Bold Predictions for Packers' Individual Stat Leaders in 2023 NFL Season

The 2023 Green Bay Packers are one of the more interesting team's in the league this season. They could win the NFC North or finish last and neither result would be all that surprising.

Matt LaFleur's squad struggled with injuries and an awkward quarterback situation on the way to an 8-9 season that saw them miss the playoffs for the first time in four years.

This year, the expectations are as low as they've been since they started ripping off 13-win seasons with Aaron Rodgers playing at an MVP level. Rodgers is now a New York Jet and the Packers will be leaning on a lot of young faces to step up and lead the team.

There's still a lot of talent on the defense and the offense could be sneaky good if Jordan Love shows immediate signs that he's the quarterback of the future.

Here are a few bold predictions for some of the Packers leaders in 2023.

2023 Jordan Love Will Be Better Than 2022 Aaron Rodgers

Patrick McDermott/Getty Images

GREEN BAY, WISCONSIN - AUGUST 26: Jordan Love #10 of the Green Bay Packers throws a pass for a touchdown in the first half against the Seattle Seahawks during a preseason game at Lambeau Field on August 26, 2023 in Green Bay, Wisconsin. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)

This sounds like more of a spicy take than it really is. The 2022 version of Aaron Rodgers wasn't all that great. He threw 26 touchdowns to 12 interceptions for just 3,695 passing yards and was 26th in Total QBR.

In some ways, the bar has been set low for Love in 2023.

For this season to be a success he doesn't have to live up to the Rodgers name, he just has to lead the offense to be better than last season.

He should be able to do that. Rodgers had to deal with a really young receiving corps. Allen Lazard was his most experienced receiver who played a major role last season. He led the team with 788 yards and six touchdowns but didn't really step into the WR1 role.

With Christian Watson and Romeo Doubs entering their sophomore campaigns, the receiving corps should naturally take a step forward. Love also has two new weapons in rookies Luke Musgrave and Jayden Reed who should provide another dimension to the passing attack.

Love showed a strong command of the offense throughout the preseason. He completed 21 of his 33 pass attempts for 193 yards and three touchdowns with no interceptions.

He's shown he can take care of the ball. With the benefit of a strong running game and a full complement of receivers he should be able to top most of Rodgers' numbers from last season.

Christian Watson Will Have over 1,000 Yards

Michael Hickey/Getty Images

CINCINNATI, OHIO - AUGUST 11: Wide receiver Christian Watson #9 of the Green Bay Packers runs the ball during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium on August 11, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)

Aaron Rodgers and the Packers missed Davante Adams last season. The decision to trade him was a controversial one and his presence was missed as Lazard didn't even pass 800 yards.

The lack of a true No. 1 in the passing game capped the ceiling of the offense and it showed in their mediocre record.

Christian Watson is going to put a dent in that issue this season. The North Dakota State alum won't rise to Adams-level domination, but he is going to be a deep threat who can put up big numbers.

Watson was 12th in the league in yards run per route (2.4) and 15th in yards per target (9.4). Drops were a concern for him coming out of camp and the preseason last year, but he was only charged with two on the year, per Player Profiler.

At 6'4", 208 pounds, Watson is a big-bodied contested catch threat who should become a go-to option for Love. That's an important kind of player to have for a quarterback who will be navigating his first year as a starter.

Expect Watson to become the Packers' weekly target leader and get over 1,000 yards after piling up 611 last season.

Rashan Gary Will Be Top 10 in Sacks

AP Photo/Morry Gash

Green Bay Packers' Rashan Gary runs a drill during an NFL football OTA practice session Wednesday, May 31, 2023, in Green Bay, Wis. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)

Bringing this prediction back from last year. Gary was on pace to make it come true in 2022 before tearing his ACL nine games into his season.

Gary's career high for sacks is 9.5 so he hasn't broken into the top tier of pass-rushers quite yet, but the underlying statistics point toward that breakout happening. Gary sported an absurd 19.4 pressure percentage last season, two points higher than the 17.4 he posted in 2021 with 9.5 sacks.

There might be some trepidation about Gary repeating those numbers in 2023. ACL injuries can be tricky and it isn't uncommon for a player to need a full year before truly getting back to full health.

There haven't been any indications that's the case with the 25-year-old, though. Gary has returned to practice and those on the Packers beat have noted that he looks as explosive and fast as ever.

If that's the case, there's no reason to doubt that Gary will be one of the league's top sack-creators with at least 12 this year.