Green Bay

Packers

The Packers still have work to do at the desk with both wide receiver Jayden Reed and tight end Luke Musgrave yet to sign their rookie contracts, but they finally have their first round selection under contract. The selection of the Iowa product in the middle of the first round turned heads, particularly considering he appears to be mostly blocked for snaps early in the season with the team returning Preston Smith, De’Vondre Campbell, Quay Walker, and Rashan Gary.

Love has been drawing high praise from his teammates this offseason. Doubs continued his acclaim for Love, saying he didn’t see the difference between him and Rodgers. Packers corner Jaire Alexander called him the “best QB in the league.” Love has fewer than 100 pass attempts after three years in the NFL, so his players don’t have much more to work with other than his practice reps. Love was a toolsy prospect coming out of Utah State and has learned under one of the best quarterbacks to play the game. He could surprise fantasy drafters with his efficiency, but it’s hard to see a ceiling outcome for the first-year starter. Mike LaFleur ran a balanced offense with one of the slowest paces in the league last year. That was with a four-time MVP at the helm. Expect an even more uninspired philosophy with Love under center.

A brutal knee injury suffered in 2020 limited Bakhtiari to just one game in 2021 and sidelined him for six games last season. The veteran left tackle appears to be fully healthy ahead of training camp in a season he’s already marked as a rebuilding one for the Pack. Bakhtiari restructured his contract with the team earlier this offseason and is signed through 2024. Before his injury, Bakhtiari played at a level that earned him two First-Team All-Pro honors (2018 and 2020). Now entering his age-32 season, he should have some strong seasons left in the tank, provided his knee holds up along the way.

Amos joins Jordan Whitehead and Chuck Clark as veteran paid safeties in New York, possibly hinting at some three-safety looks for the Jets. It doesn’t say much for what the Jets think of their in-house safety depth, but Amos should provide a presence in the back end. He visited the Ravens and was reportedly not off Green Bay’s list at safety earlier this offseason.

Gary tore his ACL in early November and has thus far only been rehabbing on the side at practice. It is likely that Gary will be slowly brought along in camp and, if he is ready for Week 1, that he’s broken in slowly. But it is big news for the Packers that he could potentially be ready at all for Week 1, as he’s by far the team’s best EDGE player and one of the best EDGEs in the NFL already. Gary is on his fifth-year option season and is a candidate to be extended in training camp if the Packers believe he’s past the injury. He has 15.5 sacks in his last 24 games.

It’s safe to say head coach Matt LaFleur is impressed with Musgrave’s early showing in OTAs. LaFleur praised his rookie second-rounder for being a quick learner, adding that he has “an elite trait in that he can fly, and he’s a large target.” Musgrave was one of two Day 2 tight ends the Packers drafted in April, but it sounds like he has the inside edge for significant playing time this season. At 6-foot-7, 255 pounds, Musgrave has elite size and athleticism and brought a solid production profile with him to the NFL level. A late-round pick in early drafts, Musgrave could have some sneaky fantasy upside at a position that’s largely devoid of consistent production.

The expectation has been that Gary will not be ready for Week 1 after tearing his ACL in Week 9, and this news probably doesn’t change that much. The Packers will have to manufacture more pass rush early with their best rusher, Gary, out.

Stokes also tore his meniscus last season. He just started running a few weeks ago. This will probably leave him questionable to start training camp, Stokes, Green Bay’s 2021 first-round pick, has been a near every-down starter when healthy. ESPN’s Rob Demovsky wrote earlier in March that Stokes may not be ready for the start of the 2023 season. This will be an injury to watch as camp opens, and a PUP listing is not out of the realm of possibility.

“I think we’ll probably see how these guys do before we think about bringing in a veteran right away.” The Packers have Etling, a former receiver on the Patriots’ practice squad, and Clifford as their fallback options to Jordan Love’s first full season. The Packers will get a look at what they have in Clifford at OTAs before signing a veteran to back up Love.

Kraft, taken in the third round, was the second tight end to join the Packers via the draft. Green Bay also added Oregon State’s Luke Musgrave in the second round. Both players will have the chance to compete for a starting role in training camp, but betting on rookie tight ends has typically been a fool’s errand for fantasy players. Kraft is a plus athlete and left South Dakota State with a solid receiving profile. He’s worth stashing in dynasty leagues but isn’t on the redraft radar yet.