Packers Report Card: Grading Every Player on Roster in 2024

Putting a bow on our end-of-season report cards, here are our salary-cap-based grades for every player on the Green Bay Packers’ roster.

Josh Jacobs had a big year while Jordan Love fell short of expectations for the Green Bay Packers in 2024. / Eric Hartline-Imagn Images

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Eight players earned an “A” while six received an “F” in our annual Green Bay Packers report card.

As we’ve done for about 15 seasons, our end-of-season grades are based on a player’s impact on the salary cap. Why? Because the financial aspect of building a team is vital. Teams must get high-level performances from high-salary veterans and breakout performances from young, inexpensive players.

All cap figures are from OverTheCap.com. Analytical stats are from Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions.

Quarterbacks

Jordan Love

2024 salary cap: $20,757,731. Position rank: 12th.

This past offseason, Love signed a five-year, $220 million contract. At the time, it tied Joe Burrow for the highest annual salary; now, he trails only Dak Prescott.

Statistically, this season was about the same as last season. In 2023, Love completed 64.2 percent of his passes, tossed 11 interceptions and finished with a passer rating of 96.1. In 2024, Love completed 63.1 percent of his passes, once again chucked 11 interceptions (in 154 fewer attempts) and finished with a passer rating of 96.7.

The big difference is Love soared down the stretch last season but tripped like the rest of the offense this season.

In his final three starts of the season – Week 17 at Minnesota, his abbreviated Week 18 against Chicago and the playoffs at Philadelphia – Love completed 46-of-75 passes for 466 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.

Thirty quarterbacks threw 50 passes during that span. Love ranked 25th in completion percentage, 27th in yards per attempt and 29th in passer rating.

Sure, but his receivers dropped a lot of passes. Well, if you turn drops into completions, Love would have finished 26th in completion percentage during those games, according to Pro Football Focus.

To be sure, Love’s mediocre season wasn’t all his fault. Through the course of a full season, yes, his receivers did drop a lot of passes. The offensive line didn’t give up a lot of sacks but that doesn’t mean the protection was elite. Injuries, of course, were a factor. Especially for a young quarterback, it’s hard to be fundamentally sound when not practicing.

When Love was good, he was quite good. After the bye, Love had five consecutive games with 100-plus passer ratings. Those numbers rivaled his hot finish to 2023. In the five games spanning Week 11 through Week 15, the Packers scored 30-plus points – the second-longest streak in the NFL this season.

“He’s got a big arm,” Eagles defensive coordinator Vic Fangio said before the playoff game. “He can throw it to all parts of the field with accuracy and touch. He’s got good movement in the pocket. He’s elusive. And he really fits their offense.

“That offense needs a guy that can throw it down the field. He can do that. They need a guy that can scramble a little bit and be elusive. He can do that. He’s a perfect fit for their offense.”

While Love finished a tepid 11th in passer rating, some of that was due to falling from 32 touchdowns to 25 – a credit to the goal-line running of Josh Jacobs more than anything. Love was fifth in yards per attempt, an important number.

“I think he is an ascending player that is going to get better and better and better,” coach Matt LaFleur said.

This season was the “inexpensive” year of Love’s contract. In 2025, his base salary will increase to a guaranteed $11.9 million and his cap charge will rise to about $29.65 million.

For the Packers to re-emerge as Super Bowl contenders, it will be up to Love and LaFleur to get the passing game headed back in the right direction.

“That’s a good question,” Love said when asked if he had taken a step forward. “I think there’s obviously areas that I improved on, that the team improved on, and there’s some stuff I want to clean up, be better at, for sure. That’s the nature of the game.

“But that’ll definitely be part of the offseason. Just go back, watch the games, make lists of things I can improve on and be better at. But I think we did some really good things as an offense and I think there’s a lot of stuff that we left out there that we could have done a lot better.”

Grade: C.

Malik Willis

2024 salary cap: $985,000. Position rank: 67th.

One of the hottest battles of training camp turned into a dud. When neither incumbent Sean Clifford nor seventh-round rookie Michael Pratt seized control of the backup position, general manager Brian Gutekunst traded a seventh-round pick to the Titans for Malik Willis at the end of training camp.

It seemed like a Hail Mary at the time. A third-round pick in 2022, Willis completed 53.0 percent of his passing attempts with zero touchdowns, three interceptions and a 49.4 rating.

When Willis was forced to start a few weeks later, the Packers’ season seemed to be standing on thin ice. Instead, he was 12-of-14 passing for 122 yards and one touchdown in a victory over the Colts and 13-of-18 passing for 202 yards and one touchdown in a victory over the Titans.

A month later, he was summoned from the bench when Love was injured at Jacksonville. Willis won that game, too, by going 4-of-5 passing for 56 yards and one touchdown. In Week 18, he positioned the Packers to beat the Bears, as well, though a time-management gaffe got in the way.

“More than anything, those times build your faith,” Willis said in thinking back to his two seasons in Tennessee. “When it’s easy and all going good, you’re not as locked into those things, you’re not even thinking about it. But when times are hard and you don’t have anybody picking you up, what can you lean on? I found what I can lean on, and I can trust in that, regardless – good, bad or indifferent.

“So, I don’t look at it as results-based as sometimes the media may take this. You lose (and) you’re the worst in the world. Or you win and you’re the best in the world. I just erase both of those and go out there and have fun and enjoy this opportunity and this platform that God’s given me and try to give him all the credit.”

Willis threw 54 passes during the regular season. Of all quarterbacks with at least 50 passes, Willis ranked second in passer rating (124.8) and completion percentage (74.1) and first in yards per attempt (10.2).

In Packers history, that was the highest passer rating for a player who threw at least 50 passes. He added 138 yards on 20 rushes (6.9 average).

Willis saved the Packers and he probably saved his career.

Willis will play out his four-year rookie contract in 2025. That means, unlike most teams, the Packers will feel good about their backup quarterback.

Grade: A-plus.

Running Backs

Josh Jacobs

2024 salary cap: $5,395,588. Position rank: 9th.

Releasing Aaron Jones and signing Josh Jacobs was a controversial decision at the start of free agency. Jones was a face-of-the-franchise type of player. He was more explosive than Jacobs, especially in 2023, when he helped carry the Packers to the playoffs.

As it turns out, general manager Brian Gutekunst nailed the decision.

Jones landed on his feet with the Vikings and was good. Jacobs, however, was great.

Jacobs finished sixth in the NFL with 1,329 rushing yards, joining Ahman Green, Jim Taylor and Dorsey Levens as the only 1,300-yard rushers in franchise history. Jacobs did a lot of the work on his own, with 1,039 yards coming after contact, according to PFF. Out of 46 running backs with at least 100 carries, Jacobs was third in missed tackles (60), tied for ninth in yards after contact per carry (3.1) and 12th in missed-tackle rate (19.9 percent), according to SIS.

Jacobs rushed for 15 touchdowns; his nine consecutive games with a touchdown run broke Paul Hornung’s franchise record.

None of that includes the playoff loss against the Eagles, when Jacobs broke 12 tackles and gained almost every inch of his 81 yards after contact.

The team followed Jacobs’ lead. Jacobs ran with toughness, and it rubbed off on the rest of the squad. Jacobs led the offense – everything ran through him – and he led in the locker room. Like Jones, he is a face-of-the-franchise type of player.

