Predicting Packers' Breakout Players at 2024 OTAs, Minicamp
The dawn of OTAs around the league means it's officially hype season. That will undoubtedly stretch to Green Bay where the Packers hold an intriguing combination of youth, success and potential.
The Packers will hope to build on a really successful ending to the 2023 campaign. Jordan Love finally got his chance to start and his play in the back half of the season is cause for a lot of optimism.
It isn't just Love, though. The Packers have managed to build an exciting roster with a lot of youth and a high ceiling.
That makes the Packers a particularly interesting team during OTAs. While some teams have an established core that makes these early team activities a formality, the Packers feel like a contender that is still forming.
Those who stand out in OTAs actually have a chance to wind up as important players in the fall.
Here's a look at three who could do use these workouts as a launching pad for a successful 2024 season.
LB Edgerrin Cooper
1 of 3
The Packers broke a long-standing trend by taking an offensive player with their first-round pick, but that doesn't mean they didn't find a defensive playmaker. Rookie Edgerrin Cooper could easily snag a starting role by Week 1.
In fact, Andy Herman of Packer Report already noted Cooper getting first-team reps this week.
Cooper is a legitimate talent, but he's also tailor-made to make an impression in the setting of OTAs. Players are still mostly working through individual drills and group setting in helmets and shorts.
It's a good context for Cooper to showcase his next-level athleticism which was noted by Matt Holder in his scouting report on the former Texas A&M defender:
"As a run defender, Cooper reads gap runs quickly and can beat offensive linemen to the spot. However, when he can't use his movement skills to slip blocks, he's too wiry to hold his ground and will get pushed out of the gap. He needs to add size and strength to be effective on early downs in the NFL."
Cooper's areas for improvement, play strength and ability to destruct blocks, really won't show up until they get to real, live team action.
For now, he's going to put on a show with his athleticism and coverage skills.
RB MarShawn Lloyd
2 of 3
The battle to be the second running back in the Green Bay Packers backfield is on. Josh Jacobs is coming to be the lead back, but the Packers should be looking to protect their investment by pairing him with someone who can take some of the load off his back.
AJ Dillon is the incumbent in that role, but the Packers only gave him a one-year contract in free agency. They arguably spent more important resources on MarShawn Lloyd who they drafted with the 88th overall selection.
Dillon's efficiency took a nosedive in 2023. He averaged just 3.4 yards per carry last season and his lowest success rate since being drafted in 2020.
Lloyd is going to get the chance to build some momentum and show he can take over the No. 2 duties in this offense. It starts with OTAs.
Lloyd has already grabbed some attention. USA Today beat writer Ryan Wood highlighted the former USC backs pass-catching chops, praising him for a catch he made from Jordan Love against tight coverage from Edgerrin Cooper.
The rookie is a well-rounded back with the athleticism to make continue to make plays. He'll be a name that continues to garner buzz as the offseason program progresses.
Edge Lukas Van Ness
3 of 3
OTAs aren't just a place where rookies can shine. It can also offer the first glimpse into a second-year player who is ready to make a leap.
Lukas Van Ness checks that box for the Packers.
Van Ness was the team's first-round pick last season. He was just 21 years old when they drafted him so a slow start was expected, but he started to make his presence felt over the second half of the season.
He posted four sacks in his final eight games of the season and earned the respect of teammate Rashan Gary.
"He's not even scratching the surface, man. He's just starting," Gary said, per Wes Hodkiewicz of the team's official site. "The player he was coming in, from rookie minicamp to the guy he's leaving now to have an offseason to work on his game, is completely different."
The switch to Jeff Hafley's 4-3 base defense should help Van Ness accelerate his development. His power and frame make him a much better fit as a hand-in-the-dirt defensive end than a standup linebacker, even though he had success in that role last season.
The scheme fit and evolution as a player should be evident throughout OTAs and minicamp.
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