Green Bay Packers (Last Year: 9-8)
Season Summary:
The Packers had a roller coaster season. They began hot, but lost a bunch of games in October. They caught fire again around Thanksgiving, but then lost to the Giants and Buccaneers. However, they once again went on a tear to close out the season, which includes a playoff win at Dallas. They went toe-to-toe with San Francisco in the divisional round.
2024 NFL Season Preview:
Veteran Additions:
RB Josh Jacobs, OT Andre Dillard, S Xavier McKinney, S Greg Joseph.
Early Draft Picks:
OT Jordan Morgan, LB Edgerrin Cooper, CB/S Javon Bullard, RB Marshawn Lloyd, LB Ty’Ron Hopper, S Evan Williams. Packers Rookie Forecast
Offseason Losses:
RB Aaron Jones, TE Joiah Deguara, OT David Bakhtiari, OT Yosh Nijman, G Jon Runyan, LB D’Vondre Campbell, S Darnell Savage, S Jonathan Owens.
2024 Green Bay Packers Offense:
No unit experienced more ups and downs than Green Bay’s offense last year. The Packers’ scoring unit looked terrific at times, particularly down the stretch when it upset the Chiefs, blew out the Cowboys, and then nearly prevailed in San Francisco. Conversely, Green Bay was absolutely dreadful on occasion, losing in ugly fashion to the Raiders and Broncos in consecutive weeks during the middle of the season, and then being humiliated by the Tommy DeVito-led Giants in a late Monday night affair.
Jordan Love had extreme moments in both directions, as he and his young receivers were getting used to one another. Love barely had any NFL experience heading into the 2023 season, so now that he has game action under his belt, he should be more consistent. The same can be said of his wideouts. His top options – Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks – were all either second-year players or rookies. The same can be said of his two primary receiving tight ends, Tucker Kraft and Luke Musgrave. Love and his weapons will all continue to grow together, so it’s reasonable to expect a much better overall output in 2024, especially when considering that Watson was able to diagnose why he was suffering chronic hamstring issues. The speedy Watson’s absence from the lineup had a direct correlation with how the team performed.
Aaron Jones’ availability was also a big factor in how Green Bay performed offensively. Jones is a talented running back, but is often injured. A.J. Dillon did a poor job as a replacement, so having Jones in the lineup was a huge upgrade for the backfield. Jones signed with the Vikings this offseason, but the Packers replaced him with Josh Jacobs. The former Raider is younger and more reliable.
Another key piece the Packers added to the roster was Jordan Morgan in the opening round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Perennial Pro Bowl left tackle David Bakhtiari barely played last year and was allowed to leave this offseason. Morgan, a high-upside prospect, could step in right away as a starter on the blind side, but he may be stationed at guard. Rasheed Walker, a 2022 seventh-round pick, played in that spot last year.
If Walker remains at left tackle, Zach Tom, who was stationed at right tackle last year, will remain in his spot as well. Tom performed well, but he’s a versatile blocker who can make the change to guard effectively. If he plays guard instead of Morgan, he will be joined in the interior by Elgton Jenkins and Josh Myers. While Jenkins is a solid player, Myers seems to be the weak link on the offensive line unless Morgan struggles as a rookie.
2024 Green Bay Packers Defense:
Aaron Jones and David Bakhtiari aren’t the only significant Packers to depart this offseason. Green Bay also lost a couple of key pieces on the defensive side of the ball, though the front office did a great job of replacing the departed personnel.
Former first-round pick Darnell Savage had a slow start to his career, but he thrived in 2023. The athletic safety is no longer with the team, but the Packers signed Xavier McKinney away from the Giants. McKinney was overpaid because of the market concerning his position, but there’s no questioning his talent level. McKinney will be an upgrade despite how good Savage was last year. The Packers weren’t done addressing safety despite McKinney, using a second-round pick on Javon Bullard, who is capable of being utilized in the slot as well.
Another key loss in the middle of the defense was De’Vondre Campbell, who was one of the best linebackers in the NFL for several years. Campbell, however, regressed in 2023, so the Packers decided to find another player at the position to start next to underperformer Quay Walker. Green Bay will have two options, as both were acquired on the second day of the draft. Edgerrin Cooper and Ty’Ron Hopper were selected, so they’ll battle for Campbell’s spot and compete against Walker. Cooper is the more talented of the two, but he dropped in the draft due to character concerns.