“That’s what I want my team to think,” Jacobs said of his 31-yard, highlight-reel run in the playoff loss. “That’s what I want my team to believe. I want the team to have that same type of belief in themselves. For me, I told them before the game, if you don’t feel like you got it, follow me. I’m going to lead the way. I’m going to give it what I have, tried to do that today.”

Jacobs was average, at best, in pass protection – particularly early in the season. He fumbled four times during the regular season and once in the playoffs. It was 4 yards and a cloud of dust rather than a series of explosive runs. While he was sixth in carries and 10-yard runs, he was 30th with 21.2 percent of his yardage coming on breakaways (15-plus yards).

That’s nitpicking, though. Jacobs played in every game. He was as effective in Game 1 as in Game 18. When he was needed 25 times, he delivered. Time and again, he turned a gain of 1 into a gain 4. That’s all you can ask for.

Once upon a time, Jacobs was considered a potential one-year player because he’s due a $5.93 million roster bonus on the fifth day of the league-year. Consider it paid.

Grade: A-minus.

Emanuel Wilson

2024 salary cap: $915,000. Position rank: 95th.

Wilson went undrafted in 2023 and signed with the Packers after a cup of coffee in Denver. He’s become a quality backup.

With AJ Dillon injured reserve all season, Wilson in 2024 played 263 snaps and carried 103 times for 502 yards and four touchdowns. Of 46 running backs with at least 100 carries, he ranked seventh with 4.9 yards per carry – about a half-yard better than Jacobs. He added 11 receptions for 48 yards (4.4 average) and another touchdown. He did not fumble.

Wilson was 14th with 3.0 yards after contact per carry and 20th with a missed-tackle rate of 16.5 percent. After playing 13 snaps in Games 12-14, he played 72 in Games 15-17. On five runs on third-and-1, he gained five first downs.

Grade: B-plus.

Chris Brooks

2024 salary cap: $813,333. Position rank: 104th.

Signed to the practice squad at the end of training camp, Brooks became a key role player in filling the void created by MarShawn Lloyd’s injuries.

Brooks played 184 snaps. He carried 36 times for 183 yards (5.1 average) and caught 11 passes for 69 yards (6.3 average). He did not fumble. According to SIS, Brooks matched Jacobs’ 3.1 yards after contact per carry. In 55 career carries including last year with the Dolphins, when he made the team as an undrafted free agent, he’s broken 12 tackles.

More than the numbers, he became a trusted pass protector. In the October victory over Houston, Brooks – with the team for about a month-and-a-half at that point – made three huge blocks in blitz protection on the winning drive.

Grade: B.

MarShawn Lloyd

2024 salary cap: $745,387. Position rank: 111th.

A third-round pick, the Packers envisioned Lloyd being the lightning to Jacobs’ thunder. He ranked among the national leaders in yards per carry during his final season at USC.

There’s an adage among scouts. “Injured players get injured.” There were injury concerns, which is why he fell into the third round despite being considered by some talent evaluators to be the best back in the draft. At South Carolina, he missed his true-freshman season of 2020 with a torn ACL. At South Carolina in 2021 and 2022 and USC at 2023, he played in 32 of 39 games.

The injuries followed him to Green Bay, starting with a hip injury that sidelined him for the start of full-team practices in training camp. Hamstring and ankle injuries followed. After about two months on injured reserve, he was ready to return to action but was stricken by appendicitis.

“You can’t make this stuff up,” coach Matt LaFleur said at the time.

He had a chance to return for the team’s end-of-season push but reinjured the hamstring, which shut him down for the rest of the season. In one game, he rushed six times for 15 yards and caught one pass for 3 yards.

Like the Packers did with Christian Watson and Eric Stokes last year, they sent Lloyd to see a specialist in Madison. It worked for Watson and Stokes; the Packers are hoping for the same results with Lloyd.

“Josh had a really good year, and I do think and I do know that I can help him a lot,” Lloyd said at the end of the season. “He had a lot of hits on his body. I’m there to help and he knows that. It’s going to be fun when I get out there on the field to play with him.”

The grade doesn’t reflect what Lloyd can become. It simply reflects the reality.

Grade: F.

Receivers

Christian Watson

2024 salary cap: $2,520,280. Position rank: 65th.

Green Bay’s receivers might not have lived up to the hype, but that Watson was the most-expensive player on the depth chart shows the value.

After hamstring issues sidelined him for significant chunks of his first and second seasons, the Packers sent Watson to specialists at the University of Wisconsin. That was a success. Watson didn’t miss any time due to hamstrings.

Instead, he missed one game after his ankle got bent the wrong direction against Minnesota and another game when a Saints defender fell on his knee as he skidded out of bounds. After missing the Week 17 loss to the Vikings, he suffered a torn ACL early in the Week 18 loss to the Bears. The timing could hardly be worse, with Watson entering the final season of his rookie contract and probably going to miss most, if not all, of the first half of the season.

After catching 41 passes in 14 games as a rookie in 2022, Watson caught 28 passes in nine games last season and 29 passes in 15 games this year. He had the unit’s only fumble, a huge one at Detroit.

However, of 84 receivers who were targeted at least 50 times, his 21.4 yards per catch ranked second and his 2.26 yards per route ranked 14th. He dropped only two passes and caught 10-of-15 in contested-catch situations, a huge improvement over 6-of-18 in 2023.

Watson’s game-breaking speed must be taken into account on every play, which is why he’s irreplaceable, even if he caught only 7-of-19 passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield (36.8 percent). He’ll always block and do the right thing.

Grade: C.

Jayden Reed

2024 salary cap: $1,631,995. Position rank: 88th.

Reed was No. 1 on the team with 55 receptions and 857 yards and No. 2 with 15.6 yards per catch and six touchdowns.

And yet, it was a disappointing season as Reed, for some inexplicable reason, went from looking like the best player in a talented bunch of receivers to simply just one member of the talented group.

Reed had three 100-yard games in the first nine games but hit 50 yards just once the rest of the season. In critical road losses to the Lions and Vikings, he caught 1-of-5 targets for just 6 yards.

Of 84 receivers who were targeted at least 50 times, Reed finished 17th with 2.20 yards per route and he caught 8-of-12 contested catches. Of 69 receivers who were targeted at least 10 times on passes 20-plus yards downfield, Reed’s 12-of-15 produced a league-best 80.0 percent catch rate.

Reed was first with a 137.5 passer rating when targeted and ninth with 7.2 YAC per catch. The Packers averaged 0.93 yards more per rushing play with Reed on the field than when he was on the sideline, the best mark on the team and a sign of the eyeballs he draws when he’s motioning all over the formation.

However, only one player had more drops than Reed (10), whose drop rate of 15.4 percent was third-worst in the league behind teammate Dontayvion Wicks and former Packers receiver Allen Lazard. He dropped only three passes with 64 catches as a rookie.

Grade: B-minus.

Romeo Doubs

2024 salary cap: $1,101,257. Position rank: 117th.

After looking borderline unstoppable in last year’s playoffs, Doubs finished third on the team with 46 receptions, fourth with 601 yards and fourth with four touchdowns in 13 games.

When Doubs is rolling, he is a menace. His routes are so sharp, which is why he’s a go-to player on third down, where he led the team with 17 receptions and 14 first downs. Overall, Jordan Love completed 52.7 percent of his passes on third down. When the ball went to Doubs, he caught 77.3 percent.

