The Green Bay Packers’ chapter of the 2018 NFL season has closed and 2019

has already ushered in a new era with Matt LaFleur named the organization's 15th head coach. LaFleur will inherit a roster that began a transition under new General Manager Brian Gutekunst a year ago and is still seeking additional reinforcements. In the spirit of both looking ahead to LaFleur and looking back at the 2018 season that was https://www.thepackersfanshop.com/Paul-Hornung-Jersey , today begins a two-part sequence of assessing the Packers’ positional priorities with the offseason right around the corner. Today’s list features the team’s lowest priorities, including one position group that took a much-needed step forward behind several young prospects.Without further ado, here are positional rankings 7-11.11. QuarterbacksWhen you lock in a franchise quarterback for the long haul, chances are your priority list won’t revolve around the position. Aaron Rodgers’ progression will be closely monitored under LaFleur and there are many reasons to be optimistic about the new partnership. But even outside of Rodgers, the Packers appear to be in much better shape at the position that they were last year when questions surrounded Brett Hundley’s backup status. Green Bay invested in DeShone Kizer via trade last offseason and the former Cleveland Brown showed flashes in the final week against Detroit despite Green Bay failing to score (however, they went for a number of fourth downs in the red zone). Kizer’s natural ability looked more promising than Hundley’s stint in 2017 and the Packers surely hope to continue grooming Kizer, just a two-year veteran. Tim Boyle also will stick around for training camp and figures to see competition from a late-round draft pick or undrafted player for a third spot on the roster.10. SpecialistsLaFleur specifically mentioned that he wants a “sound” and “aggressive” special teams that takes advantage of personnel mismatches. But there’s no way to sugarcoat it: the Packers’ special teams units as a whole were disastrous in 2018. However, kicker Mason Crosby isn’t going anywhere and punter J.K. Scott should get at least one more season after being drafted in the fifth round of last year’s draft. The wildcard here is Hunter Bradley at long snapper, who was inconsistent as a rookie. Bradley should have competition from the undrafted ranks in camp. From a returns standpoint, Trevor Davis spent almost the entire 2018 season injured and missed a golden opportunity to cement his role in both the kick and punt return games. Jaire Alexander, Marquez Valdes-Scantling, and Bashaud Breeland, if re-signed, could bring some value there, but an outside competitor could surely be added to make the special teams more dangerous.9. Running BackWhen healthy, Aaron Jones has been a dynamic playmaker for the Packers’ offense and the coaching change should really help the team take advantage of his strengths. Pass blocking remains a work in progress for Jones to see more third-down action, but his slashing style and speed in the open field gives Green Bay a weapon. Jamaal Williams has had share of promising moments in Jones’ absence over the past two seasons. More reliable than Jones as a blocker, Williams had a big game against the New York Jets late in the season, accounting for 158 yards from scrimmage. His short-yardage, grind-it-out style is a good complement to Jones. The duo isn’t quite Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara yet, but they’re a strong point of the team. Green Bay still could add a third back in the offseason.8. CornerbackPlacing this position eighth almost feels weird. The Packers have searched for dependable cornerbacks for the better part of the past decade without much luck. But with rookies Alexander, Josh Jackson, and Tony Brown, in addition to a possibly Breeland re-signing, Green Bay has a nice young nucleus forming. If Kevin King can stay healthy Bart Starr Jersey , cornerback could actually be a team strength in the very near future. Much depends on Breeland’s contract status, but the Packers could potentially move Tramon Williams to safety more fully in 2019 with improved depth at corner. The Packers could bring in some depth, but a premium draft pick or free agent is not likely this year.7. Defensive LineOn the inside, Green Bay remains in excellent shape for next season. Muhammad Wilkerson probably won’t be back in Titletown, but a healthier Kenny Clark and Mike Daniels will be. Tyler Lancaster really blossomed over the course of the season as an undrafted free agent and Montravius Adams, a former third-round pick, also showed some signs of his potential as a role player in increased snaps during the second half of the season. Fadol Brown could also challenge for a roster spot next season. On the ends is where Green Bay could still stand to improve. Although Dean Lowry has been a steady player for the Packers, the team could use a pass rusher from that position comparable to Cullen Jenkins of the last title run. Still, defensive end is not Green Bay’s biggest need and the defensive front as a whole is in good shape for LaFleur’s first season at the helm.Stay tuned for part two! Interior defensive linemen might not move the needle with fans, but the Packers may need their fifth-round pick to play important snaps in 2019." