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Wild stat shows exactly what the Packers have done to be so successful

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Wendell Ferreira | Last updated Sep 27, 2024 12:49 PM ET

Imagine trading away a future Hall of Fame quarterback, absorb $60 million in dead money in one season, and still be able to compete at a high level. This is what the Green Bay Packers did in 2023, and it certainly didn't look like an outlier.

This year, the Packers seem to be on pace to be one of the strongest teams in the NFC once again, and the retooling is accelerated.

But how was it possible? Well, since money was an issue after overspending during the final years of Aaron Rodgers' tenure, the Packers had to go in another direction. General manager Brian Gutekunst decided to stockpile draft picks to add cheap talent, and the strategy has panned out.

Not only are the Packers the team with the most snaps for players in their first four seasons in the league drafted by themselves, but the difference from them and the second place (Kansas City Chiefs) and bigger than the difference from the second and the eleventh place (Seattle Seahawks).

Joseph Hefner, from KC Sports Network, did this excellent graphic to show how many snaps each team has from players on their rookie contracts — it counts players who are in their first four years in the league but have signed early extensions as well.

Third-year players

The Packers have had particularly significant results from the 2022 class in terms of snaps. Third-year players like Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt, Christian Watson, Sean Rhyan, Romeo Doubs, Zach Tom, Kingsley Enagbare, and Rasheed Walker have been starters or high-usage rotational players.

Only two other teams (Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens) have had more than 1,000 snaps from the same class this season, and nobody else is beyond 1,100. Meanwhile, the Packers 2022 class has played 1,366 snaps through three weeks.

This is interesting because the third year is usually the prime of the rookie deal in terms of value, because players are already mature and experienced enough to have a real impact on the field, but at the same time they are not extension eligible yet, so they are still playing with the cheap contract without complaints.

Development

At the same time, it's important (and promising) to acknowledge that young teams tend to develop throughout the season, especially with good coaching. That's what happened to the Packers in 2023, and it could certainly happen again this year. There's a decent chance that this team will be better in December than they are now.

On the other hand, the Minnesota Vikings are 3-0, but it's easier to explain the early success based on how many veterans the team has. It's still notable, because not every old team has been good, but maybe the ceiling is not as high.

Players from each class playing significant snaps for the Packers*:

2021: Eric Stokes (144), Josh Myers (198), TJ Slaton (103), Isaiah McDuffie (189).
2022: Quay Walker (197), Devonte Wyatt (90), Christian Watson (117), Sean Rhyan (174), Romeo Doubs (160), Zach Tom (219), Kingsley Enagbare (122), Rasheed Walker (219).
2023: Lukas Van Ness (93), Luke Musgrave (89), Jayden Reed (133), Tucker Kraft (200), Dontayvion Wicks (96), Karl Brooks (82), Carrington Valentine (66).
2024: Jordan Morgan (57), Edgerrin Cooper (54), Javon Bullard (206).

*Combining offense/defense and special teams, minimum 50 snaps.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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