Who are the 2023 Green Bay Packers? Are they going to end up with a top-five draft pick? Are they going to be good enough to sneak into a wild-card spot? Can they win the NFC North? The post-Rodgers era will certainly be an interesting time at 1265 Lombardi Avenue, but this doesn’t seem like an organization ready for a full rebuild. If the Packers want to do anything of relevance this upcoming season, they’re going to need a lot of talent to step up and replace the production of perhaps the greatest player in franchise history. Everyone has to take a leap, but these five players are the key to a potential playoff berth.
Jordan Love, QB
This should go without saying, but the performance of the 2023 Green Bay Packers is heavily dependent on how quickly Jordan Love can assimilate to a starting role in the NFL. Although he’ll be entering his fourth NFL season, Love is largely still an enigma. When he steps on the field in Week 1, it’ll be just his second start as a pro. Aside from his lone start, we’ve seen him play here and there with mixed results. Simply put, the sample size is just too small to accurately make an assessment of the 2020 first-rounder. BUT… that’s not to say he hasn’t flashed the talent the Packers drafted him for. The last time we saw Jordan Love get some extended playing time, cheeseheads everywhere had to sit back for a second and at least consider what life might be like after Aaron Rodgers.
Wk12 Jordan Love coming in for an injured Aaron Rodgers in a hostile Eagles stadium:
— ✰ (@smhgoofys) April 24, 2023
6/9 passing
113 yards
1 touchdown
146.8 RTG
Not bad for a bust. pic.twitter.com/YRhByG6jij
The big question is going to be how much time the Packers give themselves to evaluate Love’s ability to be a franchise quarterback. You’d think he’ll have more than just one full season to get his feet under him, right? Well, if the Packers are bad enough to be in a position to take a guy like Caleb Williams or Drake Maye, will they pass it up? Let’s keep in mind, this is the organization that took Brian Brohm in the second round the same year good ol’ #12 was set to take over. As we’ve seen, history repeats itself.
I think Love gets more than just one full season as the starter before the Packers look elsewhere. I do still expect that they want to see him take a big step forward though. Now, what does that step look like? I don’t think many fans could tell you. We just don’t really have a baseline for his performance. I’m sure Brian Gutekunst and Matt LaFleur have a good idea of what the bar is though, and it’ll be interesting to see how much leeway he gets.
AJ Dillon, RB
Another high pick from the 2020 draft class, AJ Dillon has had an interesting career so far. Originally somewhat of a head-scratching pick at 62nd overall, the Boston College product hasn’t done much to prove Green Bay’s front office right. While he’s certainly a fan favorite for his rough style of play, Dillon simply hasn’t put up the numbers you hope to see out of a second-round draft pick. He’s had decent yardage totals over the last two seasons, but he’s been trending the wrong way when it comes to efficiency. In the 2021-22 season, Dillon averaged career lows in yards per carry (4.1) and yards per reception (7.4).
When he was drafted, AJ Dillon screamed Lambeau Field playoff performer. Who would want to tackle a 250-pound back in freezing cold? The guy is an absolute Mack Truck. Well, you don’t have to worry about that if said back doesn’t play well enough to get the ball. In three playoff games, Dillon has a pedestrian 16 carries for 69 yards and one touchdown with one catch for 13 yards. Yikes. A lot of people might ask why Matt LaFleur isn’t giving him more touches, but he really just hasn’t done enough to take a significant cut of Aaron Jones‘s carries. Going into a contract year, it’ll be interesting to see if the Mayor of Door County can finally break through and give the Packers the elite 1-2 combo they’ve been striving for.
Josh Myers, C
In recent memory, the Packers have been one of the NFL’s elite organizations when it comes to drafting offensive linemen. In just the last decade, we’ve seen them make some excellent picks:
– David Bakhtiari: 2013 fourth round
– J.C. Tretter: 2013 fourth round
– Corey Linsley: 2014 fifth round
– Elgton Jenkins: second round
– Jon Runyan Jr.: sixth round
All of these guys were mainstays on the offensive line during their time in Green Bay. If you add Josh Myers to that list, he’d be the second-highest pick overall. Unfortunately, his play has left a lot to be desired. Myers hasn’t been bad per se, but he just leaves you wanting more. With a 60.4 Pro Football Focus grade in 2022, he was the weakest link on an otherwise strong unit.
It’s a lot easier to cover up bad center play than it is to cover up a bad tackle. However, add in the fact that Green Bay has a first-year starter taking snaps (and making adjustments at the line), and it becomes absolutely critical to have at least decent play from your center. The Packers have been trying to move towards a run-first system ever since Matt LaFluer entered the building, and I think Myers fits that perfectly. If we’re being honest though, it’s a passing league. Myers will have to step up that part of his game to remain a long-term starter.
Devonte Wyatt, DL
Another high pick makes the list for the Packers! It’s almost like you need your best investments to pan out to succeed. Shocking! That’s not to say Wyatt hasn’t though. In fact, when we saw him on the field he flashed a lot of great things:
Play Devonte Wyatt and good things will happen. pic.twitter.com/sgkOqJlBbN
— Daire Carragher (@DaireCarragher) December 26, 2022
I’m begging the #Packers to give Devonte Wyatt more snaps. pic.twitter.com/T4ql0hXju0
— Brandon Carwile (@PackerScribe) November 8, 2022
In year two, it’s just a matter of getting Wyatt more playing time. Wyatt played just 21.68 percent of defensive snaps (224) as a rookie. I don’t know if it’s a conditioning issue or a matter of learning Joe Barry’s scheme, but this dude has to play more. The Packers have been searching for a running mate for Kenny Clark ever since he came into the league in 2016. Clark is a Ferrari, and Green Bay has put countless Hondas next to him in mid-round picks like Dean Lowry and just-okay free agents like Jarran Reed. Gutey finally ponied up and got you another Ferrari, Joe – don’t leave it in the garage.
Darnell Savage, S
Ah, the rise and fall of Darnell Savage. Actually, it’s been constant rising and falling since the speedy safety came into the league, and that’s the main problem. We’ve seen Savage play some good football next to a solid veteran in Adrian Amos. In fact, the run the two went on in the second half of the 2020-21 season was probably some of the best safety play Green Bay has seen since Nick Collins.
Pictured:
— PFF GB Packers (@PFF_Packers) December 29, 2020
Two highest graded Safeties in coverage since Week 11.
Darnell Savage 88.5
Adrian Amos 84.7#GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/fKRfN5iyMF
2022 though, was a different story. Both players took a step back, and with Amos being the better overall player of the two, it makes sense that Savage looked worse. With Amos signing a 1-year, $4 million deal with the New York Jets, Savage is the de facto number one safety in Green Bay. The Packers did make minor additions to the group over the offseason, signing former Texan Jonathan Owens and drafting Iowa State’s Anthony Johnson Jr. in the seventh round, but depending on either player to be an impact player for Green Bay in 2023 seems like a stretch (and I really, really like Johnson Jr.).
If the Packers plan on going into 2023 with this safety group, it won’t be completely detrimental to the defense. However, if the 2023 Green Bay Packers plan to contend, this group simply won’t be good enough unless Darnell Savage makes a huge leap.
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