis, who wasn’t re-signed in Jacksonville. While the signing of Lewis won’t excite many fans around the league, he could be a lot more valuable than most people realise. Last season Lewis was ranked as the best run blocking Tight End in the league per Pro Football Focus.

He also chipped in with 6 TDs for the Jaguars. He won’t be used too much in the passing game this season, but he could be vital for the offense and their Running Back committee. Lance Kendricks is the TE3 on the depth chart this season. He will also be used primarily as a blocker.

Defensive Line – STRENGTH

Seattle Seahawks v Green Bay Packers - Mike Daniels celebrating

The Packers' D-Line has become a strength of this defense in the past couple of seasons. The line is led by 2017 Pro-Bowl player, Mike Daniels, who will look to continue his brilliant form from the past season. Nose tackle Kenny Clark took a big step up last year and will look to cement his place as one of the best young NT in the league.

Dean Lowry also impressed at times last year in his first full season as a starter. These 3 players will be joined by new recruit Muhammed Wilkerson and second-year player Montravius Adams. Wilkerson was signed in Free Agency to a 1-year deal. The Packers will hope he can recapture his form from a couple of seasons ago where he played under new Packers DC Mike Pettine in New York.

Linebacker – WEAKNESS

Wild Card Round - Green Bay Packers v Washington Redskins

The Linebacking corps should be a strength for the Packers on paper. But each year the Packers' main pass rushers seem to be hampered by injury. The two players I’m talking about are Nick Perry and Clay Matthews. Matthews was one of the best OLB’s in the league once upon a time. In recent years he’s struggled with injuries which have really affected his ability to get to the opposing QB.

Perry had similar struggles last season after having a very strong 2016. At ILB, Blake Martinez impressed in 2017, recording the most tackles in the league with 144. He also played 979 of 1052 defensive snaps for the Packers, which ranked second on the team. He was joined at ILB by second-year player Jake Ryan, who will look to improve on his snap percentage of 48.2%.

Vince Biegel will look to work his way in to the defensive plans in 2018. Biegel will have a full offseason behind him, after his 2017 was hampered by injury right from the get-go.

Cornerback - WEAKNESS

2018 NFL Draft

The Cornerback position has been a huge weakness for the Packers in the past few seasons. They ranked among the worst in the league in 2017, which caused the Packers to focus heavily on the position in the draft. They traded their top CB from last year, Damarious Randall to the Browns, and therefore used their first two picks on Jaire Alexander and Josh Jackson.

Both players will likely play a big part for the Packers this season. The current starters at CB are second-year player Kevin King and the returning veteran Tramon Williams. Williams surprisingly ranked as the 9th best CB in the league last year at the age of 34. He will be the perfect player for the rookies to learn from. Whilst this corps is much improved from last season, it still has to be regarded as a weakness until we see the rookies produce at NFL level.

Safety – WEAKNESS

Indianapolis Colts v Green Bay Packers

The Safety position contributed to the Packers' defensive struggles last season. Usually led by the dependable Haha Clinton Dix, the unit struggled in coverage all season. Clinton-Dix was well below his usual level of play, with pundits voicing concerns over his commitment to the team.

He was joined at safety by Morgan Burnett and Josh Jones. Burnett has been a fixture in the Packers secondary for years, but he was allowed to hit the Free Agent market this offseason and was duly snapped up by the Steelers. Josh Jones will fill his starting role in the side, whilst looking to improve on his 2017, where he admitted to not playing to the best of his ability.

The whole secondary struggled last season as the Packers' pass rush wasn’t very effective, giving opposing QBs the time for their WRs to get open. With an improved pass rush this year, I expect to see the secondary step up their level of play.