Doubs caught 5-of-15 on passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield. He’s that odd-ball player with great hands (11-of-17 on contested catches) but too many drops (five; 9.8 percent, 19th-worst among 84 receivers who were targeted at least 50 times). He’s never been a YAC threat but did break a career-high four tackles.

Through three seasons, he has 147 receptions for 1,700 yards and 15 touchdowns. At this point, that breakout season might never happen. The numbers and a one-game suspension for skipping practices are the least of his worries, though.

After missing two games with a concussion, he suffered another in the playoffs. His walk to the locker room at Philadelphia was much more troubling than the fall itself. For the good of everyone, that has to – somehow – be addressed this offseason.

Grade: C.

Dontayvion Wicks

2024 salary cap: $990,636. Position rank: 134th.

Wicks caught 39 passes for 415 yards and five touchdowns. He shook off a dreadful first half of the season to show signs of the player who flashed such promise as a rookie.

Overall, Wicks caught 39-of-74 passes. This is an astounding stat: Wicks was targeted one fewer time than Reed but produced 442 fewer yards.

Of 84 receivers who were targeted at least 50 times, Wicks had the sixth-lowest catch rate overall (52.7 percent), third-lowest catch rate in contested-catch opportunities (3-of-14; 21.4 percent) and second-highest drop rate (eight drops, 17.0 percent, better than only Lazard).

However, after the bye, Wicks caught 18-of-26 passes (69.2 percent), had two drops (10.0 percent) and averaged 1.57 yards per route. It was a positive development after he caught 16-of-42 passes (38.1 percent), had six drops (27.3 percent) and averaged 1.21 yards per route before the bye.

Wicks caught just 3-of-15 passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield during the regular season, then failed to make any sort of play on Jordan Love’s playoff interception at Philadelphia. On the bright side, he led the Packers’ receivers with 10 broken tackles; Reed (six), Doubs (four) and Watson (one) combined for 11. And he’s a tenacious blocker.

Grade: D-plus.

Malik Heath

2024 salary cap: $918,000. Position rank: 150th.

Heath caught 10-of-12 passes for 97 yards in 13 games, with touchdowns against San Francisco and Minnesota during the second half of the season. His 41-yard catch against Chicago gave the Packers a chance to win in Week 18.

He caught 4-of-5 in contested-catch situations and didn’t have any drops but, in limited playing time, tied Doubs for the most penalties (three). Love threw him four passes in the playoff game but he didn’t catch any.

Heath’s toughness and exuberance have made him a popular player but he’ll have to earn his roster spot next season.

Grade: C.

Bo Melton

2024 salary cap: $915,000. Position rank: 151st.

In 14 games, Melton caught 8-of-16 passes for 91 yards and zero touchdowns. Melton has big-time speed, and the Packers tried to tap into it with little success. He caught 1-of-6 on passes thrown 20-plus yards downfield, but three of his eight carries produced gains of 14, 16 and 16 yards.

Just like Heath, he caught 4-of-5 contested catches and had zero drops. His 1.02 yards per route and 1.0 YAC per catch were the worst of the team’s receivers.

Melton is impossible not to like. Having made his way from the practice squad to the 53-man roster, he’s been a leader to that group. As is the case with Heath, he’ll have to fight like crazy to stick with the team.

Grade: D-plus.

Offensive Line

LT Rasheed Walker

2024 salary cap: $1,005,219. Position rank: 58th.

Of the NFL’s 32 starting left tackles, 19 were selected in the first round. Rasheed Walker was taken in the seventh round in 2022.

As such, Walker was the bargain of bargains. Was Walker great? No. Could the Packers potentially upgrade the position with a first-round pick? Sure. Did Walker cost the Packers any games or cause any consistent problems?

Definitely not.

Of 68 offensive tackles with at least 300 pass-protecting snaps, Walker ranked 42nd in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-protecting snap. He allowed three sacks (down from six last year) and 35 pressures (up slightly from 33 last year). His nine penalties accepted included six for holding, but six of those infractions came during the first half of the season.

SIS charged him with four blown blocks in the run game, his blown-block rate of 0.8 percent tied with Trent Williams for second-best at the position.

Green Bay’s offensive line struggled in the playoff loss to the Eagles, but PFF charged Walker with only two pressures.

Grade: A-minus.

LG Elgton Jenkins

2024 salary cap: $14,464,706. Position rank: 3rd.

In golf, they say you drive for show but putt for dough. As an offensive lineman, run blocking is important but the dough comes in pass protection.

According to PFF’s grades, Elgton Jenkins was the best pass-protecting guard in the NFL this season. Of 65 guards who played at least 300 pass-protecting snaps, Jenkins ranked fifth in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency with one sack and 16 total pressures. He’s allowed just one sack the past two seasons.

The numbers weren’t nearly as good as run blocker. SIS charged him with 10 blown blocks, the 2.1 percent blown-block rate ranking 17th at the position. He was guilty of nine accepted penalties – one more than his combined total from 2022 and 2023 – including four for holding.

The offensive line fell apart without him when he was injured early in the playoff loss against the Eagles.

With center Josh Myers headed for free agency, Jenkins could potentially shift to center – where he played some at Mississippi State. He struggled at that position in one start this season vs. Detroit, but there’s no doubt he’d be fine in the long run.

Grade: B-minus.

C Josh Myers

2024 salary cap: $3,470,571. Position rank: 16th.

A second-round pick in 2021, Josh Myers will head to free agency following a season in which he battled through injuries.

Of 32 centers to play at least 300 pass-protecting snaps, Myers ranked 31st in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency with one sack allowed but 29 total pressures. By comparison, he allowed five sacks and 28 total pressures in 2023.

In the run game, SIS charged him with 10 blown blocks. His blown-block rate of 2.2 percent was the ninth-best at the position. His three accepted penalties included one for holding.

The Packers could have drafted Creed Humphrey in 2021; Humphrey was a first-team All-Pro in 2024 with zero sacks, seven pressures and a blown-block rate of 2.1 percent on running plays.

Myers’ numbers never have been good enough given where he was drafted, but the coaches love him and his teammates respect him. There are no grades for the mental side of the position. General manager Brian Gutekunst seemed to indicate he’d like Myers back for 2025.

“I can’t say enough good things about Josh Myers, not only as a player but as a leader,” Gutekunst said. “He really does embody kind of a Green Bay Packer and what we’re looking for and how they’re wired. I thought he had a really good year.”

Grade: C.

RG Sean Rhyan

2024 salary cap: $1,378,273. Position rank: 29th.

In 2023, Sean Rhyan stole some of Jon Runyan’s snaps at right guard. With Runyan joining the Giants in free agency, Rhyan started all 17 games in 2024 but had to share some of the snaps with first-round pick Jordan Morgan.

Ultimately, Morgan’s ongoing shoulder injuries limited him to six games, so Rhyan wound up playing 88.8 percent of the snaps.

Of 65 guards who played at least 300 pass-protecting snaps, Rhyan ranked 38th in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency with four sacks and 23 total pressures.

SIS charged him with eight blown blocks in the run game, his blown-block rate of 1.8 percent a bit better than Jenkins’ mark. Of seven accepted penalties, two were for holding.

Grade: B-minus.

