Packers boast NFL’s most well-rounded offense in 2021
When I describe an offense as “well-rounded”, I’m referring to an offense that can succeed in many different ways. The Green Bay Packers showed they could get it done both through the air and on the ground in 2020, as they were the only team to rank top 10 in both passing yards per game and rushing yards per game.
They also finished as the NFL’s #1 scoring offense in 2020, averaging an outstanding 31.8 points per game in the regular season.
The Packers offense simply had no true weakness. Matt LaFleur has been one of the NFL’s best play callers through two years, teaming well with spectacular QB Aaron Rodgers last season. At RB they had Pro Bowl star Aaron Jones alongside the emerging AJ Dillon late in the season.
On the O-line, the Packers earned the highest ESPN pass block win rate in the league (74%). This offense had all of the above as well as having arguably the best WR in the entire league, Davante Adams.
As the Packers go through what has been dubbed the “run it back” offseason, they kept as many pieces in place as they could. As is stands right now, they will enter the 2021 season returning every offensive starter besides All-Pro center Corey Linsley who’s heading for the SoCal sunshine.
So with the bulk of the team back for the 2021 season, let’s break down this offense position by position to see just how multi-faceted it is:
Quarterback
As many Packer fans will tell you, it truly doesn’t feel like Aaron Rodgers is going to fall off anytime soon. The way he threw the ball in 2020, he looked like he has at least a half decade of really good play left in him.
Unlike most veterans who severely lose arm strength when they enter their late 30’s, Rodgers is still zipping the ball all over the yard. While he’s undoubtedly lost a step as a scrambler, Matt LaFleur puts him in a situation where scrambling is rarely ever necessary.
Running back
You could definitely make the case that alongside an MVP QB in the passing game, the Packers also boasts the second best RB duo in the NFL behind the Cleveland Browns.
Aaron Jones got his money and will be keen to make up for his rough NFC Championship Game performance. Jones does everything well as a RB. He’s exceptionally nimble and fast, one of the league’s best after contact and a valuable commodity as a receiver.
Alongside Jones, second-year pro AJ Dillon is primed to pick up where he left off at the end of last season. The truth is that Dillon didn’t just start playing well at the end of last season. He was excellent throughout, even in the limited snaps he saw in the early weeks, before entering a surprisingly lengthy battle with COVID-19.
Dillon’s power and Jones’ “everything else” is getting me so excited for this deadly duo next season.
Tight end
The Packers offensive diversity shines through at tight end. They have three different players who all specialize in one area of the offense.
Firstly, Robert Tonyan will remain as the teams’ primary receiving TE. Per Pro Football Reference, Tonyan caught 52 of his 59 targets in 2020, without a single drop. While a lot of Tonyan’s production comes down to the scheme, there’s no denying how reliable he’s been all season to have the NFL’s highest catch %.
Thirty-seven-year-old Marcedes Lewis is staying in Green Bay next season after re-signing with the team earlier this week. The seasoned vet is coming off one of his best seasons since his early days in Jacksonville. Lewis of course specializes as a blocker. In 2020, he frequently held his own against edge defenders, and is about as close to an OT you can get.
Another crucial advantage of having Marcedes Lewis which was mentioned by Lombardi Ave’s Parker Moes is the veteran presence and leadership he gives the locker room. “Big Dog” is one of the most beloved guys in the organization, and gives Aaron Rodgers and Mason Crosby another older buddy on the roster.
Then you have 2019 third-round pick Josiah Degaura who is returning from the ACL injury he suffered last October. Degaura was surprisingly heavily involved in the offense in week one vs. the Vikings. Unfortunately, it was the only game he was truly healthy for.
Deguara provides yet another unique asset to the offense, H-back versatility. It remains to be known how much the Packers plan to play Deguara in that role, as his athleticism may be best utilised as a route runner. But I trust Matt LaFleur to get creative with Deguara, getting him the ball in the flats and letting him go to work.
Finally, not much is to be expected of Jace Sternberger this coming season. He is yet to truly find his feet on the roster after two years of battling injuries. But who knows? Hopefully Sternberger can return to the form he had at Texas A&M which made him worthy of a day two draft pick in 2018.
Wide receiver
This is the one offensive position where I think the Packers should add to in the upcoming draft. They already have one of the league’s best overall WRs in Davante Adams who does it all. His chemistry with Aaron Rodgers is unparalleled.
Meanwhile, Marquez Valdes-Scantling has developed into a legitimate deep threat and really finished last season on a high note. While MVS has been notoriously inconsistent for the Packers, if he can manage to cut out the drops (we say this every year), he will genuinely become of the league’s better Y-receivers.
So they have a “do it all” alpha in Adams, a true deep threat in MVS, and now we come to a sensational run blocker in Allen Lazard. Lazard’s limited athletic ceiling prevents him from taking that leap to the next level, but right now he’s a very reliable option who will give you 110% on every snap. Lazard has also came up with clutch catches in big situations throughout his Packers career.
The one thing that’s missing here at WR, is the elite gadget player. All the best play callers thrive with these kinds of players. Deebo Samuel is the benchmark for this role, and every year we see players in the draft with the potential to fill it.
This year, Purdue’s Rondale Moore and Florida’s Kadarius Toney are both options at the end of the first round. However if the Packers choose to address a more important need early on, Jaleon Darden and D’Wayne Eskridge are later-round options to fill this role.
Offensive line
As I mentioned earlier, the Packers offensive line in 2020 was elite. Despite seemingly constant injuries, they shifted around and played at a high level in almost every game of the season.
It was without doubt the best pass protection Aaron Rodgers has received in his career. Which is crazy when you look back at the talent the Packers O-line had during the early 2010’s.
After the release of Rick Wagner, the Packers will need to find an answer at LT in the time before David Bakhtiari returns from his ACL injury. When Bakhtiari does return, the ship should hopefully be steadied barring any more injuries.
Following Corey Linsley’s departure, the Packers have plenty of options at center, with Lucas Patrick, Jon Runyan and Elgton Jenkins all capable of snapping the ball. The Packers O-line didn’t miss a beat when Linsley missed three games late last season. It remains to be seen what the O-line will look like next season, but if past history is anything to go off, it’s likely still in good hands.
Overview
Simply put, there isn’t much that the Packers offense can’t do. Other than a scrambling threat at QB and a true gadget player, this offense pretty much has everything required to be successful next season.
Matt LaFleur has an embarrassment of riches at his disposal. Add a gadget WR and some more offensive line depth from the draft and I can’t see why the Packers wouldn’t be elite once again next season.