With preseason game No. 2 on deck in Denver this weekend, the Green Bay Packers, like the other 32 teams in the league, will hold their breath, cross their fingers, and hope they can get through the weekend with no significant injuries.
Which got me thinking. Who are the 10 guys the Packers can least afford to lose for a long stretch this season? It’s kind of a ‘Who are the team’s 10 most-valuable players’ kind of exercise. I’ll count backward from 10 and spoil any surprise now: Jordan Love is obviously No. 1.
10. Christian Watson
This might seem like a surprise right out of the gate. After all, Green Bay’s top four receivers seem to be relatively interchangeable, with no clear No. 1 guy at this point. My thinking is that Watson has the one skillset that no one else on the roster has at that position: game-breaking speed. With Watson on the field, the deep-ball threat is always in play, forcing defenses to keep a safety nearby. When he’s not in uniform, the team loses that advantage. If he stays healthy (a huge if), he could be higher on this list next season.
9. Rashan Gary
This may seem a bit low for the team’s top pass rusher and a guy who appears poised to stuff the stat sheet a year removed from the ACL. He’s also a guy who should benefit from his new role up on the line with his hand in the dirt. The only reason he’s this low is my faith in the team’s depth, with Lukas Van Ness and JJ Enagbare waiting in the wings. Obviously, neither guy is near his level, but Van Ness has the upside to be in the conversation at this point next season.
8. Xavier McKinney
The Pack’s premier free-agent signing is penciled in as the new quarterback of the defense. At 25, he’s already considered a top-five safety. He will mentor the team’s impressive rookie safeties and his close relationship with Jaire Alexander should help keep the All-Pro corner on the straight and narrow. If McKinney goes down, the team will be forced to turn to the rookies to take over that room – a tall task.
7. Eric Stokes
If he can finally stay upright and flash the talent he displayed in his rookie year, he will answer the biggest question mark on this defense: Is there a reliable outside corner opposite Alexander? Carrington Valentine stepped in admirably as a seventh-round rookie, but Stokes has way more natural ability and upside. He’ll be motivated to play for a new contract and should flourish in Jeff Hafley’s aggressive system.
6. Kenny Clark
The Packers have already demonstrated how they value Clark by awarding him a rare third contract with the team. Still just 28, Clark is firmly in his prime, and the team doesn’t have a proven guy behind him unless you’re buying stock in Devonte Wyatt. That said, this position group, 1-5, is as solid as I can remember. T.J. Slaton and second-year guys Karl Brooks and Colby Wooden look like they can be major contributors. However, the unit takes a big step back if No. 97 is in street clothes.
5. Josh Jacobs
Is No. 5 too high in an era when running backs are being devalued? Remember how the Pack’s offense took off when Aaron Jones returned from injury last season? Jacobs should have a similar, if not greater, impact on the offense. Now imagine he misses a couple of months. Ready for a steady diet of A.J. Dillon as the No. 1 guy? Rookie MarShawn Lloyd? At this rate, he’s liable to pull a hammy coming out of the huddle. Love and company will only reach the heights we dream of if Jacobs can stay on the field.
4. Rasheed Walker
His ability to hold down the spot protecting Love’s blind side was one of the biggest stories of 2023. When David Bakhtiari was forced to bow out, the Pack turned to Walker, and he seemed to get better and better as the season went along. He could stake his claim as the long-term answer this season. There’s still a chance that rookie Jordan Morgan will take over that spot in the next couple of years, but he’s not close to being ready to fill in due to injury. The team would likely kick Elgton Jenkins or Zach Tom over to left tackle, causing a domino effect on the line.
3. Zach Tom
Same logic here for the team’s right tackle, who is turning into an elite player before our eyes. While he’s been rehabbing this summer, the Pack has tried a handful of unproven, borderline NFL-ready players in his place. No one stood out, and again the team would likely move Jenkins over and put Sean Rhyan, Morgan, or Jacob Monk in his left guard spot. The Pack addressed line depth in the draft, but there is no solid, dependable swing tackle on the roster.
2. Jaire Alexander
Don’t show him this list – I don’t want it to go to his head. The self-appointed gameday captain has been pretty infuriating lately, with injuries, inconsistent play, and some strange off-field behavior. At his best, he’s one of the premier corners in the league, a guy who wants the opposing team’s top receiver every week. If we get that version of Alexander this season — and early signs are promising with how he’s attacked the offseason — this defense can reach another level. That questionable, unproven CB depth will be tested if he’s out.
1. Jordan Love
Duh.
