The Green Bay Packers are one of a handful of NFL teams who enter the 2025 regular season with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. Jordan Love and his teammates need contributions from everyone on the roster to turn their dreams into reality. Some members of head coach Matt LaFleur's team are feeling more pressure than others.
High-profile stars like Love, Josh Jacobs and Xavier McKinney always need to play at a high level to help the Packers fulfill their potential. The franchise needs a handful of players with smaller reputations to up their game this year if they want to move up the NFC North standings.
Not surprisingly, the players highlighted all play a position of concern for Green Bay heading into the regular season. No member of this trio needs to blossom into an All-Pro this year but becoming an above-average starter would really boost the Packers' Super Bowl qualifcations.
1. Lukas Van Ness
Everyone associated with the Packers understands the franchise's need to improve their pass rush. Rashan Gary is a decent first option at his defensive end spot but he needs a lot of help to make the group elite.
That's why the Packers spent a first round pick on Lukas Van Ness back in the 2023 draft. He's had some flashes of brilliance in his brief career but he has not given his defense anything close to the consistency the need from their second defensive end spot.
Van Ness does not have the sort of elite athletic traits required to lead the league in sacks. The Packers need him to be a steady force against both the run and pass in 2025. If he can perform as an above-average run defender and notch somewhere between 8 and 10 sacks, it could yield big dividends for coordinator Jeff Hafley and his staff.
The good news for the former Iowa star is that he heads into training camp with the inside track to be a starter. If he can convert his new workload into quality production then the entire trajectory of his NFL career will change in his third season.
2. Romeo Doubs
Romeo Doubs is one Packers star who heads into his 2025 campaign with serious questions about his place on the depth chart. It's easy to envision him retaining his starting role on the outside heading into Week 1 or falling entirely out of the receiver rotation.
The fact that Doubs is headed to free agency after this season puts added pressure on him to thrive in a more crowded Green Bay receiver room. Matthew Golden's arrival as a first-round pick means Doubs' target share will almost definitely decilne.
He failed to react well to a drop in opportunities last season. That's why the team felt the need to suspend him for one game to get him back in line. Doubs cannot afford any poor conduct this year if he wants to get paid on the open market by the Packers or another NFL team in need of receiver help.
Doubs needs to play well before Christian Watson's return from injury if he wants to enjoy a productive season. A slow start for the veteran could be the end of his time in Green Bay. It could also really depress his expected market in free agency.
3. MarShawn Lloyd
Josh Jacobs was excellent all season long for the Packers in 2024 but he absorbed too much punishment to be fully fresh for the postseason. In fairness to GM Brian Gutekunst and his front office, they drafted MarShawn Lloyd in Round 3 to help take pressure off their highest paid running back.
Unfortunately, Lloyd missed almost all of his rookie season with a handful of injuries. The franchise hopes he'll be ready to go for the preseason but missing so much time during his rookie campaign does raise questions on whether or no the can be durable at the pro level.
It may seem like it's too soon to give up on a second-year pro but running backs are still replaceable in the modern NFL. The Packers are no going to wait around long for Lloyd to start making his mark on the offense. If he suffers another lost season in 2025 then there's no reason for Green Bay to keep him on the roster.