RT Zach Tom

2024 salary cap: $1,111,084. Position rank: 50th.

There isn’t a “third-team All-Pro” but Zach Tom finished behind only the Lions’ Penei Sewell and the Eagles’ Lane Johnson in All-Pro voting.

A fourth-round pick in 2022, Tom is a foundational part of the offense. Of 68 offensive tackles with at least 300 pass-protecting snaps, Tom finished 21st in PFF’s pass-blocking efficiency. He allowed three sacks and 24 total pressures in 2024 compared to two sacks and 33 total pressures in 2023. His five accepted penalties included two for holding.

Tom had three blown blocks in the run game, a big improvement over 10 in 2023. His blown-block rate of 0.6 percent on running plays was second-best in the NFL among all linemen.

Right tackle is a premium position. While Tom picked a bad day to have a bad day as he struggled with the speed of the Eagles’ Nolan Smith, it’d be a major risk to have him potentially fill Myers’ spot at center.

Grade: A.

Jordan Morgan

2024 salary cap: $2,579,199. Position rank: 23rd among right guards.

Jordan Morgan missed the second half of the season following shoulder surgery. His 185 snaps included 120 at right guard and 65 when he started at left guard as part of a shuffled offensive line against Detroit in Week 9.

PFF charged him with zero sacks and seven total pressures. Four came in that game against Detroit. Had he met our 300-pass-protecting-snaps threshold, he would have ranked 57th out of 65 guards in its pass-blocking efficiency.

SIS charged him with two blown blocks (2.5 percent) in the run game. His one accepted penalty was for holding.

Maybe the Packers would have beaten the Eagles if Morgan would have been the next man up. It’s not his fault that he was injured, and the grade is not indicative of what Morgan become.

Grade: D.

Andre Dillard

2024 salary cap: $1,125,000. Position rank: 50th among left tackles.

Andre Dillard, a former first-round pick, was Rasheed Walker’s backup at left tackle. Because Walker started every game, Dillard barely played with 13 snaps on offense – all at the end of blowout wins over the 49ers and Saints – and 50 on special teams in 10 games.

Because of limited position flexibility, Dillard was inactive for the playoff loss to the Eagles, when everything blew up following Elgton Jenkins' injury. His cap charge was more than Walker’s.

Grade: F.

Kadeem Telfort

2024 salary cap: $795,000. Position rank: 66th among left guards.

Telfort, a former undrafted free agent, during the regular season played 23 snaps on offense with 13 at left guard, eight at right guard, one at right tackle and one as an extra tight end. Why he wasn’t the first man off the bench when Elgton Jenkins was injured in the playoff loss is dumbfounding.

Ultimately, Telfort played the final 39 snaps against the Eagles at left guard. PFF charged him with two pressures in the pass game. His run blocking was solid.

Grade: C-minus.

Travis Glover

2024 salary cap: $837,845. Position rank: 61st among right tackles

A sixth-round pick in this year’s draft, Travis Glover played 13 garbage-time snaps on offense as a rookie – four at right guard against the 49ers and nine at right tackle against the Saints.

When Elgton Jenkins was injured early in the playoff loss to the Eagles, Glover was wholly unprepared for what was to come. He played 23 snaps at left guard before he was benched, then played the final five snaps at right guard after center Josh Myers was injured. According to Pro Football Focus, he didn’t allow any pressures but was guilty of three penalties (two for holding) and didn’t get anything done in the run game.

Is it Glover’s fault that, as a late-round rookie from Georgia State who was playing the first meaningful snaps of his career, he was overwhelmed by the Eagles’ dominant defensive front? Not really, but those were the cards he was dealt.

Grade: F.

Jacob Monk

2024 salary cap: $870,404. Position rank: 47th among centers.

The Packers used a fifth-round pick on Monk. Was he the potential heir to Josh Myers’ throne at center?

Based on this season, no way.

Monk played in 10 games but didn’t get any snaps on offense. When Myers was injured in the waning moments against the Eagles, the Packers could have finished the game with Monk at center but instead chose to move Sean Rhyan to center and re-insert Travis Glover at right tackle.

That should provide a measure of the huge leap that will be needed for Monk to potentially contend for a starting job in 2025.

Grade: F.

Tight Ends

Luke Musgrave

2024 salary cap: $1,926,305. Position rank: 47th.

Luke Musgrave was supposed to be Green Bay’s premier tight end. As a second-round pick in 2023, he caught 33 passes as a rookie before suffering a lacerated kidney in the 10th game of the season. That opened the door for Tucker Kraft, and Musgrave never has gotten within knocking distance.

This year, a quiet training camp led to a quiet start to the season with five catches for 22 yards in the first five games. He suffered a significant ankle injury in that fifth game against Minnesota and wound up having surgery. He was back for the final three games of the regular season and the playoff loss against the Eagles, with two catches for 23 yards in a total of 52 snaps in those four games.

He finished the season with seven catches for 45 yards. His 19-yard catch in Week 18 against Chicago was his only catch of more than 6 yards. The run game was 1.17 yards per carry worse when he was on the field.

It'd be easy to dismiss this season because of the ankle injury, but he already had sort of faded into the background. Musgrave must attack this offseason with a vengeance to carve out a key role.

Grade: D.

Tucker Kraft

2024 salary cap: $1,258,621. Position rank: 57th.

Tucker Kraft was selected one round after Musgrave but has blown past him. That Kraft is the team’s No. 1 tight end is obvious. The only question is just how far Kraft can move up the list of the NFL’s premier tight ends.

He took steps in that direction in 2024.

He finished fifth among all tight ends with 923 snaps. He played at least 40 snaps in every game, with 60-plus in five games.

Kraft caught 50 passes for 707 yards (14.1 average) and seven touchdowns. In franchise history, he finished fifth in yards, eighth in touchdowns and 10th in yards per catch.

Of 39 tight ends who were targeted at least 34 times (two per game), Kraft ranked second with 14.1 yards per catch (George Kittle, 14.2), first with 9.3 yards after the catch per catch (Kittle, 6.6), tied for first with 15 missed tackles (with Jake Ferguson) and fifth with a 134.6 passer rating when targeted (Mark Andrews, 140.9).

He dropped three passes this year – a solid 3.8 percent – after having zero drops with 31 catches in 2023.

The next step might be in the hands of the coaches. Kraft is such a playmaker; it’s time to highlight him as the No. 1 read rather than, at times, being only a safety-valve target.

Kraft entered the season hoping to be the best zone-blocking tight end in the NFL. He was dominant at times but not all the time. The run game was 0.22 yards per carry better when he was on the field. That was nearly 0.80 yards better than any of the team’s other tight ends. He must get better in pass protection.

Because he’s on his rookie deal, Kraft is being paid like a low-level No. 2 tight end. In reality, he’d be a bargain at twice the price.

Grade: A.

Ben Sims

2024 salary cap: $915,000. Position rank: 94th.

Luke Musgrave’s injury vastly increased the role for Ben Sims, who entered the NFL as a seventh-round pick by the Vikings in 2023. In the first four games, he played 11 snaps. He played more than that in each of the next 11 games, with at least 24 snaps in three games.

However, in the final three games, he played three snaps against the Vikings, seven against the Bears and was a healthy inactive against the Eagles.

