Green Bay Packers

Packers Trio Ranked the NFL’s Best Heading into 2021

Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones (33) celebrates scoring a touchdown with quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) and wide receiver Davante Adams (17) against the Atlanta Falcons Sunday, December 9, 2018, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Apc Packvsfalcons 120918 1061 Djp

There are a lot of reasons to feel good about the 2021 Green Bay Packers. The Aaron Rodgers off-season drama is a distant memory, and No. 12 seems happy and motivated. Matt LaFleur is coming into his third year and should be fully comfortable in his system and the players he has to run it. Joe Barry is a welcomed change on the defensive side of the ball, and there’s a reason to believe the unit can make a big leap forward. And maybe most importantly, for the first time in what feels like forever the “Aaron Rodgers needs more weapons” talking point is nowhere in sight.

There certainly was a time when the front office deserved criticism for its inability to surround their future Hall of Famer with the offensive weapons his talent deserved. As his upper echelon peers like Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes were handed seemingly endless playmakers, it made sense to question why Aaron consistently had so few.

That is no longer the case. Not only do the Packers have a healthy stable of young receivers who can battle for meaningful second and third contributor spots, but their best player at each position is near the forefront of the league.

NFL.com recently ranked their top trios in the league and they put the Packers in the No. 1 spot, stating:

Quarterback: Aaron Rodgers — Rank: 2
Running back: Aaron Jones — Rank: 6
Pass catcher: Davante Adams — Rank: 3

Rodgers’ return to the MVP throne in 2020, along with the strength of his running mates, squeezed the Packers past the more accomplished Chiefs. Judging by the potential of each team’s top three, it’s tough to find a better trio than Rodgers, Jones, and Adams. Last season, Rodgers’ passer rating (121.5) nearly matched his career high (122.5), while he threw a league-high 48 passing touchdowns, 18 of which went to Adams (also an NFL best). That, plus Adams’ top-five receiving yards total, cements him as a top-three pass catcher. Rodgers will be in the Hall of Fame one day, and Adams is trending in that direction. Jones is tied with Minnesota’s Dalvin Cook for second in the NFL in scrimmage touchdowns (30) since 2019. Only one other active running back — Cleveland’s Nick Chubb — is as productive per-carry as Jones; each has a career average of 5.2 yards, good for the fourth-best rate in NFL history (minimum 500 carries).

The top five was rounded out in order by Kansas City, Dallas, Seattle, and Tampa Bay. The only NFC North competitor to be even remotely considered on the list was the Minnesota Vikings who came in at No. 10. Dalvin Cook and Justin Jefferson both ranked very high up in their respective positions but the mediocrity of Kirk Cousins kept the purple from reaching any higher. The Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions came in at a dismal 23rd and 24th respectively.

Anytime someone mentions great NFL trios, it’s hard not to think of the 1990s Cowboys. Future no-brainer Hall of Famers Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, and Emmitt Smith dominated their way to Super Bowl trophies. I’m not about to put Adams and Jones in Smith and Irvin‘s categories, but Packer fans should be excited about the possibilities here. Not only does this trio have a chance to be great this season, they have a chance to be historically great. If this is indeed the last dance for Rodgers, hopefully they put up a three-headed beast of season that people are talking about for years to come.

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Green Bay Packers running back Aaron Jones (33) celebrates scoring a touchdown with quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) and wide receiver Davante Adams (17) against the Atlanta Falcons Sunday, December 9, 2018, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Apc Packvsfalcons 120918 1061 Djp

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