5 breakout stars to watch for Green Bay Packers in 2020

The Green Bay Packers roster won’t start to come into place until after the draft, but here are five early candidates to produce breakout seasons in 2020.

Matt LaFleur’s first season as the Green Bay Packers head coach was a success, as the team went 13-3 to rebound from a woeful 2018 campaign. While the Pack ultimately stumbled in the postseason and had issues on offense due to a lack of weapons around Aaron Rodgers, their defense was outstanding following a surprisingly active offseason.

The Packers went back to their quiet ways in this year’s free agent period, but with another strong draft haul, they should be in business this season.

Here are five potential breakout stars for Packers in 2020.

5. Oren Burks, linebacker

Although the Green Bay Packers were quiet in free agency this year, they did make one major signing in former Cleveland Browns coverage linebacker Christian Kirksey. Eyes should be trained on the linebacker next to him in the base 3-4 formation, though, because Oren Burks has serious breakout potential.

Burks joined the Packers in the 2018 NFL Draft as a third-round pick out of Vanderbilt, and he was supposed to be a starter in 2019. However, Burks tore his pectoral muscle in the preseason opener, preventing him from establishing himself as a key player.

This season, the path is clear for Burks to make a name for himself. He is a phenomenal athlete, having run a 4.59 forty at 6-foot-3, 233 pounds. In Burks and Kirksey, the Packers could have two rangy, coverage linebackers who can rule the division, with Burks having by far the most upside between the two of them.