The rest of Green Bay’s defense remains intact. This includes the terrific edge rush. Rashan Gary and Preston Smith combined 17 sacks last year, as Gary, in particular, made a huge leap in his level of play. The Packers also have 2023 first-rounder Lukas Van Ness waiting in the wings. Van Ness, who recorded four sacks as a rookie, played about a third of the snaps. He should see more action in 2024.
Kenny Clark also chipped in with 7.5 sacks. Clark is one of the top nose tackles in the NFL. He’ll continue to start next to Devonte Wyatt, who hasn’t quite lived up to his first-round billing yet, despite the 5.5 sacks he produced in 2023.
Rounding out the defense, the cornerbacks lost a key member during the trade deadline last year. Rasul Douglas was shipped off to Buffalo, and he was never replaced. The Packers tried Corey Ballentine and the injury-prone Eric Stokes there last year, and neither performed well. Stokes, a former first-round pick, could perhaps finally meet expectations. If so, Green Bay will have a terrific tandem with Jaire Alexander still being recognized as a shutdown cornerback.
2024 Green Bay Packers Schedule and Intangibles:
Green Bay is 163-57-2 at home since 1992 – the year Brett Favre first became a Packer. Aaron Rodgers continued the tradition; he was 89-20-1 as a host. It remains to be seen if Jordan Love can perform similarly. Love was 5-3 at home last season.
Mason Crosby is no longer kicking for the Packers. Anders Carlson took over last year and was 27-of-33. He missed a huge kick in the second round of the playoffs.
Daniel Whelan had one of the league’s worst net punting averages in 2023. He also didn’t place punts inside the 20 very often.
Green Bay has the misfortune of battling the Eagles this year in a second-place schedule. This is the first of numerous tough opponents the Packers have on the slate, given that they have to battle the NFC West and AFC South. There are some easy games as well.
2024 Green Bay Packers Rookies:
Go here for the Packers Rookie Forecast, a page with predictions like which rookie will bust and which rookie will become a solid starter.
2024 Green Bay Packers Positional Rankings (1-5 stars):
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Coaching |
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Projection: 11-6 (2nd in NFC North)
2023 Projection: 8-9. 2023 Actual Result: 9-8.
2022 Projection: 12-5. 2022 Actual Result: 8-9.
2021 Projection: 11-6. 2021 Actual Result: 13-4.
2020 Projection: 7-9. 2020 Actual Result: 13-3.
2019 Projection: 12-4. 2019 Actual Result: 13-3.
2018 Projection: 11-5. 2018 Actual Result: 6-9-1.
2017 Projection: 11-5. 2017 Actual Result: 7-9.
2016 Projection: 12-4. 2016 Actual Result: 10-6.
NFL Draft Team Grade:
C+ GradeGoals Entering the 2024 NFL Draft: The Packers have a young offense that will continue to grow as the players gel. The defense, on the other hand, needs some upgrades. The secondary and the defensive line, in particular, must be bolstered. With extra picks, the Packers can move up for a stud defensive back.
2024 NFL Draft Accomplishments: Green Bay didn’t use its first-round pick on defense after all, opting instead to draft an offensive lineman. Jordan Morgan is an athletic blocker, but has some strength issues. He was a fine selection, but he wasn’t the safest or best choice that could have been made at No. 25.
The Packers focused on the defensive side of the ball after the opening round, spending four of their next five choices on the stop unit. None of the picks stood out as being great, however. Edgerrin Cooper is a talented linebacker, but has off-the-field problems. Ty’Ron Hopper could fill a need at linebacker, but he was a reach in the third round. Javon Bullard and Evan Williams were fine selections to potentially help the secondary, but they were the best of the two picks despite earning “B” grades.
“B” grades actually were quite good for the Packers, who failed to earn anything better than that with the nine selections they made prior to the seventh round. There was one especially bad choice, which occurred when the Packers traded up for Jacob Monk, who was considered a UDFA-caliber prospect. This was not a very good draft class for Green Bay, but there were some positive aspects to it.
NFL Draft Individual Grades:
25. Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona – B Grade
I’m a bit surprised that the Packers are drafting Jordan Morgan over Tyler Guyton when Guyton was such a better fit. There’s some questions with Morgan’s toughness, which would worry me. However, he has big upside, and Green Bay is smart to do something to protect “No Cookie” Jordan Love, so this seems like a solid choice.