Sims caught four passes for 42 yards, highlighted by a 28-yarder against Arizona. The run game was 1.16 yards per carry worse when he was on the field, though some of that was the sheer predictability that the Packers were going to run when he was on the field.

Grade: C-minus.

John FitzPatrick

2024 salary cap: $711,389. Position rank: 105th.

With Luke Musgrave out, the Packers grabbed John FitzPatrick off the Falcons’ practice squad. A sixth-round pick by Atlanta in 2022, he played 73 snaps – 14 in the blowout win over San Francisco and 26 in the blowout win over the Saints. He was the third tight end over Sims for the playoff game, with one snap on offense and 10 on special teams.

He was thrown one pass, a catch for 2 yards against the 49ers. The run game was 0.57 yards per carry worse when he was on the field. Some of that was circumstance: Like with Ben Sims, when FitzPatrick was on the field, chances are the Packers were going to run the football. Run blocking was his forte at Georgia and will give him a chance for an extensive career.

Grade: C.

Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander (23) intercepts a pass and returns it for a touchdown at the Titans. / Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Cornerbacks

Jaire Alexander

2024 salary cap: $23,494,589. Position rank: 1st.

In May 2022, Jaire Alexander received a four-year, $84 million contract extension that made him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history. That season, Alexander rewarded the Packers with a career-high five interceptions and second-team All-Pro honors for the second time in his career.

It’s all gone downhill. Alexander played in seven games in 2023, a season lowlighted by his one-game suspension for appointing himself a captain. He played in seven games again in 2024, with a torn PCL sustained at Jacksonville ultimately ending his season. He wound up playing less than one-third of the snaps.

Could Alexander have played through the injury before opting for surgery? Did the Packers unnecessarily rush an injured player back into the lineup at Chicago two weeks later?

Neither side has blamed the other, but the relationship has soured.

When he played, he was typically good. In six-plus games, he intercepted one pass – a pick-six at Tennessee – and had seven passes defensed. He allowed a catch rate of 47.6 percent – the fourth time in his career that he was at less than 50.0 percent – with two touchdowns and 8.4 yards per target.

The team’s best cornerback missed the last three games against Justin Jefferson and the Vikings and hasn’t faced Amon-Ra St. Brown and the Lions since 2022.

It’s a small thing in the grand scheme of things, but Alexander missed 10 tackles. His 38.5 percent missed-tackle rate was the worst for any cornerback in the NFL.

Alexander is due a base salary of $16.15 million 2025, when his cap charge is set to increase to almost $25 million – second-highest at the position. There is money to be saved.

Grade: F

Keisean Nixon

2024 salary cap: $3,991,666. Position rank: 36th.

Jaire Alexander’s injury changed Keisean Nixon’s career. With Alexander’s prolonged absence, the Packers moved Nixon out of the slot and to the perimeter. Really, as he’s done at every step of his career, his play defied expectations.

Nixon played in all 17 games for a third consecutive season and started a career-high 15 times. He had one interception, seven passes defensed and three forced fumbles. His three sacks were as many as Lukas Van Ness and his eight tackles for losses were more than Van Ness and Kingsley Enagbare.

Nixon gave up a 60.9 percent catch rate and 5.9 yards per target, and allowed less than 10 receiving yards in eight games and never more than 55. He did give up five touchdowns, tied with linebacker Isaiah McDuffie for worst on the team. He ranked 17th at the position with eight penalties, which is more than the rest of Green Bay’s corners combined. He missed 10 tackles – down from 20 last year – with a missed-tackle rate of 10.2 percent.  

Grade: B-minus.

Eric Stokes

2024 salary cap: $3,794,482. Position rank: 39th.

A first-round pick in 2021, Stokes might have been All-Rookie had he not dropped four interceptions or lost his matchup against Justin Jefferson in a late-season game at Minnesota.

And then came the injuries. Stokes played in nine games in 2022, a season that went from bad to worse following a season-ending foot injury that required surgery, and then played defense in only two games in 2023 due to injuries.

Finally, Stokes stayed healthy in 2024. In 17 games with seven starts, he allowed a 53.3 percent catch rate and 6.2 yards per target. He allowed 25-plus receiving yards in only two games. Those are really good. His three touchdowns allowed isn’t too bad, either.

However, he didn’t break up a single pass, meaning three consecutive seasons without a PBU. By the end of the season, he played five defensive snaps in Week 18 against Chicago and one in the playoff loss to Philadelphia.

Stokes, who missed nine tackles (18.0 percent), will be a free agent this offseason. No doubt he’ll land somewhere but will he ever get another chance to be a starter?

Grade: C-minus.

Corey Ballentine

2024 salary cap: $2,061,175. Position rank: 64th.

Corey Ballentine, who went from not playing any snaps on defense for a couple years to starting six games in 2023, returned to Green Bay on a one-year deal and played in 15 games with one start.

He gave up 2-of-6 passing for 38 yards in 59 coverage snaps. Most of his contributions were on special teams, where had had four tackles and a forced fumble while ranking sixth with 195 snaps.

Ballentine’s cap charge isn’t very much; that it’s the equivalent of a low-level starter is surprising.

Grade: C-minus.

Carrington Valentine

2024 salary cap: $940,165. Position rank: 144th.

Carrington Valentine barely played to start the season. In the first six games, he had games of zero, zero, nine and 12 defensive snaps. However, he became an every-down player down the stretch once the coaches finally decided that Valentine was the better option than Eric Stokes.

Valentine had two interceptions, five passes defensed and two forced fumbles. He had an interception or forced fumble in each of the final four games of the regular season. Turnovers win games, and the coaches love his confident, feisty play.

According to PFF, 110 corners played at least 225 coverage snaps. He was one of eight to not give up a touchdown. During the final five regular-season games against Detroit, Seattle, New Orleans, Minnesota and Chicago, SIS charged him with a grand total of 55 receiving yards allowed. PFF, which is a little less gracious in its cornerback grading, charged Valentine with 131 yards in those five games and 4-of-4 for 38 yards with a long reception of just 10 yards in the playoff game.

His catch rate went from 51.1 percent as a rookie to 63.2 percent in 2024. He allowed 8.1 yards per target. He missed 10 tackles (25.0 percent) and was penalized twice.

No matter what happens this offseason, Valentine should be in the mix to start.

Grade: B.

Robert Rochell

2024 salary cap: $468,889. Position rank: 199th.

Robert Rochell started the season on the practice squad but wound up playing in 11 games. He played one snap on defense and 121 on special teams and contributed two tackles and a fumble recovery.

Grade: C.

Safeties

Xavier McKinney

2024 salary cap: $7,800,000. Position rank: 10th.

Last season, the Packers went into the playoffs with Darnell Savage and Jonathan Owens as their No. 1 safeties. Combined, they had zero interceptions and four passes defensed as the Packers finished with seven interceptions as a team.

Signed to a four-year, $67 million contract in free agency in free agency, Xavier McKinney had eight interceptions and 11 passes defensed to earn All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors. He finished second in the NFL in interceptions and tied Detroit’s Kerby Joseph for first with nine takeaways.

Of 73 safeties who played at least 300 coverage snaps, McKinney ranked third with a 56.4 passer rating allowed and zero touchdowns.

It’s not just the coverage. Of 89 safeties who played at least 400 total snaps, McKinney had the seventh-lowest missed-tackle percentage (five misses, 5.4 percent).