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteAcme Packing Companya Green Bay Packers communityLog In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsSectionsPackersOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections The APC PodcastPackers Film RoomFantasy Football AdviceCDTShareTweetShareShareNobody is talking about Packers DT Kingsley Keke, but his path to rookie impact is clear Kinglsey Keke dropped weight to play end his senior season, but shined for the Aggies as an interior presence. Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesFifth-round picks don’t grab headlines, especially not 300-pound interior defensive linemen. Many Green Bay Packers fans wanted Ed Oliver at 12, which could make Texas A&M’s Kingsley Keke at 150 feel like a major letdown. But the same reason why Oliver made sense for Green Bay at 12 should make it obvious Keke has a chance to be a meaningful player for the team in 2019: they’re probably going to need him to play. With Mike Daniels recovering from an injury during OTAs, Mike Pettine had to slide Kenny Clark outside so Montravius Adams could play nose tackle with Dean Lowry on the other side. Adams showed some flashes last season but isn’t ideally suited to be playing defensive end in this scheme. Ditto for Tyler Lancaster, who carved out a solid role last year as a run-stuffing interior defender who played well above his pedigree and projection. There isn’t an obvious candidate to play for Lowry if he were to get injured. Most of the guys on the roster fit better playing inside like Daniels does, and though Fadol Brown has the body type to be that guy, we have next to no evidence he can be a consistent, reliable rotational player.The same is true of Keke, of course. He’s a rookie. But his versatility in College Station, where he played everywhere along the defensive line, including his senior season at defensive end, can give Keke the opportunity to get on the field right away. Clark comes into 2019 off a breakout campaign where he established himself as one of the premier interior defensive linemen in the game. If Lowry goes down or Daniels misses extended time again, Pettine won’t want to move Clark out of a position where he’s shown the ability to dominate games. Even if Lowry is healthy, he can’t play every snap Ray Nitschke Color Rush Jersey , giving Keke the opportunity to spell him. And while it’s true Adams flashed last season, he’s no where near a sure thing to take another step in 2019. Lancaster lacks pass rush juice. If Daniels or Clark are hurt, or simply just need to catch their breath, how does Pettine produce a ferocious interior pass rush with the personnel he has? One option would be to go to his version of the NASCAR package, something Mike Smith already hinted could be on the table. Put Za’Darius and Preston Smith on the field with Rashan Gary and Kyler Fackrell. Go hunt. But there will be other times, like on 2nd-and-9 or 3rd-and-6, where such an aggressive pass rush plan won’t be the prudent course. The Packers will still need somebig bodies who can play the run while prioritizing pass rush. In OTAs, the Packers have been playing their nickel look with two defensive linemen and two outside linebackers. With Clark and Daniels, those spots are spoken for, but in order to keep them fresh and on the field, Pettine could want to get a more rigorous rotation, especially on early downs, to save the wear and tear on his star players bodies. Injuries and formational versatility with guys like the Smiths offers Pettine the flexibility of playing some of his edge rushers inside. Gary also stands as a potential factor along the defensive interior. That’s not a sustainable plan either, though it will be a look Green Bay will no doubt deploy often during the season. Keke showed outstanding run defending capabilities at Texas A&M and flashes pass rush ability everywhere they lined him up. As a sophomore, he finished with 7 TFLs, 4 sacks, and 4 PDs in somewhat limited snaps playing along the interior of the defensive line. As a senior playing end, he put up 11 TFLs and led the team with 7.5 sacks in the SEC. Sure, he might only be a fifth-round pick, but it’s not like he has to beat out a group of linemen who surpass his pedigree. And a guy like Adams, who does, lacks the kind of flexibility we think the TAMU rookie possesses. For Pettine, that malleability can be just as precious as pure talent.Keke showed enough pass rush juice to ignite the switch to defensive end his senior season, a move made to maximize the guys on the field who could pressure opposing quarterbacks. He could wind up on the field for the same reason in 2019.