A lack of meaningful development and improvement from the roster provided at least part of the reason why the Green Bay Packers slogged through a disappointing 2022 season.
The offense didn’t get significant improvement from anyone of significance, while the defense had a few surprises but mostly veteran regression. Some of the biggest improvements came from individual performances on special teams.
Here’s a closer look at the Packers’ most improved players from the 2022 season, using overall grades from Pro Football Focus as our guide:
QB Jordan Love
2021 grade: 36.2
2022 grade: 78.7
Improvement: +41.5
To be clear, Love played only 131 snaps last year and just 26 this year, so the sample size is too small to draw any meaningful conclusion about his ability as a player. But over two encouraging series in Philadelphia, Love looked confident and in control while leading the Packers to 10 points. The team insists he’s ready to be a starter after three years behind Aaron Rodgers and now a year working with Tom Clements. It’s possible his opportunity will finally arrive in 2023.
K Mason Crosby
2021 grade: 49.2
2022 grade: 72.4
Improvement: +23.2
Crosby improved his field goal percentage from 72.2 in 2021 to 86.2 in 2022. His biggest improvement came between 30 and 49 yards. After making only 14-of-23 between 30-49 yards in 2021, Crosby made 14-of-15 this year. Improvements in the field goal operation certainly helped. He did make only 1-of-4 from 50+ after hitting 7-of-8 between 2020-21, highlighting his declining leg strength. The 38-year-old kicker will be a free agent this offseason.
S Rudy Ford
2021 grade: 57.7 (with Jacksonville)
2022 grade: 77.7
Improvement: +20.0
Ford, who the Packers signed after final cuts to be a core special teamer, ended up the third-best grade on the defense. By season’s end, he was a starter playing over Darnell Savage at safety. He intercepted three passes and earned the secondary’s second-best coverage grade overall. Ford brought speed in the deep half and a willingness to tackle in run support to the safety position. He’ll be a free agent come March.
DL TJ Slaton
2021 grade: 52.8
2022 grade: 61.7
Improvement: +8.9
Slaton did little as a pass-rusher (five pressures on 134 pass-rushing snaps), but he made a jump against the run, and stopping the run is his primary job. Slaton produced 11 stops over 199 snaps against the run and was generally hard to move at the line of scrimmage. He also batted down three passes, including one resulting in an interception. There’s reason to believe he’s ready to become more than a role player in 2023.
DL Jarran Reed
2021 grade: 54.5 (with Kansas City)
2022 grade: 61.9
Improvement: +7.4
Reed really came on down the stretch, delivering 19 pressures and eight QB hits over the Packers’ final eight games. His forced fumble in Miami was a crucial play late in the season. Reed was up and down against the run and hit or miss as a rusher, as he’s been for most of his career, but the veteran was always available. Reed finished with the same number of total pressures (33) and two more stops (28 to 26) as last season while playing almost 150 fewer snaps.
CB Jaire Alexander
2021 grade: 73.4 (played in four games)
2022 grade: 80.3
Improvement: +6.9
Alexander enjoyed his best season in terms of defending the run and intercepting the football. His 71.3 run defense grade was a career-best, and he picked off a career-high five passes. While not as down-to-down dominant as his incredible 2020 season, Alexander was still one of the best at his position over 901 total snaps in 2022.
C Josh Myers
2021 grade: 54.9 (missed 10 games)
2022 grade: 60.5
Improvement: +5.6
Myers improved as a pass-blocker during his second season. His pass-blocking efficiency jumped from 97.7 in 2021 to 98.7 in 2022. While Myers is a terrific athlete who is reliable in the passing game, it’s fair to wonder if he’ll ever be a big-time run blocker. For the second straight season, Myers graded out below 60.0 in the run game, although he did marginally improve there in 2022.
WR Allen Lazard
2021 grade: 64.7
2022 grade: 69.0
Improvement: +4.3
Lazard led the Packers with 60 catches for 788 yards. He averaged 1.61 yards per route run, up from 1.13 last year, and he made nine contested catches. Drops remain an issue. He caught four or more passes in 11 games.
LT David Bakhtiari
2021 grade: 75.2
2022 grade: 79.7
Improvement: +4.5
Bakhtiari played only 27 snaps last season, so saying he “improved” is a bit of a hollow statement. More specifically, Bakhtiari got healthy. And when on the field in 2022, the five-time All-Pro looked elite again, especially as a pass-blocker. He gave up 10 pressures and zero sacks over 339 pass-blocking snaps.
RB Aaron Jones
2021 grade: 82.0
2022 grade: 85.9
Improvement: +3.9
Jones wasn’t as good in the passing game in 2022, but he was a dominant runner. He averaged 3.2 yards after contact and 5.3 yards overall, forced 53 missed tackles and created a career-high 31 runs over 10 yards. His long was only 36 yards but he was consistently more efficient. Incredibly, Jones scored only two rushing touchdowns.
TE Robert Tonyan
2021 grade: 54.6
2022 grade: 57.7
Improvement: +3.1
Marginal improvement here. Tonyan remained a below-average run-blocker, but his receiving numbers went up slightly. His yards per route run improved from 1.06 in 2021 to 1.27 in 2022. He made three contested catches, forced a career-high three missed tackles and had just one drop, but his average depth of target dropped to a career-low 6.0 yards.
TE Josiah Deguara
2021 grade: 55.6
2022 grade: 58.1
Improvement: +2.5
Deguara caught 13 of 15 passes, averaged slightly more yards per route run and didn’t have a drop. He played 133 run-blocking snaps but only surprisingly received only average blocking grades.
P Pat O'Donnell
2021 grade: 57.0 (with Chicago)
2022 grade: 59.0
Improvement: +2.0
O’Donnell helped improve the field goal operation significantly as a holder, and he improved his net average (38.5 in 2021 to 40.4 in 2022) and punts inside the 20 (20 to 26). He was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week in Week 3.
OL Royce Newman
2021 grade: 55.7
2022 grade: 57.5
Improvement: +1.8
Newman’s improvement hardly registered. He played 334 snaps at right guard and 109 at right tackle, but his pass-blocking efficiency dropped and he was only slightly better as a run blocker in 2022. Newman gave up a sack in four of his nine games.
Special: Keisean Nixon
2021 grade: N/A
2022 grade: 92.7
Improvement: –
A special category just for Nixon, who transformed into the NFL’s most dangerous kickoff returner. He did not handle returns for the Raiders last year, so his ascendency came out of nowhere, even for Rich Bisaccia. Nixon, who had five returns of at least 50 yards, earned the best kickoff return grade in the NFL.
Special teams
The special teams also deserve a shoutout. Rich Bisaccia helped improve most players, but these five especially standout out among the players with the most special teams snaps in 2022:
Isaiah McDuffie +45.5
Josiah Deguara +34.5
Patrick Taylor +45.9
Tyler Davis +7.3
Eric Wilson +32.2
