3 Packers who will exceed expectations in 2024, 2 who won't

The Packers have serious playoff plans in 2024 but it's unreasonable to believe that every player on the roster is going to exceed expectations. As with every team in the NFL, some stars in Green Bay will experience career years while others' performances will fall well short of expectations.

The trick is for the higher-ups with the Packers to make sure the players who overperform outnumber those who can't measure up to the hype. Head coach Matt LaFleur needs his stars to power this team to double-digit wins in the regular season to earn a high playoff speed. If too many established starters go from pros to joes it could ruin the team's chances of having a special campaign.

Packers fans looking for potential standouts should start with an underrated offensive lineman who played outstanding football at several different spots last year.

Zach Tom will play like a borderline Pro-Bowler

Zach Tom first impressed his coaching staff with his ability to play multiple spots along the offensive front. Now he finds himself penciled in at one of the most important spots on the line. As long as he stays healthy he figures to log the majority of snaps protecting Jordan Love's front side as Green Bay's right tackle.

Tom logged over 1,000 snaps last year and posted a stellar PFF grade of 77.8 on the season. That represents excellent value for a former fourth-round pick. More importantly, it gives the Packers a relatively cheap starter at an important spot up front.

Tom doesn't need to play better football in 2024 to exceed the expectations of most fans. He's still a relatively unknown quantity to fans outside of Green Bay. All he needs to do is play the same steady brand of football he's been playing all of his career in order to become a household name. Bet on the former Wake Forest standout to do just that.

Tom's blocking will help Jordan Love take another step forward

Plenty of Packers fans expect Love to become the next Brett Favre or Aaron Rodgers this season. That might be slightly optimistic, but it is not out of the question. Love has elite arm talent and thrives within the comfortable ecosystem of LaFleur's offensive system.

It's important to remember that Love will only be entering his second-year as a full-time starter in 2024. He has plenty of room to gain experience and translate that to improved on-field performance.

Love can really make gains in his productivity by cutting down on his turnovers. He threw 11 interceptions last year which is a few too many for a player of his caliber. The Packers don't want him to stop taking chances down the field but a little discretion could go a long way for the young signal-caller.

It would not surprise anyone to see Love throw for 4,500 yards and keep his interception total in single digits in 2024. That might be enough to catapult him into the MVP conversation.

Love is lucky Rashan Gary isn't chasing him outside of practice

The Packers defense doesn't get the same headlines as their offensive counterparts but it's just as important to the franchise's chances of success. A big piece of the puzzle for coordinator Jeff Hafley's defense will be generating a ferocious pass rush.

Rashan Gary is the centerpiece of that unit. He enjoyed a career season in 2023 but he can ascend to another level as a sack artist. Hafley's innovative defensive playcalling should give Gary even more chances to rush the passer in one-on-one situations. It's easy to envision a scenario where he blows past the 10-sack mark and flirts with 15.

That would be enough to turn Gary into an All-Pro at his edge rushing spot. That represents the best case outcome for him in 2024 but he's got the talent to reach that lofty plataeau.

Not everyone on the offense is going to feast in 2024

The Packers splashed a lot of cash on running back Josh Jacobs in free agency and the expectation is that he's going to anchor their rushing attack as a true No. 1 running back. Losing AJ Dillon to injury puts even more pressure on Jacobs to repay the team's hefty investment.

The Raiders offense wasn't a juggernaut last year but Jacobs' lack of productivity should be a concern for higher-ups in Green Bay. Most troubling is his paltry average of 3.5 yards per rush. That's well below the productivity required to lead the Packers' ground game.

Jacobs has a lot of tread on the tires at a position where performances fall off dramatically and quickly. This could be the year where Jacobs' age really starts to show.

Gary may have to anchor the Packers' pass rush by himself

Any concern about Gary's ability to rack up sacks this year is tempered by the lack of help he'll enjoy rushing the passer. Preston Smith's play heading into his age-32 season is a real concern for the defensive coaching staff.

In fairness to Smith, 2023 was a bounce-back season that saw him post nine sacks on above-average efficiency. Green Bay would love to see him enjoy the same level of productivity this year. Unfortunately, his age makes some regression the more likely outcome.

The Packers can't afford for his performance to fall off a cliff if they want to make a deep postseason run. Lukas Van Ness is lurking behind him on the depth chart but he's not ready to take over as a full-time starter. Green Bay needs one more big season from Smith before Van Ness is ready. Chances are they're going to be disappointed by what they get from the grizzled veteran. Smith might not lose all of his pass-rushing powers but a big dip could sink the Packers' defense.