NFL Power Rankings: ‘We Could Be In For Treat’ With Love

Where do the Green Bay Packers fit in SI.com’s offseason power rankings? Probably higher than you think.

Author:
Bill Huber
Publish date:
Mar 22, 2023 11:43 AM EDT

In this story:

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers might be down but they’re not out.

While they face the longest odds to win the NFC North at sportsbooks, their Super Bowl championship odds are only the 13th-longest at SI Sportsbook. Thus, their No. 15 ranking in Sports Illustrated’s offseason power rankings seems about right – even with the presumed trade of Aaron Rodgers and a quiet free agency.

“If the glimpses of Jordan Love we saw at the end of last year were for real – if he runs the offense as called and has mastered his progressions – we could be in for a treat in the NFC North,” SI.com’s Conor Orr wrote.

“Don’t forget how good this roster was a year ago before Aaron Rodgers’ broken thumb and lack of chemistry with his new wideouts sunk a promising season. Keisean Nixon returning is also a scary prospect for special teams coordinators everywhere.”

The season will hinge in large part on Love’s ability to hit the ground running with the likes of Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs and whoever is drafted at tight end. Help has not been on the way in free agency. While general manager Brian Gutekunst did re-sign Nixon, the All-Pro returner, his only outside additions have been a safety and long snapper who will have to win spots on the 53-man roster.

The Detroit Lions, who won eight of their final 10 games – including Week 18 at Green Bay to kick the Packers out of the playoffs – signed three new starting defensive backs and have the sixth and 18th picks of the first round. They are 10th in the rankings.

Despite their significant cap problems, the Minnesota Vikings have been active, though they’ve lost four starters and might wind up trading Dalvin Cook and Za’Darius Smith. They are 13th on the strength of Kirk Cousins throwing touchdown passes to Justin Jefferson.

The Chicago Bears, armed with enough salary cap space to balance the United States’ budget, added six starters and own the No. 9 overall pick (plus three more choices in the top 64). They’re 23rd but vastly improved, so long as Justin Fields is a quarterback and not a glorified runner.

“I don’t think a single team improved as much as the Bears did over the course of free agency,” Orr wrote, “starting with a trade that solidified their confidence in Justin Fields (and earned him a legitimate No. 1 wide receiver) and ending with a selectively smart free-agency spending binge that handed the offense a few new sledgehammers in the backfield. I think Chicago can make a run to avoid last place in the NFC North.”

What about the Jets? With a “motivated and legacy-minded” Rodgers, they are fifth overall, third in the AFC and first in the AFC East.