THE GAP IN THE PACK

This has certainly been an interesting offseason for the Green Bay Packers. With Aaron Rodgers contemplating retirement on his darkness retreat, the front office made the decision to name Jordan Love the QB1 for the upcoming 2023 season. In typical Rodgers fashion, he announced his intention to play for the New York Jets on The Pat McAfee Show with the only roadblock being the trade package details between the Packers and Jets front offices. While trade talks have died down, the departure of the 4-time MVP is inevitable.

The Packers entered free agency with fourteen free agents on the roster and have managed to retain four players on the defensive and special teams side. Of the remaining ten free agents, five have signed contracts with a new team. The final five have yet to work a new deal and it appears that one will not be made with the Packers front office.

The roster as a whole lost two defensive ends, two wide receivers, two tight ends, two safeties, one kicker, and a linebacker to free agency. Furthermore, the front office only signed one safety and a long-snapper. That being said, there will be some gaps that will need to be addressed in the waning period of free agency while working under a tight salary cap or via the upcoming NFL draft.

The Packers currently hold ten draft picks in the upcoming 2023 NFL Draft. The 15th overall, 45th overall, 78th overall, a fourth round, two fifth round, and four seventh round picks. The most conservative trade package projection going into the draft is to have Rodgers traded to the New York Jets in a package that sends the Packers a bare minimum of a second round draft pick with an option for an additional pick in the 2024 NFL draft if Rodgers continues to play after the 2023 NFL season.

The Packers front office needs to prioritize drafting players to fill roster gaps that were created from free agency and add depth. With the arrival of Love, it is expected that running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon will take a bulk of the workload. The front office will need to use at least two picks to add depth on the offensive line to consistently dominate the trenches. The next gap is in the tight end position with the departure of Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis. Tonyan had pass-catching ability but had inconsistent play due to injuries while Lewis was used as an extra lineman with his impressive run blocking ability at the tight end position. However, this can be seen as a huge opportunity to open the passing game up by targeting an athletic, pass-catching tight end early in the draft. Additionally, three to four picks should be used on the defensive line and safeties to increase depth and would benefit special teams.