In their Sunday afternoon season opener against the Minnesota Vikings, the Green Bay Packers will get their first in-game look at the revamped defense and Davante Adams-less receiving corps.
With significant changes on both sides of the ball, there will be plenty of storylines to monitor as the 2022 NFL season unfolds.
Here are six things to watch for when the NFC North rivals clash in Week 1:
1. Will the defense justify its immense offseason hype?
Expectations for the Packers defense are through the roof this year after GM Brian Gutekunst spent both of his 2022 first-round picks on Georgia defenders: inside linebacker Quay Walker and defensive lineman Devonte Wyatt. Re-signing veteran linebacker De’Vondre Campbell and cornerback Rasul Douglas also fed into the hype.
Reports out of training camp suggest the defense has been making life difficult for quarterback Aaron Rodgers and the first-team offense in practices. Whether that translates to real games or not remains to be seen.
With stars or above-average players at nearly every position – and no glaring weaknesses in the starting lineup – much will be expected from Joe Barry’s unit this season. Going up against the likes of Dalvin Cook, Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and Kirk Cousins will be a good first test for a talented, but not totally proven unit.
2. Cornerback Jaire Alexander vs. wide receiver Justin Jefferson
A premier wide receiver vs. cornerback matchup is always a fun game-within-the-game to watch. Alexander, a second-team All-Pro in 2020, is arguably the top cornerback in the NFL right now. Jefferson, on the other hand, is a top-3 receiver.
While it’s unknown if Alexander will shadow Jefferson for most of the game, there’s bound to be some head-to-head matchups. Regardless of how many times they face off, it will be a treat to watch these two superstars go at each other.
3. Wide receiver depth/pecking order
With Allen Lazard and/or Christian Watson potentially sidelined this week, who will step up in his/their place? Sammy Watkins seems like the safest bet to emerge as the temporary WR1 if Lazard isn’t ready to go. Randall Cobb is a trusted option for Rodgers, and could get more looks than the younger, flashier receivers due to pre-existing chemistry.
Fourth-round rookie Romeo Doubs has been an offseason sensation, and could quickly work his way up the depth chart, but doesn’t have a starting spot locked in. 2021 third-round pick Amari Rodgers looks much-improved from a season ago, and could see some running back snaps in addition to handling return duties, but seems like a longshot to start at receiver this year.
Seventh-round rookie Samori Toure has potential as a complementary option down the road, but is buried pretty deep on the depth chart currently.
4. Running back usage in the passing game
In past games the Packers have played without Adams, Matt LaFleur has leaned on his running backs to pick up slack in the passing game. With Adams suiting up in Las Vegas this season, that could become a more permanent change.
Aaron Rodgers himself has said he could envision A.J. Dillon and Aaron Jones catching 50 passes each this year. When you consider the departures of Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling this offseason, and look at the receiving chops both running backs have displayed during their time in Green Bay, it wouldn’t be a shock to see something like that happen.
5. Offensive tackle David Bakhtiari’s return?
Having only played in 13 combined games the last two seasons – and a mere 27 snaps in 2021 – the All-Pro offensive tackle has been out of commission for the better part of two years. Coming off such a serious knee injury, Bakhtari needs to prove he can still play at a high level.
It’s been reported that the left tackle is “on track to play” in Week 1. If the former fourth-round pick does indeed play, he’ll have his hands full with former teammate Za’Darius Smith and former All-Pro Danielle Hunter.
6. Rasul Douglas in the slot/deployment of top 3 cornerbacks
With Alexander, Douglas and Eric Stokes all healthy for the start of the season, it will be interesting to see how Barry incorporates the trio simultaneously. Last year, Douglas played primarily on the boundary, filling the void of Alexander amid a 13-game absence.
This offseason, Douglas has been taking a lot of the snaps in the slot – and been making a strong impression there. With Jefferson likely cycling through the receiver positions on Sunday, we could see Alexander shadow him in the slot on occasion. For most nickel looks, however, expect a heavy dose of Douglas in the slot.
