The 2023 campaign ended well for the Packers, as they made the playoffs as the NFC’s seventh seed. The regular season was an inconsistent one filled with ups and downs for Matt LaFleur‘s men, as they could never secure more than three or four wins in a row, ending the season with nine wins and eight losses. Losing to the Raiders, the Broncos and the Steelers, all teams they should be beating, certainly didn’t help them in their quest for a playoff spot. Despite these and more rocky results, they managed to obtain a wildcard place, where they faced the second-seeded Dallas Cowboys. In a shock result, the Packers dismantled the Cowboys, beating them 48-32 and progressed to the next round, where they played, and ultimately lost to, the San Fransisco 49ers, capping off a nice end to a bumpy season.
Jordan Love
We saw progression for quarterback Jordan Love, who picked up a huge new contract this offseason as a result, as well as wide receiver Romeo Doubs. But does this team have enough to improve in 2024?
Off-Season Moves
The Packers made quarterback Jordan Love the joint highest-paid player in the NFL this offseason, solidifying their faith in him. Love signed a four-year $220 million extension after a successful 2023 campaign. However, they didn’t manage to retain some of the players that helped them reach the playoffs last season. Running Back Aaron Jones had been a mainstay in this offence since 2017, but he made the switch to the Minnesota Vikings in free agency. Additionally, they lost two starters in the safety position, Jonathan Owens and Darnell Savage. Savage was plagued with injuries during his time in Green Bay but will be remembered for his pick-six in the wildcard game vs the Cowboys. Losing both of their starting safeties could take its toll on their defence.
In free agency, the Packers made crucial moves to remain competitive in the NFC and build upon what was a good 2023 campaign. They replaced the outgoing Jones with former Raiders running back Josh Jacobs, who signed a four-year deal worth $48 million. Jacobs is three years younger than Jones and signified the importance of the run game for LaFleur’s offence. Quarterback Love reached his most productive period when Jones was healthy last season, so it’s on Jacobs to carry the torch in 2024. They also re-signed running back AJ Dillon, who provides quality depth and power running to an already potent Packers’ offence. On the defensive side, they picked up safety Xavier McKinney on a four-year, $67 million contract. McKinney provides coverage in an important position for this Green Bay defence and replaces the two outgoing safeties in Savage and Owens. McKinney played four seasons at the New York Giants, racking up nine interceptions and 180 solo tackles. Green Bay also re-signed several special teams players in light of the new dynamic kick-off rules.
2024 NFL Draft
They also picked up some key assets in the 2024 NFL Draft. In the first round, they drafted offensive tackle Jordan Morgan from Arizona. If you’re going to make Jordan Love the highest-paid player in the league, you need the players to protect him, and the selection of Morgan highlights that this was a main priority. The young tackle is a powerful run blocker who can play across the offensive line, he’ll be hoping to follow in the footsteps of former Green Bay tackle David Bakhtiari. In round two, they drafted linebacker Edgerrin Cooper out of Texas A&M with the 45th pick and safety Javon Bullard out of Georgia with the 58th overall pick. Cooper brings great run defence skills to a team that has given up the most yards per carry average in the league. Moreover, safety Bullard comes in after the loss of Savage and Owens. In the third round, they selected running back Marshawn Lloyd of the University of Southern California as a backup option and another inside linebacker in Ty’Ron Hooper out of Missouri, continuing to address positional needs. In round four, they added a second safety of the draft in Oregon’s Evan Williams. Williams provides key depth at, what was previously, a position they were thin at and is a prolific blitzer. In round five, they drafted versatile offensive lineman Jacob Monk out of Duke. Also in round five, they drafted a third safety in Oregon State’s Kitan Oladapo. Finally, in rounds six and seven they added depth at O-Line in Georgia State’s Travis Glover; they added depth at quarterback with Tulane’s Michael Pratt and, with their final pick, they chose cornerback Kalen King from Penn State.
This looks to be an exciting year for the Packers, as their young team looks to build on a surprising 2023 season. If their key players, such as Jordan Love, Christian Watson and Kenny Clarke, can remain healthy they are sure to kick on and take the next steps in becoming a contender in the NFC. However, with a lot of new faces on defence and a plethora of other NFC teams also improving over this offseason, it certainly won’t be an easy ride for head coach Matt LaFleur and his team.
The Packers face the Philadelphia Eagles in Sao Paolo, Brazil in their opening game of the 2024 season, throwing this young side into the deep end right away meaning it should be a good indicator of how this season will play out for the Packers.
