The Green Bay Packers have a 6-3 record at the Week 10 bye. While NFL seasons are no longer an even 16 games, a bye week after nine games does provide something resembling the midway point.
If the season ended today, the Packers would finish third in the NFC North but also as the No. 7 seed in the NFC — meaning a playoff trip.
Who have been the best players for Matt LaFleur’s team? Who needs to step up?
Here are the stars, studs and duds from the first half of the Packers’ season:
Stars
WR Jayden Reed: Entering Week 10, Reed ranks sixth among all NFL wide receivers in receiving yards (620), 10th in yards per catch (17.2), fifth in yards after catch (286), sixth in yards per route run (2.63), sixth in contested catch percentage (77.8), first in rushing yards (110), third in catches of 20+ yards (12), first in catches of 40+ yards (5) and second in yards from the slot (462). He also leads the NFL in drops, per PFF, so Reed has left plenty of production on the field. In terms of playmaking ability, Reed has proven his star status as a second-year player.
S Xavier McKinney: The former Giant intercepted a pass in six of the first eight games, including five straight to start the season, and has seven total takeaways through nine games. He even delivered a drive-ending third-down sack and has three pressures on only six blitzes. McKinney has been everything the Packers thought he’d be and more, bringing reliability in coverage and as a tackler and game-changing ability to create takeaways and big plays to Jeff Hafley’s first-year defense.
RT Zach Tom: Now in his second year as a full-time starter, Tom has cemented himself as one of the NFL’s best right tackles. He’s allowed only one sack and 11 total pressures over 328 pass-blocking snaps, and his run-blocking grade at Pro Football Focus ranks third among all offensive tackles. He goes about his business as a blocker like David Bakhtiari: quiet, but dominant.
Studs
RB Josh Jacobs: The former Raider is third in rushing yards (762), second in yards after contact (590), fourth in missed tackles forced (33) and fourth in yards of 10+ yards (20), plus he caught his first career receiving touchdown. Jacobs is fifth in yards from scrimmage and fifth in total touches. While maybe not as dynamic as Aaron Jones, Jacobs has been a reliable workhorse. He has seven games with 90 or more total yards (including a current five-game streak) and five games with a rush of at least 25 yards (including a current three-game streak).
S Evan Williams: The rookie has done his best Xavier McKinney impression in terms of mixing big plays with valuable reliability. Williams intercepted a Hail Mary to end a win over the Colts, broke up a pass on fourth-down to secure a win over the Rams, forced a fumble and stuffed a two-point conversion in a win over the Cardinals and led the team with nine tackles against the Texans. The fourth-round pick has played only 231 snaps so far, but he ranks fourth among safeties in PFF grade.
LB Edgerrin Cooper: So. Much. Speed. The rookie often looks like he’s playing at a different speed than the other 21 players on the field. Cooper has 2.5 sacks, including a strip sack, and a fumble recovery. He’s been great playing downhill and hasn’t looked out of place in coverage. Despite being a part-time player, Cooper ranks fourth on the Packers defense in tackles and fifth in stops. Expect his playtime to increase and his impact to skyrocket. Cooper has legitimate star potential.
TE Tucker Kraft: He emerged as the clear-cut No. 1 tight end to start the regular season, and the first nine games showed why. Kraft is a dominant run blocker on the move and a nearly impossible player to tackle in the open field. His five receiving touchdowns rank second among tight ends. Kraft is averaging 9.6 yards per target, with most of the production coming after the catch. His 66-yard catch against the Rams and 67-yard catch against the Jaguars are two of the longest plays from the Packers offense this season.
QB Malik Willis: Acquired just days before the season opener, Willis has played the role of savior as the backup quarterback during the first half of 2024. The Packers won both of his starts early in the season, and Willis came off the bench to lead the Packers to a late win in Jacksonville. Matt LaFleur has protected him with the run, but Willis has been just fine as a passer, completing almost 75 percent of his passes, averaging 9.7 yards per attempt and avoiding any turnovers. His passer rating is 130.3, and he has rushed for 137 yards. It’s hard to imagine the Packers being 6-3 without some of the magic Willis has produced as the backup.
LB Eric Wilson: The veteran has a team-high seven tackles for loss, plus two sacks and an interception. He played two of the best games by a Packers linebacker this season in wins over the Colts and Texans. Wilson has also played a team-high 171 snaps on special teams.
P Daniel Whelan: His net average is 43.9 yards, which ranks sixth among punters and would set a new team record if it holds through the winter months in Green Bay. Sixteen of his punts have been downed inside the 20, and his 11 returned punts have resulted in only 77 return yards. His hangtime average of 4.65 seconds ranks second among punters. Whelan has consistently flipped the field for the Packers special teams.
S Zayne Anderson: Many wondered why the Packers kept Anderson over Anthony Johnson Jr. at safety. Well, Anderson has been terrific on special teams — logging a team-high seven total tackles. Only four players have more special teams tackles in the NFL so far this season. Anderson has a tackle covering a kick or punt in seven of the Packers’ nine games.
Duds
WR Dontayvion Wicks: The second-year receiver either has the most or second most drops in the NFL depending on which stat service you prefer. Among receivers with at least 30 targets, Wicks ranks dead last in catch percentage (37.2), and he’s one of only two receivers to have a catch percentage under 40 percent and a yards/target average under 5.0. He’s dropped easy catches and hard ones — per PFF, Wicks is 0-for-9 on contested catch opportunities this season. The Packers badly need to him to snap out of the funk and become a reliable weapon during the second half.
DE Lukas Van Ness: The Packers’ 2023 first-round pick has turned 141 pass-rushing snaps into just six total pressures. Van Ness actually has more missed tackles (3) and penalties (3) than total sacks and quarterback hits (2). His pass-rush win percentage is just 6.7, which ranks 103rd out of 126 qualifying edge rushers this season. Yikes. The Packers traded away Preston Smith, clearing the path for more snaps at defensive end. Can Van Ness start producing in the second half? The Packers’ pass-rush might depend on it.
DL Kenny Clark: Amazingly, Clark doesn’t have a sack and is at only two tackles for loss and two quarterback hits through nine games. He’s produced 16 pressures, but his lack of game-changing impact is glaring, especially for a player the Packers just signed to a big deal. Clark has been playing through a toe injury, so maybe he’ll come alive if the issue heals up during the bye. The Packers need him to start being a game-wrecker again.
CB Eric Stokes: The return from injury has been a rough one for Stokes, who has allowed 25 catches and a team-high 293 receiving yards into his coverage despite being a part-time player. Stokes has been so unreliable that the Packers have experimented with — and seem to prefer — using Keisean Nixon as the perimeter corner opposite Jaire Alexander. Two injury-wrecked seasons might have derailed his career. Stokes, a looming free agent, might be down to his last eight regular season games with the Packers over the second half of 2024.
LB Quay Walker: Will the light switch ever come on for the 2022 first-rounder? Walker is big and fast, but he rarely plays big against the run and he rarely showcases elite speed to create big plays. His best asset might be as a blitzer. Only 18 of Walker’s 64 total tackles have been considered a “stop,” and teams have gone after him consistently in coverage. It’s Year 3. It’s time to worry about Walker as a long-term part of the Packers defense.
K Brayden Narveson: He’s no longer in Green Bay, but for six games to start the season, Narveson was the worst kicker in football. The Packers preached patience but had no choice but to move on from the rookie. Through six weeks, Narveson missed an NFL-high five field goals, all inside 50 yards, including one under 40.
