The Green Bay Packers offense finished strong in 2023 as Jordan Love and a young group of skill players matured and picked up their game in the second half of the season. The Packers have a lot of young talent across the board but there are still many questions to be answered as the team heads into training camp next month. Here are five key questions facing the Packers offense as we head into the 2024 season:
Five Key Questions the Green Bay Packers Offense Must Answer in 2024, Number Five: Will There Be Enough Targets to Go Around?
The Packers offense has a deep group of pass catchers but no designated number one receiver. They have a young group of wideouts but none of them have more than two years of NFL experience entering 2024.
Christian Watson, Romeo Doubs, Jayden Reed, Dontayvion Wicks, Bo Melton, and Malik Heath make up the top six on the depth chart entering training camp.
The team also has two young and talented tight ends in Luke Musgrave and Tucker Kraft. Running backs Josh Jacobs and A.J. Dillon are also good receivers out of the backfield. The Packers also like the receiving potential of rookie MarShawn Lloyd.
Can play caller Matt LaFleur and Love keep all of these receivers happy by giving them enough targets? The Packers have to hope that the competition for targets won’t spoil the chemistry in the locker room.
Sulking or resentful players rarely help a team succeed. Keeping this group happy will go a long way towards helping the offense click.
Number Four: Will the Run Blocking Improve?
The Packers offensive line finished the season strong, but their pass blocking was significantly better than their run blocking all season.
Pass blocking will be more important than run blocking, but an improvement in the run blocking will help Jacob, Lloyd, and Dillon to be more productive on the ground which will, in turn, make the passing game more dangerous.
The potential addition of Sean Rhyan at right guard should help the run blocking IF Rhyan’s pass blocking is consistent enough for him to crack the starting lineup.
Five Key Questions the Green Bay Packers Offense Must Answer in 2024, Number Three: Who Will Start Along the Offensive Line
There are two players who we know will start along the offensive line if healthy, but their positions are uncertain. LaFleur indicated he wants the best five linemen on the field. The Packers feature several linemen who can play multiple positions which gives them options when putting together a starting lineup.
The two players who will start if healthy are Elgton Jenkins, who played left guard last season, and Zach Tom, who started at right tackle. Tom missed OTAs do to an injured pectoral muscle.
Rasheed Walker is the favorite to start at left tackle with incumbent Josh Myers the likely starter at center. Rhyan will get the first shot at right guard.
The team drafted three offensive linemen who will battle for spots in the lineup including first round pick Jordan Morgan, fifth rounder Jacob Monk, and sixth round selection Travis Glover.
The coaching staff gave Morgan reps at every position along the offensive line except center during OTAs, but he still has a lot to learn.
The Packers must settle on a starting five and build cohesion from there. The offense won’t work well without strong line play and that goes for both pass protection and run blocking.
Number Two: Can Christian Watson Stay Healthy?
When he’s healthy, Watson can be a difference maker and not just when he catches the football. Opposing defenses must account for his speed and size on every play and that opens things up for other players on the team.
The Packers sent Watson to a hamstring specialist in Madison this offseason. They hope they’ve figured out why he’s had so many problems staying healthy in his first two NFL campaigns.
If Watson can stay healthy and take a step forward in his third season, both he and the entire offense would benefit.
Five Key Questions the Green Bay Packers Offense Must Answer in 2024, Number One: Will Jordan Love Continue to Play at an Elite Level
Over the last eight games of the season, Love played at an elite level. He threw 18 touchdown passes and just one interception. He led the Packers to a surprise playoff berth despite having one of the youngest rosters in the league.
Love will likely receive a new contract before the season starts that will make him a wealthy man. That cannot stop him from continuing to work hard and to lead this team by example.
If Love takes a step forward and proves the second half of last season wasn’t just an isolated hot streak, the Packers should be set at quarterback for years to come and will have a window for Super Bowl contention. If he struggles this season, he and the Packers could be in trouble.
Follow Gil Martin on Twitter @GilPackers
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