Packers Stock Report: Five Up, 10 Down Through Disappointing Three-Game Start

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers look like a team with some flaws while splitting their first two games. They looked like a fatally flawed team during Thursday night’s blowout loss to the Falcons.

With the Packers sputtering along with a 1-2 record, here’s a three-game stock report. With their early-season struggles, we have more fallers than risers.

Stock Down: QB Jordan Love

Yes, it’s been mission impossible for Jordan Love given the paper mache strength of the pass protection. However, on the heels of setting a career high for completion percentage, Love is last in the league with a 52.4 percent completion rate.

Quarterbacks are paid a lot of money to offset surrounding shortcomings. Love has not risen to the occasion. He’s near the bottom of the league with an under-pressure completion percentage of 36.0, according to Pro Football Focus. The problem is he’s also near the bottom with a clean-pocket completion percentage of 63.5 – right between Kyler Murray and Cooper Rush.

Stock Down: RB MarShawn Lloyd

The Packers waited for MarShawn Lloyd through two injury-ruined seasons. With Josh Jacobs out of the lineup, the Packers really needed Lloyd to reward their faith. Instead, he’s 41st among running backs with 68 rushing yards.

Of the 43 backs with at least 20 carries, Lloyd is 42nd with 1.87 yards after contact per carry. He’s shown some elusiveness but not much pop. He hasn’t been a factor as a receiver, either.

Stock Up: WR Christian Watson

What could Christian Watson do when healthy and given consistent opportunities? Watson enters Week 4 ranked fifth among receivers with 284 receiving yards, third with four receiving touchdowns and 12th with 16.7 yards per catch.

This projection seemed absurd before the season. Well, maybe we unsold it. Watson’s 17-game pace is for 1,609 yards.

“He’s been huge for our offense,” offensive coordinator Adam Stenavich said on Tuesday. “He’s a guy that we’ve been able to rely on to come through in those big moments. Obviously, down in the red zone he’s doing a nice job scoring touchdowns. So, he’s come through big so far.”

The only knocks on him are his three drops (tied for the most in the NFL) and lackluster-at-times blocking.

Stock Up: WR Matthew Golden

The Packers drafted Matthew Golden in the first round last year, then jettisoned Romeo Doubs and Dontayvion Wicks to get him more opportunities following a quiet season. He has 15 catches for 253 yards and one touchdown. He ranks eighth in receiving yards and 11th with 16.9 yards per catch.

It’s exactly what the Packers had in mind – and exactly what he foreshadowed during an excellent training camp.

The only surprise is he’s also dropped three passes.

Green Bay Packers receiver Matthew Golden runs after the catch against the Falcons. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Stock Down: TE Tucker Kraft

Tucker Kraft is a victim of his own expectations.

“I’m not really buying into the people come back off an injury and aren’t the same,” Kraft said during the offseason. “People com(ing) back off their injury, if you’re not coming back off your injury the same, then what are you doing? What were you doing your entire rehab?”

Kraft hasn’t been the same, though. Not even close.

Kraft played in eight games last season, catching 32 passes for 489 yards (15.3 average) and six touchdowns. He gained 344 yards after the catch, a 10.8-yard average. Through three games, he’s caught nine passes for 106 yards (11.8 average) and zero touchdowns (with two drops and one fumble). He has 50 YAC, or 5.6 per catch. That puts him on pace for 51 receptions, 601 yards and 283 YAC.

That Kraft has had a slow start shouldn’t be a surprise. He’s coming off a torn ACL, not a sprained ankle. He’s a victim of his own bravado.

“He’s definitely one of our best players, so anytime you’re really good players don’t play well, it’s going to be hard to be good as an offense,” Stenavich said. “So, I think he’s obviously as critical as anyone about how he played, and I don’t expect that to happen again.”

Stock Down: Every Offensive Lineman

The Packers are last in the NFL in rushing yards per attempt and per game and in pressures allowed. That’s as bad as it gets. Any other metric is akin to shuffling the chairs on the deck of the sinking Titanic.

Using PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency, which measures sacks, hits and hurries allowed per pass-protecting snap and ranking them among blockers with 60-pass protecting snaps:

LT Jordan Morgan: Is tied for 52nd out of 65 tackles in PBE. He is sixth among tackles in pressures allowed and tied for third among all offensive linemen with four penalties.

LG Aaron Banks: The team’s big-budget guard has played two out 13 quarters.

LG Jager Burton: Is last out of 62 yards in PBE. He is fifth among guards in pressures allowed despite starting only one game.

RG Jacob Monk: Is 59th out of 62 guards in PBE and is tied for third with 11 pressures allowed.

RT Anthony Belton: Is tied for 50th out of 65 tackles in PBE.

The problems with the guards are why the Packers signed veteran castoffs Laken Tomlinson and Mekhi Becton this week. Will they be able to help?

“Maybe?” said a scout for a late-season Packers opponent who watched Thursday’s game on TV and then on tape. He added Tomlinson will be a big upgrade over Burton from an experience perspective.

Stock Down: DT Devonte Wyatt

Wyatt got his big contract extension because of his ability to get after the passer. Wyatt is one of 83 defensive tackles who have played at least 40 pass-rushing opportunities. He ranks 78th in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and 73rd in pass-rush win rate.

His two pressures are as many as Jonathan Ford, who is on the roster to play run defense.

“I think he’s in a good spot,” defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon said on Tuesday. “He’s playing a lot of plays. I think he’s still catching his groove but he’s doing some good things, and I think he’ll keep impacting the game.”

Stock Up: Edge Lukas Van Ness

Green Bay Packers edge Lukas Van Ness throws the ceremonial first pitch before the Brewers-Cardinals game on Saturday. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Van Ness has 2.5 sacks, four tackles for losses and 18 tackles in three games. In nine games last season, he had 1.5 sacks, three tackles for losses and 19 tackles.

He is one of 82 edge players with at least 40 pass-rushing opportunities. He is tied with Lions star Aidan Hutchinson for 13th in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity and is 12th in pass-rush win rate.

The aforementioned scout said Van Ness is having his “best” season.

Stock Down: Edge Barryn Sorrell

Barryn Sorrell remains the starter alongside Lukas Van Ness but he played 10 fewer snaps than rookie Dani Dennis-Sutton on Thursday. Sorrell has a half-sack, no tackles for losses and 11 tackles. He ranks 58th in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity and 52nd in win rate.

Stock Up: S Javon Bullard

Javon Bullard is still looking for his first interception in the NFL, but the play style and violence that were evident last season and during training camp have shown up repeatedly in the early games.

Bullard has a career-high three tackles for losses and is one off his career high with two pass breakups. Of the 35 players with at least 30 slot-coverage snaps, he is 12th with 0.72 yards allowed per coverage snap and sixth with a 71.0 passer rating allowed, according to PFF.

Stock Up: S Evan Williams

Evan Williams is building off his breakout second season with a team-high 25 tackles along with two passes defensed and one tackle for loss. He is one of the best safeties in the NFL and should be at or near the front of the line when the Packers start contemplating their next wave of contract extensions.

From @JacobWestendorf, here are the matchups for Packers-Buccaneers, with both teams having a big advantage. ⬇️https://t.co/eU6dFCsXEQ
— Bill Huber (@BillHuberNFL) September 29, 2026

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