As we get further into summer, one topic that makes the media and podcast rounds is which players are the best at their position. One thing that I’ve noticed is that despite back to back playoff seasons the Packers are rarely involved in these conversations.
I don’t think that’s because media members don’t think that Green Bay has talent. It’s simply a side effect of having one of the youngest rosters in the league. That being said, if the Packers want to be in the championship conversation, they’re going to need a few players that can make it into those conversations.
So who this roster has that potential?
1. Tucker Kraft
A good tight end can take an offense to a different level. Look at the Pats with Gronk, the Niners with Kittle or the Chiefs with Kelce. The right kind of TE can be a nightmare for defenses to deal with. Too big for most corners and too fast for most linebackers, a truly great TE can make an offense unstoppable.
Elite players always have one thing that they’re better at than almost anybody else, and Kraft has already shown flashes of his super power:
This isn’t just TE, 4th amongst pass catchers in their totality.
What else? Kraft is an elite yards after catch player. There’s few players in the league better at breaking tackles then he is. If the Packers can get shift the offense a bit to increase his target share, what was a good offense may become one of the best in the league.
2. Edgerrin Cooper
The hype around this player has reached dangerous levels. I do not care. I haven’t been this excited about a Packers defensive player since Ha-Ha Clinton Dix (don’t worry about how that turned out).
Cooper really was asked to do it all as a rookie and he made the most of it possible. Packers coaches have already talked about how he’s gotten bigger this offseason which I believe is directly related to the kind of roll he’ll be asked to focus on in year two. The Packers are going to turn this man into a monster pass rusher.
We saw flashes of it last year when they’d send him on blitzes, but this year they’ll have him doing it far more often. This could be a big part of why Green Bay didn’t feel incentive to bolster their pass rush. Between a new defensive line coach and a leap from Cooper in year two, Green Bay believes the answers to their rush issues are already on the roster, and Cooper is going to prove them right.
3. Jordan Love
This is a bit of a cheat, but I think Love has somehow already become underrated as a QB, and he still has another level to get to.
Last season was marred with injuries and receiver errors. No quarterback lost more production to drops last year than Love. But beyond that, we have yet to see a truly complete season from Love since taking over.
2023 was a settling in year, both for Love and LaFleur. You could see what the vision was however in the back half of the season. 2024 is simply unlucky, but despite that the offense was still a top ten unit.
2025 is where it all comes together. Love has the experience, the weapons have been upgraded, and when I say take a leap, I believe Jordan Love is pushing for top 5 QB in the league when the season is done for. All of the tools are there. The advanced metrics are there. Now is the time to see it all come together.
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