Skip to main content
Packer Central

Packers Rank 22nd in NFL Power Rankings

NFL.com released its initial power rankings for the 2023 season. The Packers remain in the lower half of those rankings
Jacob Westendorf|
Packers Rank 22nd in NFL Power Rankings
Packers Rank 22nd in NFL Power Rankings

In this story:

Green Bay Packers

The Green Bay Packers are, as their former quarterback might say, a beautiful mystery.

Sure, there are plenty of reasons to believe in the team. There are also reasons to be skeptical.

With an MVP quarterback no longer under center, skepticism is going to be the side most pundits are going to err on until proven otherwise.

Enter NFL.com's first rankings of the 2023 season. 

NFL.com's lead draft writer, Eric Edholm, had the Packers checking in at 22nd. That was good for third in the NFC North behind the Lions and Vikings. He had them three spots ahead of the Chicago Bears. 

"The Packers might be one of the trickier teams to forecast this season." Edholm wrote. "On the one hand, they're clearly in rebuild mode with the switch from Aaron Rodgers to Jordan Love likely going headlong into the season with one of the NFL's least-experienced QB rooms. But on the other hand, there's a good amount of young talent competing in a division that's far from settled. 

"Green Bay's defense was good enough situationally last season, and the unit features enough depth that I believe a decent improvement is in line. On offense, the run game and big pass plays should be the formula. Is that enough to compete for the NFC North? It won't be shocking if it is, even if the Packers aren't favorites."

He's right. Semantics over whether the Packers are truly rebuilding are simply that at this point. The reality is the team was be on the short list of Super Bowl favorites every year since 2011. That's what having Rodgers under center will do for you.

Love, for all the goodwill he's established in camp, has yet to do it in games. The Packers are trying to find out what he is. 

Maybe he'll be the next great quarterback in a lineage that includes Bart Starr, Brett Favre and Rodgers. 

Maybe he'll be cast aside after one disastrous season. At this point, it's impossible to know, which is why the Packers are going to continue to rank in the middle of these rankings, at best. 

More Green Bay Packers News

Five takeaways from Packers’ first depth chart

Packers want to know what Love is

All sorts of Packers betting odds

Highlights from Practice 9 of Packers training camp

Monday LaFleur: Add a veteran quarterback?

Packers add a running back

32-team comparison of backup quarterbacks

Packers release QB Danny Etling

Jonathan Ford comes up big on Family Night

Five overreactions from Family Night

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published
Jacob Westendorf
JACOB WESTENDORF

Jacob Westendorf, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2015, is a writer for Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: jacobwestendorf24@gmail.com History: Westendorf started writing for Packers On SI in 2023. Twitter: https://twitter.com/JacobWestendorf Background: Westendorf graduated from University of Wisconsin-Green Bay where he earned a degree in communication with an emphasis in journalism and mass media. He worked in newspapers in Green Bay and Rockford, Illinois. He also interned at Packer Report for Bill Huber while earning his degree. In 2018, he became a staff writer for PackerReport.com, and a regular contributor on Packer Report's "Pack A Day Podcast." In 2020, he founded the media company Game On Wisconsin. In 2023, he rejoined Packer Central, which is part of Sports Illustrated Media Group.

Home/News