The Green Bay Packers’ 2021 season has had countless storylines. There’s the obvious ones: Aaron Rodgers’ vaccination drama and his “troubled relationship with the front office. There’s the giant egg they laid in week one against the Saints. COVID toe, Jordan Love’s first start at Arrowhead, and the looming salary cap woes. There’s too many to mention them all, but one more bears special consideration.
With the release of the All-Pro and Pro Bowl rosters, the Packers are represented by their usual players. Rodgers and Davante Adams each earned first team All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods. There’s also a few players new to the roster this year who have quickly earned similar recognition, along with the adoration of Packers Nation. Their contributions will be pivotal to the Packers’ win-now-Super-Bowl-or-bust quest.
With an offseason filled with more questions than answers waiting beyond their final game, these 2021 free agents and rookies will be counted on to keep the dream alive as the Packers chase Lombardi trophy number five.
#1: De’Vondre Campbell
Signed as a free agent prior to this season, Campbell quickly became a fan-favorite at inside linebacker. With elite tackling ability, sideline-to-sideline speed, and outstanding coverage skills, Campbell was a steal. He helped lift the Packers’ defense from one of the league’s worst in recent years to a top-ten unit when fully healthy.
With Jaire Alexander, Whitney Mercilus, and Za’Darius Smith also returning from injury, there’s no reason to believe that Campbell won’t show the same electric play he has all year. 49ers quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo already has a hand injury and is reportedly suffering from a sprained shoulder. Kyle Shanahan is known for his running game. Running back Elijah Mitchell is healthy again.
Campbell’s speed and tackling ability will be critical to stopping the 1-2 punch of Mitchell and Deebo Saumel. With Garoppolo limited, the Packers’ defense will key on the ground game. Their leader “in the box” is unquestionably De’Vondre Campbell. Expect him to have a big game Saturday night.
#2: Rasul Douglas
A month into the season, having “missed out” on the Stephon Gilmore sweepstakes, the Packers found themselves in need of help at corner following the injury to Alexander. Fans split on how they viewed the signing of Douglas. Some were mostly just disappointed in Green Bay not landing Gilmore. Others wondered aloud, “Who exactly is Rasul Douglas?”
He quickly answered that question. Three weeks after signing, Douglas had a game-sealing interception off Kyler Murray to seal a victory over the Cardinals. After that, his impressive play continued to make him a fan-favorite. Douglas has been solid at corner in Alexander’s absence. Even with Jaire returning, Douglas will no doubt be a big part of defensive coordinator Joe Barry’s future game plan. With Garoppolo limited, he is sure to get his chances to shine against the 49ers.
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#3: Eric Stokes
He doesn’t get nearly the press of Micah Parsons or Trevon Diggs, but anyone paying attention can’t overlook the contributions of rookie corner Eric Stokes. Alexander has missed most of the season, and Stokes has had his share of rookie mistakes playing in his absence. But, Stokes also made many big plays and displayed the consistent coverage Packers coaches were hoping for when they drafted him in the first round.
As the Packers head into their divisional round game against the 49ers, they’re faced with the unenviable task of covering Deebo Samuel, George Kittle, and Elijah Mitchell. However, with so many injured players returning on defense, the Packers should be alright. Stokes will likely be targeted by the 49ers’ coaches, but his solid play throughout his rookie season has shown he can hold up his end of the bargain.
Looking Ahead
Nobody expects this game to be easy, especially considering how the Packers stumbled a bit down the stretch. Green Bay has gotten healthy thanks to a bye-week off and the apparent return of so many pieces on both sides of the ball.
Expect the Packers to have the kind of game a home team should have in the divisional round. Rodgers’ toe is healthy again and David Bakhtiari will (hopefully) be back at left tackle. Whitney Mercilus is returning much faster than anyone expected, and Za’Darius Smith will be back at edge.
So many veteran pieces have been missing. However, it’s the new guys in town that just might make the difference in a Packers victory Saturday night. Perhaps that will be followed by a potential rematch with Tom Brady for the George Halas trophy, a trip to the Super Bowl on the line…
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