The Green Bay Packers Top 5 NEEDS This Offseason

There’s been a lot of talk about what the Packers need personnel wise going into next season. The big question is what do they need most? Some would argue a pass rusher or two considering the team that just won the Super Bowl didn’t blitz once. Others would say a true number one receiver to make the clutch plays when the Packers need them. There’s plenty of valid excuses for each position that needs to be improved upon going into next season. As for Real Packer Fans Know, here are the top five NEEDS the Packers have going into next season from least to most important.

            5. Linebacker

                  Before you say it, yes, Edgerrin Cooper is a DAWG. He is a star in the making and the best draft pick the Packers made from last season. Other than Cooper, the Packers could use another run stopper across the middle of the field. Quay Walker has had his ups and downs throughout his career, and I think it’s safe to say he isn’t the long-term answer at linebacker. McDuffie has been solid at filling in but isn’t a true starter either. When you look at the Packers linebacking group they have depth but lack consistency across the board. Putting linebacker at number five feels like a good spot for the Packers to prioritize the position this offseason. It feels like they could hit on another guy in the draft again or snag a cheap veteran in the offseason to put in the rotation.

            4. Offensive Line

                  Zach Tom is a top five offensive tackle in the NFL. He had a monster year this season and played his butt off. The same goes for Sean Rhyan who stepped up big this season after the Packers lost John Runyan Jr. in free agency to the Giants. This unit was one of the top-ranked pass blocking units in the NFL and helped Josh Jacobs rush for 1,329 yards on the season. But as we saw against the Eagles, they are not very deep. After losing Elgton Jenkins to injury the Packers rotated in both back up guards (Travis Glover & Kadeem Telfort) who had back-to-back penalties in their playoff debuts. Not what you want to see. Football is the ultimate team sport and you’re only as strong as your weakest link. Plus, the Packers also could be losing starting center Josh Myers in free agency. This unit could use some more help in the interior so if push comes to shove, they have guys who are ready to go when their name is called. No team develops offensive lineman in the draft like the Green Bay Packers and I would expect them to keep that trend going with Jordan Morgan and whoever they take in the draft in April.

                  3. Wide Receiver

                  This has been a big topic ever since Davante Adams left the Packers for the Raiders a couple of years ago. I think it’s safe to say it and even Josh Jacobs said it too, the Packers need a true number one. Name one team who doesn’t have a go to guy who isn’t a Super Bowl contender. There are a couple subjective ones, but realistically, none. This may contradict what I said about football being the ultimate team sport, but some situations require your stars to make big plays. The Packers don’t have that right now. There isn’t one receiver on the roster who you are 100% confident in to make a play in the clutch. Watson, Doubs, Reed, and Wicks are all great pieces who have had their moments. They just haven’t proved to be consistent enough to be relied on in the clutch. Obviously, Reed and Wicks are only in year two, but the vibes clearly indicate the Packers need a true number one guy. Maybe one of these guys steps up next season after they’ve been tore apart for all the drops they had (rightfully so). I sure hope that’s the case, otherwise I hope Gutey has been making some phone calls to fill this hole.

                  2. Edge Rusher

                  Some people might be surprised about edge rusher being number two, but trust me, it’ll make sense in the end. The Packers pass rush has been horrible since, I mean I couldn’t even tell you when. The Packers don’t have one guy on the roster who you need to double every play and it’s a fact. The crazy part about the pass rush is they played arguably their best game of the season against the Eagles in the wild card round who have the best offensive line in football. Other than that, they only really shined against bad teams like the Titans, Colts, and a banged-up 49ers squad. The pass rush struggled against mediocre offensive lines and that is what is concerning. Lukas Van Ness, a project pick that the Packers love, has been almost nonexistent and Rashan Gary pretty much vanished after getting paid. How do they solve this? Easy, Myles Garrett or Maxx Crosby! We all wish it was that easy and know that the Packers have never been a team to give away draft picks in a big trade like those two would require. If you are Brian Gutekunst in the front office, you are thinking of the third year now in the rebuild from Aaron Rodgers. You’ve made the playoffs twice, have a great young core, and most importantly a quarterback. Why not go after a guy who could vault your team into an immediate contender? Some would argue and say the Packers are three pieces away from being a championship team and that’s a fair assumption I’d say. Why not get a stud edge rusher? The Packers last two Super Bowl runs had guys on the defensive line who were major problems for every opposing team. Why shouldn’t they go for it now? 

1.        Cornerback

See where this list was going? Edge rusher has to be the number two priority for the Packers this offseason no matter how tempting it may look. As for the cornerback position, the Packers are as thin as a sheet of notebook paper. With Jaire Alexander never playing and on the trade block the Packers current number one is whoever you want it to be, Keisean Nixon or Carrington Valentine. Sounds awesome right? Although this past season the NFL was dominated by running the football, having a lockdown corner is still going to be a huge thing to have going forward. The Packers current corners do not have a shot at covering guys like Jamar Chase, Justin Jefferson, or AJ Brown on a consistent level. Even though Jaire didn’t play a lot, you still felt his presence on the field when he was. Corner is arguably the toughest position in the NFL and to have a guy with supreme confidence who can back it up is very rare and valuable. The Packers need an impact guy on the outside, but it wouldn’t hurt to add more than just one to the slimmest unit on their team.

Real Packer Fans Know🧀