There’s a reason why the Packers typically shy away from free agency. Too often, there’s too little return on investment as too many teams chase too few veterans. Through production and leadership, McKinney would have been a bargain at twice the price.

Grade: A.

Javon Bullard

2024 salary cap: $1,219,297. Position rank: 80th.

A second-round pick, Javon Bullard started 11 of his 15 games. He finished with 85 tackles, but really made almost no big-play impact with two tackles for losses, zero sacks, interceptions or forced fumbles, and one pass breakup.

Bullard looked like a terror during the offseason practices and training camp. That didn’t show up during the games. Maybe it’s because he spent May through September playing safety and October through January playing in the slot.

Of 33 defensive backs who played 200 coverage snaps in the slot, Bullard ranked 25th in yards allowed per snap, 28th in snaps per completion and 26th in passer rating (108.0). In total, he allowed three touchdowns catches. Of 89 safeties who played at least 400 total snaps, Bullard ranked 35th in missed-tackle percentage (10 misses, 11.0 percent).

PFF has a stat called a “stop,” which is the same as Green Bay’s win/loss grading system. It measures impact tackles. For instance, a solo tackle on first-and-10 that limits the play to 3 yards or less is a stop. Bullard had 25 stops, as many as the rest of Green Bay’s safeties combined and 19th overall among safeties.

The big question the coaches must answer: Is Bullard a good enough slot defender to handle the likes of Amon-Ra St. Brown?

Grade: C-plus.

Zayne Anderson

2024 salary cap: $1,055,000. Position rank: 100th.

Zayne Anderson entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2021. During his first three seasons, he played exactly zero snaps on defense. In 2024, he was thrust into action after rookies Javon Bullard and Evan Williams went down and played really well off the bench at Detroit and in his first career start against the Saints with seven tackles, one interception and two passes defensed. He missed one tackle and didn’t allow any catches in a total of 122 snaps.

“It’s coming sooner than you know,” defensive backs coach Ryan Downard said of being thrown into the action. “I tell the rookies that, I told him that, and then to see him get an opportunity, that’s a credit to him and his preparation to just go out there and do your job and let the plays come to you. I’m actually getting chills talking about it, because it’s such a good story for him. I’m really proud of Zayne.”

He added nine tackles on special teams, which trailed only Edgerrin Cooper (10).

Grade: C.

Evan Williams

2024 salary cap: $995,720. Position rank: 107th.

A fourth-round pick, Evan Williams was a training camp sensation. The ball just seemed to find him as he made one big play after another.

There was some of that during the season as he finished with 47 tackles, one interception, three passes defensed and one forced fumble in 13 games (six starts). However, after a game-clinching breakup at the Rams in Week 5 and a forced fumble against the Cardinals in Week 6, Williams didn’t get his hands on the ball the rest of the season.

During the regular season, the Packers were 10-0 when he had at least one tackle and 5-1 when he started.

Of 89 safeties who played at least 400 total snaps, Williams ranked 53rd in missed-tackle percentage (seven misses, 14.0 percent). Of 73 safeties who played at least 300 coverage snaps, Williams ranked fourth with a 56.5 percent catch rate and ninth with a 69.7 passer rating allowed and one touchdown allowed.

The future is bright.

Grade: B.

Kitan Oladapo

2024 salary cap: $858,569. Position rank: 130th.

A fifth-round pick, Kitan Oladapo missed the offseason practices due to an injury sustained at the Scouting Combine. The injury and the depth chart were too much to overcome.

In the first 11 games, he was inactive for eight. He played a total of 18 snaps on defense headed into Week 18, when a barrage of injuries meant Oladapo went from the end of the bench to starting. In 50 snaps, he was in on four tackles, didn’t miss any tackles and didn’t allow any completions in an impressive debut.

With his size and athleticism, he should have been a weapon on special teams but finished with three tackles in 14.7 percent playing time.

Grade: D.

Linebackers

One data point with a lengthy explanation is a run stop. That matches Green Bay’s win-loss grading system. A “stop” is first-and-10 tackle that limits the play to 3 yards or less, a second-down tackle that limits the gain to less than half the necessary yards and a third- or fourth-down tackle that prevents a first down.

Quay Walker

2024 salary cap: $3,774,994. Position rank: 30th.

One thing is for sure: The Packers like Quay Walker more than you probably do. They raved about him all season, sometimes unprompted. He played better as the season progressed but missed the final three-plus regular-season games with an ankle injury.

First-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley put Walker in the middle of the defense and made him the defensive play-caller. In 13 games, Walker recorded 102 tackles – giving him 100-plus tackles in each of his three seasons. His nine tackles for losses were a career high, and he added 2.5 sacks and two pass deflections.

Walker averaged 7.32 snaps per tackle. His average tackle came 2.4 yards downfield (best of his career) but he missed 18 tackles and had a missed-tackle rate of 15.0 percent (both the worst of his career). For reference, the league median for missed-tackle percentage for a linebacker was 13.9.

He allowed 41-of-51 passing (80.4 percent) for 367 yards (7.2 yards per target) and zero touchdowns.

Of 75 linebackers who played at least 175 snaps against the run, Walker’s run-stop rate ranked 38th.

The Packers must make a decision on his fifth-year option by May 1. After playing 2,442 regular-season snaps, is there more room to grow or is he a finished product?

“Certainly, think we would love to have him around here for longer than just a couple years,” general manager Brian Gutekunst said.

Grade: C.

Edgerrin Cooper

2024 salary cap: $1,563,440. Position rank: 64th.

Edgerrin Cooper was the first linebacker selected in this year’s draft. He was excellent and has a chance to be a game-wrecking, All-Pro kind of player.

An All-Rookie performer, Cooper on defense had 77 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 13 tackles for losses, one forced fumble, one interception and four passes defensed. He also led the team with 10 tackles on special teams, giving him a total of 87.

Cooper, Hall of Famer Brian Urlacher and DeMeco Ryans are the only rookie off-the-ball linebackers since at least 1999 with at least 80 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 13 TFLs and four passes defensed, according to Stathead.

The TFL count was the most for any rookie this season, the most for any linebacker this season and the most by a rookie linebacker since Lavonte David in 2012.

All of that came with Cooper playing 45.1 percent of the defensive snaps.

Cooper averaged 6.38 snaps per tackle. He finished second behind the Eagles’ Nakobe Dean in run-stop percentage. His average tackle was 1.7 yards downfield (good) but missed 16 tackles (17.2 percent, which is bad). He allowed 24-of-37 passing (64.9 percent) for 221 yards (6.0 yards per target) with one touchdown.

Cooper’s physical tools are obvious. So is his feel for the game. Once he puts it all together, the sky will be the limit.

“I think what you’re starting to see is we are going to be able to, bit by bit as he grows, put him in some pretty fun positions,” defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said. “What a great draft pick and what a great person. He loves ball. He’s got a really bright future.”

Grade: A.

Eric Wilson

2024 salary cap: $1,152,500. Position rank: 87th.

The Packers grabbed Wilson off the Saints’ practice squad early in 2023 and re-signed him to a one-year deal in 2024. Both were excellent moves.

In 17 games with 12 starts – he had started only two games the past three seasons combined – Wilson tallied 63 tackles, two sacks, seven tackles for losses, one forced fumble, one interception and two passes defensed.

