5 Biggest Positions of Need for Green Bay Packers Prior to Free Agency
By Paul Bretl
Green Bay Packers Position of Need: Linebacker
Much like receiver, linebacker is often considered a position of need for the Green Bay Packers. And again, much like receiver, if the Packers are able to re-sign one of their own free agents, in this case De’Vondre Campbell, the outlook of this position changes immensely. So much so that I wouldn’t even consider it a top-5 need anymore.
However, while the Packers and Campbell appear to have a mutual interest in striking up a new deal, until we see that actually happen, the linebacker room is dangerously thin.
The only linebackers under contract for 2022 are Ty Summers, Ray Wilborn, and Isaiah McDuffie. Now, it’s fairly safe to assume that Krys Barnes, who is an exclusive-rights free agent, will be back — those are very team-friendly contracts — but even so, this position will still have to be addressed.
We saw a much more effective version of Barnes in 2021, and I’m sure part of that can be attributed to it being his second NFL season as well as playing in Joe Barry’s defense, which does make life easier for the linebackers, but another big factor was that alongside Campbell, Barnes played the role of Robin, rather than Batman like he had to in 2020.
We all know that linebacker isn’t a position that the Packers invest heavily in, whether that be via free agency or the draft, but if Campbell does not return, it will be very interesting to see if his level of play in 2021 changed how Green Bay views the position. If it does, then we could see linebacker as a top-100 pick. If it doesn’t, then there will likely be another veteran minimum contract handed out in free agency.