2021 saw the Packers win 13 games and clinch the NFC North title for the third straight season under Matt LaFleur. Aaron Rodgers also became just the fifth player in NFL history to win back-to-back MVP awards, taking his career tally to four. The elephant in the room though is the continued failure to get over the line in the postseason, this time being dumped out by the 49ers in the divisional round. Can they finally get over the hump and make it to a Super Bowl in 2022?
Offseason additions and losses
The Packers were in a tough cap situation entering the offseason. It was a big reason for why they made very few free agency moves. The only notable signing was Jarran Reed, who joins on a one-year, $3.25 million deal. Outside of that the focus was on extensions and restructures. They made Aaron Rodgers the highest paid quarterback in NFL history with a four-year, $200 million extension. They also tied down key defensive names including Jaire Alexander, De’Vondre Campbell, and Rasul Douglas.
The most high profile departure this offseason was obviously Davante Adams, who was tagged and traded to the Raiders after eight years in Green Bay. He wasn’t the only starter to leave, with Marquez Valdes-Scantling finding a new home in Kansas City and offensive line pairing Lucas Patrick and Billy Turner landing in Chicago and Denver respectively. On the defensive side of the ball Za’Darius Smith was cut and moved to divisional rivals Minnesota.
2022 NFL Draft
| Pick | Player |
| 1.22 | Quay Walker – LB, Georgia |
| 1.28 | Devonte Wyatt – IDL, Georgia |
| 2.34 | Christian Watson – WR, North Dakota State |
| 3.92 | Sean Rhyan – OT, UCLA |
| 4.132 | Romeo Doubs – WR, Nevada |
| 4.140 | Zach Tom – OT, Wake Forest |
| 5.179 | Kingsley Enagbare – EDGE, South Carolina |
| 7.228 | Tariq Carpenter – LB, Georgia Tech |
| 7.234 | Jonathan Ford – IDL, Miami |
| 7.249 | Rasheed Walker – OT, Penn State |
| 7.258 | Samori Toure – WR, Nebraska |
The Packers didn’t select a first round receiver as many had anticipated, opting instead for two members of Georgia’s historic National Championship winning defense. Both Walker and Wyatt are likely to start out of the gate and form part of a talented front seven in Green Bay. They addressed wide receiver too, picking up Christian Watson in the second round. Watson is a raw talent, but his combination of size and speed suggest WR1 potential. It also sounds like fourth rounder Romeo Doubs is impressing and could have a role as a rookie. Sean Rhyan and Zach Tom are two more names to watch, with both having long-term starting potential.
Offense
There might not be a better play caller/quarterback duo in the NFL than Matt LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers. The two have been consistently excellent over the last few seasons and Rodgers enters 2022 as a back-to-back MVP winner. He is just one more away from equalling Peyton Manning’s record of five MVP awards. Rodgers finished the 2021 season with 37 touchdowns to just four picks and is playing the best football of his career. With him under center, the Packers will always be competitive.
Green Bay also boast an exceptional running back tandem in Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon. The two ranked second and 10th respectively in RYOE per attempt in 2021 and look primed for a bigger role this season. With Davante Adams gone it is likely that the offense will run through them more than ever, with Rodgers making big plays off the back of play action. The team also boasts an impressive offensive line, though they seem set to start the season without either of their starting tackles in David Bakhtiari and Elgton Jenkins.
The one thing that could derail this team is the receiving corps. Green Bay’s answer to Davante Adams’ departure was drafting a raw athlete in Christian Watson and signing Sammy Watkins to a one-year, $1.85 million deal. Rodgers has admittedly played well without Adams in the past, and this new-look offense should at least in theory be less predictable. That said, this is not the receiving corps you expect of a contending team, and it could come back to haunt them as the season goes on.
Defense
If there are some lingering doubts about the Packers’ offense there should be none when it comes to their defense. They managed to bring back all of their stars in the secondary and now possess a unit that is amongst the very best in the NFL. This was a very solid pass defense in 2021 and that was largely without Jaire Alexander, who is back to full health this season. With Eric Stokes and Rasul Douglas both coming off strong 2021 seasons and a great safety duo of Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage, this might be the best secondary in football.
The stars continue at every level of the defense. De’Vondre Campbell was the bargain of last offseason, earning an All-Pro nod in 2021. In Kenny Clark they have a nose tackle who can hold up against the run whilst also bringing it as a pass rusher. Off the edge they have one of the league’s brightest defensive stars in Rashan Gary. Since 2019, Gary ranks fifth in the NFL in pass rush win rate at 20.5%. Don’t be surprised if he has a huge 2022 campaign.
The big weakness of this Packers team in recent years has been their utter inability to stop the run. This plagued them under former defensive coordinator Mike Pettine and didn’t get much better with his replacement Joe Barry last season. The team finished 28th in rushing DVOA and have finished above 27th just once in four years. It remains to be seen whether it is an issue again in 2022, but there is cause for optimism. The addition of Quay Walker and Devonte Wyatt to the front seven should help to add some steel to this unit and plug that weakness once and for all.
Prediction
The Packers have come close to success in recent years, carried by their high-powered offense. Their shortcomings have nearly all come at the hands of a sub-par defense. With the departure of Davante Adams this might be turned on its head for 2022. The offense could struggle to replicate its explosive output of recent years, but this is a defense that can win games on its own. It could prove to be the recipe for success that has eluded Matt LaFleur and Aaron Rodgers over the last three years.
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