Jordan Love's health could spark improvement for the Packers in 2025, and there's one clear reason behind that belief

This is a great start to our conversation, because the answer to this question helps explain why Jordan Love was limited throughout the entire season in 2024. I expanded the search to every play, not just playaction, to have a bigger sample size. The first point of consideration is how much the Packers were forced to play in the shotgun in 2024 because Love had limited mobility.

Throughout the season, Love had 361 passing attempts going from shotgun and only 64 taking the snap under the center. Taking into consideration how UTC helps marriage run and pass concepts in Matt LaFleur's offensive scheme, you can see that something wasn't right.

The bigger point is that the Packers' offense in general, and Jordan Love in particular, are better under center. Last year, Love had five touchdowns and one interception from UTC, allowing only a sack, a 1.4% sack rate, with a 9.9 average net yards per attempt, and a 50.8% positive play rate. All these numbers are from Sports Info Solutions.

Looking at Love's numbers in shotgun, the regression is evident. He had 20 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, allowing 13 sacks with a 3.4% sack rate, 7.1 average net yards per attempt, and a 48.4% positive play rate.

Under the center allowed Love to be more efficient, avoid sacks at a higher level and bad plays in general. It also helps running back Josh Jacobs and the entire unit, exactly because the playaction tends to be more effective from that formation.

If Love is fully healthy in 2025, the Packers will presumably use under the center more often, and that has the potential to make the offense better as a baseline.

As you mentioned, Lukas Van Ness is the obvious answer , because edge defenders have the potential to change an entire side of the ball with a high-level performance. That being said, another good answer is Jordan Morgan.

And it’s for more than one reason. First, Rasheed Walker is a good player, but has a limited ceiling. If Morgan can beat him in training camp and reach the potential the Packers saw to take him in the first round of last year’s draft, the entire offensive line can also be impacted by this improvement at the most valuable position of the room.

It would also have a long-term roster-building impact, because Walker is entering the final year of his rookie deal. He is excellent value with his seventh-round contract, but paying him something around $20 million a year becomes trickier. With Morgan at left tackle, the Packers would be more comfortable to allow Walker to walk in free agency, or even trade him at some point between training camp and the trade deadline.

The perfect scenario for the Packers’ offensive line is if Morgan and Anthony Belton can beat out Walker and Sean Rhyan.

In the beginning of the season, I expect Javon Bullard to be a backup. So far, his pass coverage skills aren’t developed enough for him to play over Evan Williams at safety or over Carrington Valentine at cornerback.

Bullard is an excellent enforcer, and his versatility to play deep or in the slot makes him a valuable piece on the roster. But if he wants to start, he has to be more efficient when targeted. His 121.4 passer rating when targeted was the worst amongst Packers’ defensive backs in 2024, and it wasn’t exactly a group full of stars.

Moreover, I do think that Valentine brings an element to the defense that it can’t have otherwise. If the cornerbacks are Keisean Nixon and Nate Hobbs in the boundary and Bullard in the slot, all of them are shorter players with a slot-first background—even if Nixon and Hobbs are comfortable playing outside as well.

So Javon Bullard can be a truly useful chess piece for Jeff Hafley. But to have a significant amount of snaps, he can’t be a liability against the pass. That's also why I see him more as a safety than as a nickel corner.