5 Packers who have underperformed the most through nine games

The Packers are healing up this week due to a bye but it's a good time to take stock as the team is over halfway through their regular season slate. 6-3 is a decent start for Jordan Love and his teammates, but being in third place in the NFC North is a concerning reality for everyone in Green Bay.

The good news is the Packers are right in the thick of the playoff picture in the NFC. They've managed to overcome multiple injuries from their star quarterback. In fact, Green Bay's 2-0 record in games started by backup quarterback Malik Willis should give the team real reason for confidence.

Not everyone on GM Brian Gutekunst's roster has outpeformed expectations like Willis. In fact, the following five players should be feeling serious performance to improve their performance in the second half of the regular season.

Packers disappointment No. 1: Dontayvion Wicks

Wicks looks the part of a quality starting outside receiver. The truth is he and Jordan Love have been the worst performing quarterback/receiver combo in the league this year. Wicks' drops are getting to the point where Green Bay should consider benching him.

Christian Watson's return from injury has already relegated Wicks to the bench. His lack of explosive speed means he needs to be a high-quality possession receiver if he's going to soak up a meaningful target share in Green Bay. The clock is ticking on Wicks and his ability to seize a role in the Packers' passing game. He's arguably been the team's biggest disappointment through nine games.

Packers disappointment No.2: Rashan Gary

Preston Smith might have made this list before he was dumped in a trade this week. In his absence, Rashan Gary gets the nod with his paltry total of 2.5 sacks on the season.

Many Packers fans thought Gary might be due for a breakout campaign after he logged nine sacks just a season ago. Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley and his staff certainly hoped he would be the team's No. 1 edge rusher this season.

Instead, Gary has been largely anonymous for long stretches. He has the right combination of size and speed to harass opposing quarterbacks but he hasn't looked overly agile off the edge this year. The Packers need to hope he can play his way into better form in the coming weeks.

Packers disappointment No. 3: Lukas Van Ness

Lukas Van Ness was the highly-touted young edge rusher that was supposed to start to take the pressure off of Gary and Smith this year. Jettisoning Smith will give the former Iowa standout more pass-rush opportunities for the rest of the year, but he's yet to prove he's worthy of an increased workload.

The 23-year-old only has one sack to his name this year despite appearing in all nine games. His PFF average grade of 47.6 on the year accurately depicts just how much he's struggled to make a positive impact for his team. He might be the defensive player under the most scrutiny as the playoffs arrive for Green Bay.

Packers disappointment No. 4: MarShawn Lloyd

The Packers drafted MarShawn Lloyd with the idea that he and Josh Jacobs could form an effective running back duo in 2024. Unfortunately, injuries have landed Lloyd on IR and there's no established timeline on when the versatile running back can return.

The hope in Green Bay has to be that Lloyd can return to full health and give the offense a much-needed boost down the stretch. There is a reasonable chance the Lloyd's absence could work in the team's favor. He could be a fresh running back who uses his quickness to punish tired defenses during the back-half of the campaign.

None of that changes the reality that Lloyd has not given his team anything through the first nine games. He was supposed to assume a moderate workload for Green Bay's ground game but injuries have made him an empty investment for the team to date.

Packers disappointment No. 5: Jordan Love

Love is another player who has seen his impact on the Packers diminished due to injury this year. He missed two games entirely earlier in the campaign and has been limited in several others. His lack of mobility really hurt Green Bay in their loss to the Lions last Sunday.

His interception total is another big reason why Love finds his name on this list. He's tossed ten interceptiosn on the year against just 15 touchdowns. He's got far too much talent to be hurting his offense with that kind of turnover ratio.

The outlook for Love for the rest of the year is bright if he can put his health issues behind him. This is only a commentary on what he's provided the team during the first nine games of the season versus the lofty expectations he faced coming into the year.

Love has the talent to play like a Pro Bowler inside the confines of head coach Matt LaFleur's offensive ecosystem. Through nine games he's played much more like an average starter than anything approaching stardom. There's plenty of time left for Love to turn his season around but there's no denying that the first nine games haven't gone according to plan. Improvement from Love is the biggest reason why Packers fans should be optimistic about the second half of the their regular season. Love just needs to fulfill his potential to power this team to a solid playoff run.