Wilson averaged 8.86 snaps per tackle, missed 17 tackles (21.3 percent) and his average tackle came 2.1 yards downfield. He allowed 31-of-37 passing (83.8 percent) for 314 yards (8.5 yards per target) and two touchdowns.

Of 75 off-the-ball linebackers who played at least 175 run snaps, he ranked 62nd in PFF’s run-stop percentage.

Wilson was first on the team in special-teams snaps and second with nine tackles. He played 95 total snaps against Minnesota in Week 17, the second-most for any player this season.

Other than kicker Brandon McManus, the 30-year-old Wilson was the only player age 30-plus on the roster. Despite the age, his all-around value will be hard to ignore when free agency begins.

Grade: B-minus

Isaiah McDuffie

2024 salary cap: $1,087,676. Position rank: 95th.

A sixth-round pick in 2021 who will be a free agent this offseason, McDuffie started all 17 games and was second on the team with 94 tackles. He added a half-sack, three tackles for losses, one forced fumble and three passes defensed. He averaged 7.44 snaps per tackle.

Of 75 off-the-ball linebackers who played at least 175 run snaps, he ranked 65th in PFF’s run-stop percentage. His average tackle came 2.0 yards downfield (best of his career) and he missed 13 tackles (12.1 percent).

McDuffie allowed a catch rate of 83.9 percent (47-of-56 for 405 yards), 7.2 yards per target and a team-worst five touchdowns (tied with Keisean Nixon).

Grade: C-plus.

Ty’Ron Hopper

2024 salary cap: $1,032,368. Position rank: 103rd.

Hopper played just 18 snaps on defense but was fifth with 215 snaps on special teams. He had two tackles on defense but was fourth on the team with seven tackles on special teams.

Hopper was fifth on the depth chart to start the season and fifth on the depth chart to end the season. The grade seems unfair considering who was ahead of him and it’s in no way indicative of the player he will become. But the grade is based on production, and there wasn’t much. However, with Wilson and McDuffie set to hit free agency, Hopper might be a starter when OTAs begin in May.

“He’s a physical guy,” linebackers coach Anthony Campanile said before Week 18. “I think he’s getting better every day, I really do. I’m excited about him. I think he’s in a good spot.”

Grade: D.

Defensive Tackles

Kenny Clark

2024 salary cap: $26,365,000. Position rank: 1st.

At the start of training camp, Kenny Clark signed a three-year, $64 million contract extension that included a $17.5 million signing bonus. Coming off perhaps the best season of his career, Clark thought the scheme change would mean taking his career to another level.

“I think it’s going to be huge, man,” he said after signing the extension. “This is going to allow me to really show my talents and I think it’s just going to be a really good thing. It fits me. It fits how I like to play. It fits my mentality and my mindset and I’m excited to see what I can do in this system.”

Clark in 2023 set or matched career highs with 7.5 sacks, nine tackles for losses and 16 quarterback hits. Clark in 2024 had one sack, four tackles for losses and five quarterback hits.

For years, Clark had been one of the best three-down defensive tackles in the NFL. In 2024, he made almost no impact on passing downs.

According to Pro Football Focus, 113 interior defensive linemen played at least 147 pass-rushing snaps. He ranked 52nd in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and 38th in pass-rush win rate. His sack rate went from 1.8 percent to 0.3 percent, his pressure count from 61 to 33.

Out of 105 interior defensive linemen who played 145 snaps against the run, Clark finished 42nd in PFF’s run-stop percentage. The run defense was only marginally better with Clark on the field. He missed four tackles (9.8 percent) and his average tackle came 2.1 yards downfield, a bit better than his career mark of 2.3.

In a vacuum, Clark was not an “F” player. This grade reflects the financial context. Among all defensive linemen, Clark had the fourth-highest cap charge. He tied for 143rd in sacks. His performance would have been a disappointment at one-third the price.

Clark is due a $7.5 million roster bonus at the start of the league-year, though his cap number will fall to $20.31 million.

Grade: F.

Devonte Wyatt

2024 salary cap: $3,507,595. Position rank: 50th.

The schematic change, with the focus on an attacking defensive line, was supposed to help Wyatt more than anyone. It would have been interesting to see the final numbers had he not missed three games (and been slowed in others) by an ankle injury. Wyatt in 14 games had five sacks and nine tackles for losses compared to 5.5 sacks and six tackles for losses in 2023.

According to Pro Football Focus, 113 interior defensive linemen played at least 147 pass-rushing snaps. He ranked fourth in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and 10th in pass-rush win rate.

The run defense was 0.69 yards per carry worse when Wyatt was on the field, which is why he was on the field for only about 30.0 percent of the run plays. Because of his playmaking ability, his average tackle came 0.70 yards downfield, much better than 1.7 in 2023 and 2.4 in 2022, and his run-stop percentage of 10.9 would have ranked fifth had he played enough snaps. He missed three tackles (13.6 percent).

A lower-leg injury limited him to five snaps in the playoff game. A big decision looms on his fifth-year option.

Grade: C-plus.

TJ Slaton

2024 salary cap: $3,186,130. Position rank: 56th.

Slaton started all 17 games for a second consecutive year. He had one sack, two tackles for losses and three quarterback hits.

According to Pro Football Focus, 113 interior defensive linemen played at least 147 pass-rushing snaps. He ranked 78th in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap, as well as pass-rush win rate.

Where Slaton’s value lies, of course, is the run game. The lone big body on the defensive line, the run defense was 0.50 yards better when Slaton was on the field. Out of 105 interior defensive linemen who played 145 snaps against the run, Slaton finished 26th in PFF’s run-stop percentage.

His average tackle came 1.9 yards downfield – the best of his career by 0.4 yards. He missed four tackles (12.1 percent).

Grade: C-plus.

Colby Wooden

2024 salary cap: $1,106,982. Position rank: 116th.

After playing in all 17 games as a rookie fourth-round pick in 2023, Colby Wooden failed to make the roster this year. When Devonte Wyatt suffered an ankle injury, the door was open for Wooden, who played in the final 13 games. His 20 tackles, two tackles for losses and two passes defensed were better than his rookie numbers.

According to Pro Football Focus, 113 interior defensive linemen played at least 147 pass-rushing snaps. (That’s Wooden’s number, in case you were wondering.) He ranked 101st in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and 68th in pass-rush win rate. His pressure count went from 11 in 115 pass-rush snaps in 2023 to six in 147 in 2024.

Had he played enough run snaps, he would have ranked 35th out of 105 in PFF’s run-stop percentage. The run defense was 0.36 yards better when he was on the field. He missed one tackle (4.8 percent) and his average tackle was 2.5 yards downfield (better than 3.0 last year). He showed some flexibility with about 60 snaps played other than at tackle.

Grade: C-minus.

Karl Brooks

2024 salary cap: $968,007. Position rank: 136th.

Karl Brooks was drafted two rounds after Colby Wooden in 2023 but has been deemed the better player. He played in all 17 games again and posted similar production to 2023 with 3.5 sacks, four tackles for losses and six quarterback hits. He’s got a nose for the ball with five fumble recoveries, six passes defensed and two forced fumbles in two seasons.

According to Pro Football Focus, 113 interior defensive linemen played at least 147 pass-rushing snaps. He ranked 36th in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and 44ths in pass-rush win rate.

