The Green Bay Packers high-end potential on offense is not enough, and they do not have enough playmakers to have above-average star power on offense league-wide. The Packers triplets, or their combination of best passer, runner, and receiver, ranked 18th in the NFL, according to Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated.
Verderame blames the skill players. He notes that Love is a good quarterback, but the team does not have enough star power at either pass catcher or running back to get higher than below league average.
This has been a criticism of the Packers for years, and they seem to prefer to have the ability to spread the ball around, rather than lean on one player. However, that is going to cost them in this ranking.
The Green Bay Packers Do Not Have a Go-To Skill Player
GettyTucker Kraft #85 of the Green Bay Packers
The running back selected was obviously Josh Jacobs, but the pass catcher might surprise some people with it being Tucker Kraft. To be fair, Kraft led the Packers in receiving during the first eight weeks of the season. However, he has never led the team in receiving, he is coming off of a torn ACL, and most fans or media do not view Kraft as one of the most lethal tight ends in the NFL, so it makes sense why his selection does not move the needle.
The team signed Christian Watson to a big contract, but a lot of fans are wondering if he is worth the deal. On the field, he is one of the more feared serious threats in the NFL, but does not stay on the field enough to consistently be mentioned as a star receiver.
Jayden Reed has led the Packers in receiving before. However, he is coming off a clavicle injury, and he has mostly just been a slot receiver. If you stack Reed or Watson up with players such as Ja’Marr Chase or Puka Nacua, they are going to come up short.
The hope is that Matthew Golden can ascend into that star type of player, but that has hardly happened yet. He is entering year two and hoping to crack 500 yards. Until this spot gets settled, they are not going to rank high in things like this.
The Packers Have Two Division Rivals With More Star Power
Fortunately for the Packers, the Minnesota Vikings came in 27th in these rankings. That might be a bit harsh for a team with Justin Jefferson, but at the same time, they have major questions at quarterback and running back.
The issue is that not only were the Chicago Bears and Detroit Lions higher than Green Bay, but they were both in the top ten. The Bears came in at ten, and that is likely because Luther Burden and Colston Loveland are only entering their second NFL seasons, and Caleb Williams is still in year three. They are on the rise.
Then, the Lions came in second. With Jahmyr Gibbs and Amon-Ra St. Brown, only the Rams are tougher to defend from a star power standpoint.
National Analyst Slams Packers Pass Catchers in New Ranking