ESPN Underwhelmed by Packers’ Lineup

ESPN.com ranked the NFL’s starting lineups in advance of the start of training camp. It did not think highly of the Green Bay Packers, despite last year’s success.

The Green Bay Packers' Lukas Van Ness (90) reacts against the Dallas Cowboys during the fourth quarter of their wild card playoff game Sunday, January 14, in Arlington, Texas. / Wm. Glasheen USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers’ starting lineup is either being overrated by reporters and fans or it’s being underrated by ESPN’s analysts.

ESPN.com’s Mike Clay, Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder ranked every NFL lineup, then combined their rankings for one final ranking. The Packers were only 13th – so, far behind the presumptive Super Bowl contenders and not far above being squarely in the middle.

The analysts then broke down each team’s biggest strength and weakness, X-factor and top nonstarter.

For Clay, the Packers’ biggest strength was the edge-rushing quartet of Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, Lukas Van Ness and Kingsley Enagbare. Gary and Smith have been reliable performers, and Van Ness could be primed for takeoff in Year 2 after a strong finish to his rookie year.

The weakness, according to Clay, was the linebackers, a group with some “uncertainty” after the release of De’Vondre Campbell and the Day 2 additions of Edgerrin Cooper in the second round and Ty’Ron Hopper in the third round. Former first-round pick Quay Walker is moving to middle linebacker in the new 4-3 scheme. He’s been a “tackling machine,” Clay said, while noting his poor Pro Football Focus grades.

“I think he’s done an outstanding job,” coach Matt LaFleur said of Walker. “Just comes here and goes to work every day. A lot of learning has taken place. We’re asking these guys to do some different things that they’ve done from his past, but he’s embraced that challenge.”

The X-factors are the receivers, with Walder wondering who would emerge as a No. 1 receiver – as if it matters.

“There have been moments and flashes of upside from Christian Watson, Jayden Reed, Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks,” Walder wrote. “Odds are, one of them will ascend into a WR1-caliber player, but we haven't seen it yet and don't know which one it will be. Assuming that happens for someone, QB Jordan Love and the Packers' offense should stay hot into 2024.”

Of course, the Packers didn’t have a No. 1 receiver last year and Love was as good as any quarterback in the NFL despite that perceived problem. Now, all of those non-No. 1 receivers – Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Bo Melton and Malik Heath – have an additional year of seasoning.

“I personally don’t think it matters,” LaFleur said of having a No. 1 receiver. “I think if you just look at throughout the course of a season ago – and every season’s going to be a little bit different – but all those guys had their moments where they were the leading receiver in a game. I feel really good about the collective unit. The hardest part is we feel so good about them, it’s hard to get everybody the amount of touches that you’d like to get, but that’s a good problem to have.”

PFF wasn’t a big fan of Green Bay’s receivers, either.

In the NFC, the San Francisco 49ers (who knocked the Packers out of the playoffs) are No. 1 overall, the Detroit Lions (who won the NFC North last year) are No. 5, the Dallas Cowboys (who were crushed by the Packers in the playoffs) are No. 6 and the Philadelphia Eagles (who will battle the Packers in Week 1) are No. 10.

More Green Bay Packers News

The first practice of #Packers training camp will be held on July 22. Those practices (and the three preseason games) will be the basis of going from a 90-player roster to 53.

Here is our early roster projection. ⬇️https://t.co/571Xv7m6F7

— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) June 24, 2024

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