Out of 105 interior defensive linemen who played 145 snaps against the run, Brooks finished only 84th in PFF’s run-stop percentage. The run defense was 0.26 yards worse when he was on the field. His average tackle came 1.2 yards downfield and he missed four tackles (16.7 percent).

Other than Brooks’ blocked field goal, which saved the Packers at Chicago, how many game-turning plays did this unit make?

Grade: B-minus.

Defensive Ends

Rashan Gary

2024 salary cap: $11,146,135. Position rank: 17th.

Coach Matt LaFleur likes to talk about “creatures.” Those are the game-wrecking defensive linemen, the ones who must be game-planned around on every snap.

With a four-year, $96 million contract extension, Gary ranks eighth among edge defenders (4-3 ends and 3-4 outside linebackers) in annual pay at $24.0 million per season. He’s supposed to be the player that can create that game-changing play on any snap.

Instead, the 27-year-old had a modest 7.5 sacks and nine tackles for losses. Six seasons into his career, he’s still looking for his first 10-sack season. Gary had 15 quarterback hits; the average for the other edge rushers in the top 10 in annual salary was 23.

According to Pro Football Focus, 79 edge defenders had at least 250 pass-rushing opportunities. Gary ranked 37th in pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and 39th in pass-rush win rate.

Gary in 18 total games had 49 pressures. The Lions’ Aidan Hutchinson had 45 in five games and his replacement, former Packers star Za’Darius Smith, had 40 pressures in nine games.

It’s true that Gary, who missed only three tackles and whose average tackle limited the play to a gain of 1.9 yards, played much better run defense. Indeed, the run defense was 0.14 yards per carry better when he was on the field. It’s also true that the Chiefs and Eagles are headed to the Super Bowl because their pass rush dominated on Sunday.

Grade: D-plus.

Lukas Van Ness

2024 salary cap: $3,951,840. Position rank: 51st.

The Packers used their first-round pick in 2023 on Lukas Van Ness, who in two seasons at Iowa didn’t start a single game. In two years in Green Bay, Van Ness has started zero games.

The “Year 2 jump” is so cliché that it’s accepted as fact. Well, Van Ness went from four sacks and eight tackles for losses in 17 games in 2023 to three sacks and six tackles for losses in 2024.

According to PFF, 79 edge defenders had at least 250 pass-rushing opportunities. Van Ness ranked 69th in pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and 57th in pass-rush win rate. In 18 total games, he had zero or one pressure in 14. During the three-game losing streak to end the season, he had one pressure.

Van Ness ranks 17th in the draft class in sacks. Will McDonald, who the Jets selected two picks later following the pick swap from the Aaron Rodgers trade, had 10.5 sacks this season.

The run defense was 0.12 yards per carry when he was on the field, his average tackle came 2.5 yards downfield and he missed four tackles.

Grade: C-minus.

Kingsley Enagbare

2024 salary cap: $1,045,639. Position rank: 129th.

After setting a career high with eight tackles for losses in 2023, Kingsley Enagbare had career highs of 4.5 sacks and two forced fumbles and added six TFLs this year. Coming off last year’s ACL injury, Enagbare is a marvel. He played all 17 games this season with seven starts.

While he’s a valuable role player, he probably hasn’t been productive enough to merit the consistent playing time (around 45 percent) he’s received in each of his three seasons.

According to PFF, 79 edge defenders had at least 250 pass-rushing opportunities, Enagbare ranked 58th in pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and 71st in pass-rush win rate.

The run defense was 0.52 yards per carry worse when he was on the field, his average tackle was 2.4 yards downfield and he missed a unit-high six tackles.

Grade: C-plus.

Brenton Cox

2024 salary cap: $918,000. Position rank: 144th.

One reason why the Packers traded Preston Smith at the deadline was to get Brenton Cox on the field.

Cox, who barely played as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and was a healthy scratch for the first nine games of this season, wound up fourth on the team with four sacks – one more than Lukas Van Ness and one-half less than Kingsley Enagbare – even though he played in only seven games.

Cox didn’t get enough snaps to qualify for our pass-rush rankings. If he had, he would have ranked first in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap. Yes, first, better than Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons and Trey Hendrickson, who led the list. He would have been 11th in pass-rush win rate, as well.

Cox played 150 fewer pass-rushing snaps than Van Ness but had only three fewer pressures. If that’s not incredible enough, he played 196 fewer pass-rushing snaps than Enagbare but had only eight fewer pressures.

The run defense was 0.66 yards per carry when he was on the field, his average tackle came 0.9 yards downfield and he did not miss any tackles.

Now, before we anoint him a potential Packers Hall of Famer, Cox had one pressure in 15 chances against the Eagles. Still, Cox is worth a much, much longer look during training camp.

Grade: B.

Arron Mosby

2024 salary cap: $915,000. Position rank: 145th.

It was Arron Mosby, not Brenton Cox, who provided the depth during the first half of the season. In 16 games, he had a half-sack and but broke up two passes. That was two more than Eric Stokes. Of his 12 tackles, four were on special teams. He missed two tackles.

Grade: C-minus.

Special Teams

K Brandon McManus

2024 salary cap: $806,667. Position rank: 32nd.

In the first six games, rookie Brayden Narveson was 12-of-17 on field goals. Finally, the Packers had seen enough. With Brandon McManus cleared by the NFL, general manager Brian Gutekunst made the switch.

For as much as he botched the kicking situation in 2023 and the start of 2024, McManus was a home run.

McManus was 20-of-21 on field goals, his 95.2 percent success rate ranked second behind only Tennessee’s Nick Folk (21-of-22, 95.5 percent). He was clutch. In his Packers debut, he hit the game-winner vs. Houston. The next week at Jacksonville, he did it again. His 55-yarder in Week 18 at Chicago should have beaten the Bears.

On kickoffs, McManus had the third-lowest touchback percentage but the Packers finished second in opponent starting field position after a kickoff, so he must have been OK.

Grade: A.

P Daniel Whelan

2024 salary cap: $915,000. Position rank: 28th.

This tells you all you need to know about the Packers’ challenges in finding a punter over the years and the perils of punting at Lambeau Field. Whelan’s 46.1-yard average and 40.2-yard net average are the third-best in franchise history. Those marks, however, ranked 25th and 26th in the league, respectively.

Whelan placed 22 punts inside the 20 with five touchbacks, which was better than last year’s 18 and five. In the first 10 games, he had net averages of at least 44.8 yards in six games. The numbers, predictably, tapered off down the stretch. He was 13th in the NFL in net average until the Bears suckered Green Bay’s coverage unit and returned a punt for a touchdown in the finale.

The best way to avoid big punt returns is through great hangtime. Whelan ranked fourth in percentage of his punt that were returned and fourth in hangtime. He had a few bad games but, overall, he is a weapon.

As one special-teams guru said recently, Whelan is a “great” holder.

Grade: B-plus.

LS Matthew Orzech

2024 salary cap: $1,125,000. Position rank: 22nd.

Take PFF’s grading of the long snappers for what it’s worth, but Matthew Orzech was deemed the worst long snapper in the NFL this season. While Orzech hasn’t had a truly catastrophic snap, he’s been saved a few times by punter/holder Daniel Whelan, including on Brandon McManus’ game-winning field goal against Houston.

Look for Orzech to face a true competition in 2025.

Grade: D-plus.

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