Year 2 Can Provide Some of the Packers Biggest Improvements

It happens every offseason, and I assume with every fan base, but many will look to free agency and the draft for ways that the Green Bay Packers can improve as a team.

This, of course, isn’t to say that holes on the roster can’t be addressed with either of these avenues–we’ve seen the Packers boost this roster with the additions of Preston Smith, Za’Darius Smith, Billy Turner, Adrian Amos, and De’Vondre Campbell in free agency. They’ve also found impact players right away in the draft in Jaire Alexander, Darnell Savage, and Elgton Jenkins.

But when it comes to the question, how will the Green Bay Packers improve this season, oftentimes the answers are already on the roster.

While the emphasis on the draft nowadays is about finding immediate help — which certainly can be done, as mentioned above — it’s more so about drafting who that player will become, not who they are on draft night.

And in reality, a majority of rookies struggle during that first season because there is such an adjustment from the college game to the NFL. What we saw from Eric Stokes in 2021 is much closer to being the outlier when it comes to his performance rather than the norm.

However, the transition from Year 1 to Year 2 is oftentimes where the most development occurs, and it’s a leap that many successful NFL players make. Players have some experience under their belts, their more comfortable in the offensive or defensive system, as well as with the day-to-day life of being in the NFL and what their daily routines need to look like in order to be successful.

From his first to second season, Savage saw his completion rate drop from 63% to 54.5% while coming away with two more interceptions and five more pass breakups. His missed tackle rate improved as well. Jaire Alexander saw 24 more targets in Year 2, but his completion rate dropped almost 7% while he added another interception and eight more pass breakups.

Rashan Gary went from 16 pressures and three sacks to 46 pressures and nine sacks, according to PFF ($$). Now, of course, he saw more playing time, but that’s playing time and production he earned as he continued to progress as a player. The same could be said for AJ Dillon, who rushed for 828 yards in 2021 and had another 313 yards through the air.

You get the idea.

So as we look ahead to this 2022 Green Bay Packers team and wonder where or how they can improve upon another 13-win season, look towards last year’s rookie class, who is now entering their second season.

As impressive as Stokes was, allowing a completion rate of 51% with nine pass breakups, like any rookie, he has room to grow–specifically when it comes to tracking the ball and turning a few of those nine pass breakups into interceptions.

"“Just starting to look for the ball more,” Stokes said recently via Packers News ($$). “I’ve got to get comfortable with that. I’m not making no excuses or anything, but just growing up all I knew was face guard, face guard. Just play (the receiver’s) hands. Like, hey bro, throughout everything just play hands.“So now just retraining myself to just look for the ball. I know you’re in position, look for the ball. Do all this little stuff and get out of your head.”"

With all of the injuries that took place along the offensive line last season, this group held up well, all things considered. However, there is certainly room for improvement as we saw fewer big run plays compared to the 2020 season, and the passing game did have to be altered a bit with more quick passes and blocking help needed from the tight ends.

The simple fact that Josh Myers and Royce Newman — and you could include Jon Runyan, if you’d like — now have a year’s worth of experience on the field and in LaFleur’s offense should lead to this unit improving.

At receiver, Amari Rodgers seems to be forgotten about with the additions of Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, and Samori Toure, but again, he has experience and reps in this offense that the other three just don’t have. Like the others, he will have to earn his playing time, but even with the addition of the three rookies and Sammy Watkins, Rodgers will have the opportunity to do so–and without Davante Adams, there will be a lot more targets to go around.

"“He’s taking those steps right now. I feel really good about Amari,” WR Coach Jason Vrable said via Packers Wire. “(Randall Cobb) bumped me the other day and was like, ‘Yo, you can feel it from him.’ I just smiled. It’s just the start right now.”"

More snaps for TJ Slaton at nose tackle could benefit the entire front seven, giving the Green Bay Packers the added flexibility to move Kenny Clark around more frequently while the edge rushers and linebackers stay clean as Slaton eats up space and takes on double teams.

As good as the first three cornerbacks on this roster are, there is a need at the slot cornerback position. While Alexander will see his share of snaps there, it’s not as if he is going to strictly play that position. If Shemar Jean-Charles can provide a reliable presence in the slot when needed, it will give Joe Barry and this secondary an immense amount of flexibility each week in how he game plans–being able to position Alexander, Stokes, and Rasul Douglas pretty much wherever he likes.

A healthy Kylin Hill will provide a dynamic presence in the RB3 role. Cole Van Lanen has the potential to provide quality depth at both guard and tackle positions, while Isaiah McDuffie could become a core special teams player under Rich Bisaccia.

Once again, you get the idea. While it is certainly exciting to add new players to this team, for every team, but especially the Green Bay Packers, it’s about drafting and developing. More often than not, that development part of the equation is how this team is expecting to get better each year.

Now, it goes without saying, but obviously, not everything we just described is going to happen, but if a few of these players do make that Year 2 leap, that is one major way that this Green Bay Packers team will go about improving from 2021 to 2022.