Ranking Packers’ positional groups through first four games
The Green Bay Packers won three of their first four games, but that doesn’t mean they are where they want to be.
They have a lot of room to grow as a team and are hoping for more significant contributions from their rookie class as the year progresses. There’s also plenty of room for improvement for veterans who established themselves in previous years, but are off to slow starts.
Starting at the bottom and working our way to the top, the rankings of the 10 primary positional groups are based solely on how they’ve played through four games.
Here are the rankings of the Green Bay Packers’ 10 primary positional groups based on how they’ve played through four games this season.
10. Offensive line
Despite getting David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins back on the outside, the offensive line has had a brutal showing. Jenkins returned quickly from a torn ACL he suffered last season and hasn’t been the normal dominant self we’re used to seeing. Bakhtiari hasn’t been great either, but both are trending in the right direction. On the inside, Royce Newman has been the biggest issue and could be replaced before the season is over. Overall, they’re giving up 2.3 sacks per game which ranks in the bottom half of the NFL.
9. Tight end
Marcedes Lewis is out there working his butt off as an extra offensive lineman disguised as a tight end. After him, however, nobody else is doing their job. Robert Tonyan also returned from a significant injury last season and has gotten off to another slow start. I don’t expect much from Josiah Deguara or Tyler Davis at this point.
8. Defensive line
Kenny Clark single-handily saves this group from being the clear no. 10. He’s having a terrific season and is unstoppable. Everybody else? They’ve played like trash. That may sound harsh, but it’s the truth. Jarran Reed and Dean Lowry haven’t maintained the level of play we’ve seen, and rookie first-round pick Devonte Wyatt can barely get on the field. There’s a lot of hope for this position group, but it’s been a very slow start.
7. Safety
Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage haven’t been good enough through the first four games. The veteran duo has struggled to communicate and is sometimes hesitant to come up and make a tackle. They’ve had their better days as individual players and as a team.
6. Wide receiver
The wide receiver group has had more ups and downs than a roller coaster. They’ll drop a 75-yard walk-in touchdown in one game, but catch a contested back-shoulder fade in another. There’s a lot to like about this group; they just have to figure out how to put it together consistently.
5. Cornerback
The Packers were supposed to have the best trio of cornerbacks in the NFL in Jaire Alexander, Rasul Douglas and Eric Stokes. They’ve underperformed, but have a lot of room for positive regression down the stretch. They haven’t been nearly as bad as some of the other units, but their expectations were also a lot higher than just about any other positional group on the team.
4. Inside linebacker
De’Vondre Campbell is a changed man–and not for the better. He lacks the same speed and sideline-to-sideline coverage that made him an All-Pro last year. He and rookie Quay Walker still have their moments, but are inconsistent. Sound familiar?
3. Quarterback
Aaron Rodgers has been okay to begin the season. He’s on pace for 12-13 interceptions this season (his career-high is 13) and hasn’t always seen the field very well. He’s beginning to trust his young receivers more and more each week which could lead to better results. He’s the man that will make the whole machine work when he’s on.
2. Edge
Rashan Gary has been nearly unstoppable through the first four games, racking up five sacks and being very disruptive in the passing game. Preston Smith has been a nice compliment on the other side and has gotten to the quarterback a few times of his own. However, they need to improve their run defense as running backs have no problem getting to the edge. The Packers also need to develop some quality players behind them.
Next. 8 biggest disappointments for Packers. dark
1. Running back
It’s been the Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon show to begin the season. The duo has been as dynamic as advertised and can make defenses pay on the ground or through the air. Matt LaFleur continues exploring ways to use them together while preserving them for the long run. It will be fun to watch them continue to dominate.