Packers first-quarter awards: Picking team MVP, ROY, DPOY and more

Jordan Love's knee injury is a big reason why the Packers have stumbled to a 2-2 record heading into their Week 5 matchup against the Rams. It's far too early for anyone in Green Bay to mash the panic button though. Plenty of players on Matt LaFleur's squad have upped their game enough to merit special attention early in the 2024 regular season.

Four games isn't a large enough sample size to draw lasting conclusions about unproven players, but it is still useful to take of the members on the roster whose performances are trending upwards. At the very least, the players who deserve these early season awards have positioned themselves for larger roles as the season progresses.

Packers fans should keep a very close eye on the following players who would deserve to be named the team's award winners if the season ended today.

Packers MVP through four games: Jayden Reed

Love would have been the preseason pick for the Packers' MVP but his injury cost him too much playing time for consideration. In his absence, second-year wide receiver Jayden Reed has stepped up and become a real problem for opposing secondaries.

He leads the team with 17 receptions but his most impressive stat is that he's averaging 19.8 yards per catch. Popping one 70-yard catch certainly helps boost that number but Reed has been a major threat to take the ball to the end zone every time he's touched it in the early going.

The Packers coaching staff realizes just how dangerous Reed is with the ball in his hands. That's why they've engineered their offense to get him six carries for 91 yards as well. Some of Reed's rushing workload was a result of needing to find big plays with Love on the bench, but it's still something that should be part of Green Bay's offensive philosophy moving forward.

The Packers need Love to overtake Reed for the team MVP award by the time the playoffs arrive, but the young wideout wins out for now. He's been a real bright spot for an offense that's needed playmakers to stay competitive thus far.

Packers ROY: Edgerrin Cooper

Javon Bullard is the only rookie in Green Bay's starting lineup, but his uneven performance level means the ROY nod goes to linebacker Edgerrin Cooper. He's shown real burst from the second level of Jeff Hafley's defense and should be in line to get more playing time as the season progresses.

The challenge for Cooper is that he's currently behind Isiah McDuffie on the depth chart. The former sixth-round pick has been decent through four games, but his play has not been anything special. Cooper's ability to knife into the opposing backfield and make plays should earn him the starting spot by the time the postseason comes around.

If Cooper continues to find a way to make negative plays then he will work his way into the starting lineup and justify his draft slot. The Packers defense needs that to happen sooner rather than later.

Packers DPOY: Xavier McKinney

Xavier McKinney has been one of the highest performing defenders in the NFL through four games. His PFF average of 89.1 accurately illustrates just how much of a difference-maker he's been for the Green Bay defense.

The fact that he's secured four interceptions while only giving up two receptions on the season is a mind-boggling stat. McKinney cannot keep that pace up for the full season but his ability to force turnovers from the safety position is a problem for opposing quarterbacks. His ability to bait inexperienced quarterbacks into risky throws really stands out on McKinney's tape in the early season.

McKinney's outstanding performance is particularly impressive given Bullard's struggles at the opposite safety spot. It's scary to think how good he might play once his rookie partner gets his feet under him. the Packers defense has given up too many points in a couple of games this year but McKinney has been performing at an All-Pro level.

Packers Most Improved Player: Josh Jacobs

Josh Jacobs didn't play for the Packers last season but he really struggled in his last campaign with the Raiders. Averaging 3.5 yards per carry was well below the efficiency required in the modern NFL.

This year Jacobs has upped his average to 4.6 yards per carry in Green Bay. That might not be quite enough to justify his free agency price tag, but it's been good enough to justify being the team's No. 1 running back. Jacobs also gets extra points for putting up solid numbers in the two games where Malik Willis was manning the quarterback spot.

One concern about Jacobs moving forward is that he's already soaked up a lot of carries. 71 carries through four games isn't a ton, but Green Bay needs to make sure they don't saddle him with 30+ carries in any single game this year. They overworked him in their victory over the Colts by handing him the ball on 32 occasions.

One small concern for the Packers is that Jacobs hasn't been able to find the end zone on the ground yet this season. They need him to cash in short-yardage plays as the season progresses if their offense is going to reach its full potential. His lack of trips to the end zone is likely a product of the small sample size here but it's an issue Green Bay fans should keep an eye on in the coming weeks.

Jacobs has improved significantly from his poor 2023 campaign but there's still upside left in his game if Green Bay is going to get their money's worth for their free agent signing.