Packers’ Needs on Offense and First-Round Options

With the 2022 NFL Draft set to start on April 28, here is a look at the state of the Green Bay Packers on offense.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – With the first two weeks of NFL free agency complete and few move-the-needle players remaining, the best way for the Green Bay Packers to improve their roster will be through next month’s NFL Draft.

Here is a position-by-position look at the Packers’ offense and some options with their two first-round picks.

Quarterback

Strength: Aaron Rodgers. Yes, Rodgers has fallen short in the playoffs the past three seasons, but the Packers wouldn’t be routine playoff participants without the four-time MVP’s domination. Given the state of the receiver corps, he’ll have to be at his best this season to keep Green Bay in championship contention.

Question: Will Jordan Love take a step forward in Year 3? Given two opportunities last season, he failed to deliver in winnable games at Kansas City and Detroit. The knock on Love coming out of Utah State was ball security. Well, Love had as many turnovers as Rodgers last season despite playing about 12 percent of the snaps. Kurt Benkert will face Danny Etling to be the No. 3.

First-round pick: Can you even imagine the outrage?

Running Back

Strength: Is there a better backfield combination than Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon? Perhaps, but the Packers have a dynamic duo to help them get through the transition to life without Davante Adams. Last year, 50 running backs had at least 100 carries. Jones and Dillon tied for 13th with 3.18 yards after contact per carry, according to Pro Football Focus. Dillon was a real revelation as a receiver with his 91.9 percent catch rate.

Question: Running back is a rough position. Having two excellent backs is great. Having three is better. How will Kylin Hill bounce back from last year’s torn ACL? And is Patrick Taylor, after a disappointing training camp, as good as he was in Week 18 at Detroit?

First-round pick: No, but there’s a decent chance this will be Jones’ final season under contract, so the Packers could hit this spot with a late-round pick.

Receiver

Strength: Allen Lazard’s toughness, mentality and sneaky speed have made him a key weapon and Randall Cobb’s leadership will be important in developing the rookies.

Question: Can Lazard handle a bigger role on the offense, or will he be taken away by better cornerbacks who won’t be preoccupied with No. 17? Can last year’s third-round pick, Amari Rodgers, live up to last year’s expectations after barely playing as a rookie? If the Packers were to line up in a three-receiver set today, those potential third receivers to join Lazard and Cobb – Juwann Winfree, Malik Taylor, Amari Rodgers, Rico Gafford and Chris Blair – have a combined 21 career receptions. The pressure is on general manager Brian Gutekunst to draft the next Greg Jennings, Jordy Nelson or Davante Adams. With the possible exception of Love, Gutekunst has nailed his early picks.

First-round pick: There are five receivers to focus on with the 22nd and 28th picks as the Packers try to replace the All-Pro Adams and field-stretching Marquez Valdes-Scantling.

Arkansas’ Treylon Burks (6-2, 225) is the power player. Draft Countdown’s Shane Hallam compared him to former Chiefs star Dwayne Bowe. It’s a perfect example of a receiver dominating without that elite athleticism. Ohio State’s Chris Olave (6-0 3/8, 187) has the speed to help offset the loss of Valdes-Scantling and is a better route-runner but is obviously significantly shorter.

Alabama’s Jameson Williams (6-1 1/2, 179) might have been the first receiver off the board if not for the ACL tear sustained in January. Because of the date of the injury, he might be only a late-season contributor. Georgia’s George Pickens (6-3 1/4, 195) returned from a torn ACL late in the season. He’s got a terrific combo of height and speed but lacks power and polish.

Penn State’s Jahan Dotson (5-10 5/8, 178) plays bigger and faster than the test numbers. He is a superb jump-ball receiver with big-play production on punt returns, but his limited size could make him a better fit in the slot. With Cobb and Amari Rodgers, the Packers’ need is on the perimeter.

Tight End

Strength: Tight end is sort of a catch-all term. There is the old-school, traditional player who lines up in-line, blocks and catches some passes. There is the overgrown receiver. And there is the hybrid fullback. The Packers have each of those positions covered with Marcedes Lewis, Robert Tonyan and Josiah Deguara, respectively.

Question: Tonyan is back on a one-year deal. He was one of the league’s breakout stars in 2020, when he caught everything in sights and scored 11 touchdowns. Just when he was starting to get rolling last year, he suffered a torn ACL. If Tonyan can be even close to the player he was in 2020, the Packers will have another key weapon in the passing game to offset the loss of Adams.

First-round pick: This is a better-than-usual draft for tight ends. The sweet spot is in Day 2. Virginia’s Jelani Woods is a massive man at 6-foot-7 and 259 pounds who could be groomed into a more athletic version of Lewis. Colorado State’s Trey McBride is a superb target in the passing game but is neither super-athletic nor super-sized.

Offensive Line

Strength: Just imagine what the Packers’ front wall could look like if former All-Pro David Bakhtiari and former Pro Bowler Elgton Jenkins are back from their torn ACLs and rolling into the stretch run. Furthermore, imagine if center Josh Myers and right guard Royce Newman show the requisite improvement in Year 2 after starting as rookies. This could be a really, really good offensive line.

Question: It starts with those knee injuries. Bakhtiari just couldn’t get past his torn ACL. Presumably he’ll be ready to roll for training camp. but will he be back in his dominating form? When will Jenkins return? And how will the Packers line up in Week 1 without Jenkins (assuming he’s not ready) and fellow starters Lucas Patrick (Bears) and Billy Turner (Broncos)? How about Bakhtiari at left tackle, Jon Runyan at left guard, Myers at center, Newman at right guard and TBA at right tackle? At that spot, the Packers could go with Yosh Nijman, who impressed last year at left tackle, Dennis Kelly, who is a free agent, or a draft pick.

First-round pick: The best bets to be available are Northern Iowa’s Trevor Penning (pictured) and Central Michigan’s Bernhard Raimann. Penning was a mauler at Northern Iowa. If coach Matt LaFleur’s desire is to get more and more physical up front, Penning would be the perfect fit if still available. Raimann might be a bit of a project – he grew up in Austria and spent his first two collegiate seasons playing tight end – but he is a big-time athlete.