45. Edgerrin Cooper, LB, Texas A&M – C Grade
If Edgerrin Cooper had no issues, he would have been in first-round consideration. He’s a talented and instinctive linebacker. However, he comes with some off-the-field concerns that really bothered some teams. Cooper comes with added risk, and I’m not sure the upside dwarfs the downside at this stage.
58. Javon Bullard, CB/S, Packers – B Grade
The Packers have to regret trading Rasul Douglas, who could have helped the Packers against the 49ers in the playoffs. Javon Bullard will help ease the pain. Bullard is a useful defensive back who can play numerous positions. He fits the range here in the second round.
88. Marshawn Lloyd, RB, USC – B Grade
It’s unclear why the Packers retained A.J. Dillon. I suspect Marshawn Lloyd will take his job as Josh Jacobs’ direct backup. Marshawn Lloyd is a tough, downhill runner who was expected to be chosen in this area, so this pick makes sense.
91. Ty’Ron Hopper, LB, Missouri – C Grade
We had Ty’Ron Hopper going early during the third day, so while this is a reach, it’s not too bad of a reach. Hopper is a bit of a tweener though, which is the real problem with this pick. He may be a career special-teamer for that reason.
111. Evan Williams, S, Oregon – B Grade
The Packers needed to add a safety even after signing Xavier McKinney. Evan Williams is a fourth-round prospect, so the range makes sense for Evan Williams, who can start on special teams.
163. Jacob Monk, G/C, Duke – D Grade
We’ll have to investigate why the Packers traded up for Jacob Monk because he was considered as a late-round prospect or a UDFA player. Jacob Monk can play center or guard, but he looks like a backup at best in the NFL.
169. Kitan Oladapo, S, Oregon State – B Grade
Addressing the secondary is essential for the Packers, so I like the decision to draft someone like Kitan Oladapo late in the fifth round. Oladapo was pegged as a fifth-round prospect, so he’s a logical fit in this range as a current backup and special-teamer.
202. Travis Glover, OT, Georgia State – B Grade
Protecting “No Cookie” Jordan Love is obviously very important, so drafting a tackle with this pick makes sense. Travis Glover was seen as a sixth-round prospect, so he was expected to go here, making this a logical choice.
245. Michael Pratt, QB, Tulane – A Grade
The Packers obviously didn’t need a quarterback, but they’re getting a steal with Michael Pratt. Perhaps they’ll be able to develop him into a tradeable asset or a long-term backup for “No Cookie” Jordan Love.
255. Kalen King, CB, Penn State – A- Grade
Wow. Kalen King was projected as a first-round pick a year ago. Now, he’s the antepenultimate pick in the draft. He had an abysmal 2023 season at Penn State and then struggled at the Senior Bowl. On top of that, his combine time was slow. I don’t know what happened to him, but there’s always a chance that he rebounds and is able to perform like he did prior to 2023.
Season Summary:
The Packers had a roller coaster season. They began hot, but lost a bunch of games in October. They caught fire again around Thanksgiving, but then lost to the Giants and Buccaneers. However, they once again went on a tear to close out the season, which includes a playoff win at Dallas. They went toe-to-toe with San Francisco in the divisional round.
Offseason Moves:
Team Needs:
- Two Safeties: The Packers have some liabilities in their secondary. They’ll need two safeties if Darnell Savage leaves via free agency. Signed Xavier McKinney
- Cornerback: Rasul Douglas was traded, which seemed like a huge mistake. There’s a big hole at cornerback now across from Jaire Alexander.
- Defensive Tackle: Green Bay has been weak to the run for years. The Packers should add a defensive lineman to help fix this.
- Two Interior Offensive Linemen: The Packers can stand to upgrade their interior offensive line. Josh Myers has been one of the weaker centers in the NFL, while Jon Runyan is due to enter free agency.
- Linebacker: Some linebacker depth would help, as there isn’t much behind D’Vondre Campbell and Quay Walker.
- Running Back: A.J. Dillon was a huge disappointment as Aaron Jones’ backup. He’s due to hit free agency anyway. Signed Josh Jacobs
- Kicker: Anders Carlson missed one too many kicks last year. Signed Greg Joseph
- Punter: Daniel Whelan was a bottom-five punter this past season.
Follow me @walterfootball for updates.
2024 NFL Free Agent Signings:
Green Bay Packers Free Agents:
Salary Cap: TBA.
NFL Free Agent Tracker:
QB | RB | FB | WR | TE | OT | G | C | DE | DT | OLB | ILB | CB | S | K/P | FA Grades | FA Rumors
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