Life Without A-Rod: Who will be the Offensive and Defensive MVPs for the Packers this season?

The post Aaron Rodgers era is upon us and the discussion has now turned to who won the trade between the Jets and the Packers. Truth be told, both sides feel that they each came out ahead but whatever side you fall on, the Packers still have to find new leaders on offense and defense for 2023-2024. With the 4 time MVP quarterback gone, let’s examine the leading candidates on both sides of the ball and pick the offensive and defensive MVP’s for this football team.

The Offense:

1. Jordan Love: Last year, in very limited reps, the new QB1 was 14/21 with 196 yards passing, a 66.7% completion rate, 1 touchdown, and a 112.2 passer rating. The Packers are banking on Love being an above average QB or they would not have picked him up in the first round and risk upsetting Aaron Rodgers. It would seem that Love is the obvious choice to step up and be the most valuable offensive player in this QB driven league but I believe that will not be the case for Jordan this year. If LaFleur is smart he will run the offense we have been waiting to see for a number of years which was partly what he was hired to do. While I think Love will do better than anticipated, I still believe he will go through growing pains and will have to rely on other players to make this offense more consistent than last year.

2. Christian Watson: Starting with the Dallas game last year Christian Watson was electric and showed why the Packers moved up to get him early in the second round. With 41 catches for 611 yards, 7 TD’s and an average of almost 15 yards a grab in an injury riddled season, Watson could be the offensive star. Adding his 11 yard average per rush and 2 more touchdowns on the ground, Watson might just be dynamic enough to be the offensive MVP. That being said, I believe that Lafluer has to be more multi-dimensional and not rely on one receiver like the Packers offense did with Davante Adams.

3. Romeo Doubs: If not Christian Watson it must be Romeo Doubs right? The Nevada kid that caught all the attention in training camp and looked poised to perhaps be the best of the new receiving corps. He finished his rookie season also fighting off injuries with 42 catches for 425 yards and 3 touchdowns. While I think both these young receivers will be good this year and are the perfect complements of one another, the MVP has got to be from the running back room if the Packer offense is going to hum this year for LaFleur & Love.

4. AJ Dillon: While many Packer fans felt Dillon had a down season last year, he is going into the last year of his rookie contract and has proven himself to be better in the receiving game that many predicted. Finishing last year with 770 yards rushing, with a 4.1 average and 7 touchdowns might lead to this upcoming year being AJ’s coming out party. Dillon has spoken out on the progress of Love and the two were both controversial picks in the same draft so perhaps they become the dynamic duo of this offense. While I am a fan of AJ and hope he plays himself into a new contract, the mayor of Door County will not be the offensive MVP this year.

5. Aaron Jones: This brings us to the obvious candidate for the 2023-2024 offensive MVP, a running back. Yes, this will finally be the year that LaFleur leans on Aaron Jones because he has to. Gutey and LaFleur have gambled putting their future in Jordan Love and for him to have success they must finally use one of the most talented weapons they have at their disposal. Jones finished the year with 1,121 yards rushing and almost 400 yards receiving- That is an average of 5.3 yards running and about 7 yards per reception. He also had a combined 7 touchdowns and we all remember post game after post game LaFleur trying to justify the under utilization of Jones. So if there is going to be a season to lean into one Aaron Jones this will be the one, thereby making Jones the offensive MVP for next season.

The Defense:

1. Rashan Gary: At the beginning of last year it was apparent that Gary was not only the Packer defensive MVP but might be the best player in the league on defense. Unfortunately Gary’s season was cut short due to a major injury. He finished the season with 32 tackles and 3 sacks. If Gary was healthy to start the upcoming season it would be a no brainer to pick him for my defensive MVP. The Packer defense never recovered after Gary went down as he is one of those rare players that impacts the play of every other player on the defense including the secondary. More than likely Gary will not be ready for game one next year and should be eased back in so he will not be the defensive MVP.

2. Kenny Clark: Kenny Clark has been the lone bright spot on the interior defense for what seems like an eternity and has moments of brilliance, but also seems to disappear due to the constant focus of the opposing offensive line. Last year he ended the season with 53 tackles, 4 sacks, and a fumble recovery. Heading into next season, with the Packers losing Lowry and Reed to free agency, their hopes fall into the development of first round pick Devonte Wyatt and the continued improvement of TJ Slayton to get Clark some much needed help. A lot is riding on Wyatt to be dominant in year two for Green Bay and I believe he is another year away from taking the double team spotlight off of Kenny Clark. With Gary coming off an injury and the youth of the defensive interior, Mr. Clark will have to continue to carry the load and because of that an MVP must come from somewhere else.

3. Jaire Alexander: Perhaps the next MVP on the defense will come from the Packers most confident group - the cornerback room. Jaire led the Packers with 5 interceptions and 56 tackles last year so maybe he is ready to be the leader on defense. Jaire certainly has the confidence and ability to step into that role but with questions at safety and Joe Barry’s passive approach on defense especially on third down I do not believe Alexander will get the chance to shine and be the MVP of the defense.

4. Quay Walker. If the MVP is not coming from the secondary or defensive line our next defensive MVP must be a linebacker. The 6 '4 240 pound rookie led the Packers with 121 tackles, 71 solo tackles and 1.5 sacks. Certainly he will make improvements and mature in year two both physically and mentally and is poised to be a difference maker on defense. I still believe he is a year away from truly dominating and understanding opposing offenses. He still needs to improve on taking on the blocks and shutting down run lanes. While it would not surprise me to see Quay become the MVP soon, I don’t think it will be year 2 of his career.

5. De’Vondre Campbell: That brings me to the “other” linebacker and the man that communicated the Packer defense. Despite having an “off” year filled with nagging injuries Campbell had 86 tackles and 2 interceptions. At age 29 and poised to prove that he played through injury last season I believe he will be the Packers defensive MVP. Working beside Walker in year 2 and having a little extra motivation, I think Campbell returns to his all-pro form he had in year one. As the main communicator in Barry’s defense and with an offense that possesses the ball longer with a renewed run game led by MVP Aaron Jones, I think Campbell is set to return to the form that made him leader of the Pack two years ago.

Now that it is time to think about the upcoming season led by Jordan Love, new leaders will have to emerge on offense, defense, and special teams. This upcoming season, the Offensive MVP will be Aaron Jones and the Defensive MVP will be De'Vondre Campbell. What say you Packer fans?