The Green Bay Packers put together an impressive all-around season in 2019, finishing the year with a 13-3 record to go along with a trip to the NFC Championship Game. It was an impressive season from the team under first-year head coach Matt LaFleur. Now, looking ahead to the 2020 season, the Packers fully expect to be one of the top contenders in the NFL once again.
Aaron Rodgers isn't getting any younger, and the Packers have not had a big offseason. They brought in three free agents to this point in time, but none of them are huge star additions. Green Bay signed linebacker Christian Kirksey, offensive tackle Rick Wagner, and wide receiver Devin Funchess.
While the Packers may not have made any huge additions in free agency, there are still two avenues of improvement. One of them is through the 2020 NFL Draft, where there are a ton of impact players available through the first three rounds. The other is by improvement from the young players already on the Packers' roster.
Let's take a look at three players who must improve for the 2020 NFL season to take the Packers to the next level.
3. Darnell Savage Jr., Safety
A first-round pick for the Packers last year, Darnell Savage Jr. showed a ton of potential in his rookie year with the team. Green Bay viewed adding him as important enough to trade up in the 2019 NFL Draft to get him.
In his first season, Savage racked up 55 total tackles to go along with two forced fumbles, two interceptions, and five defended passes. Those numbers show the baseline of what the Packers saw in him. They are expecting a huge jump from Savage in 2020.
Green Bay's defense took a big leap forward in 2019. They aren't where they want to be, but they are much closer. Improvement from Savage would go a long way towards getting them there.
2. Jace Sternberger, Tight End
Next up, it appears that the Packers will end up starting second-year tight end Jace Sternberger at tight end. Jimmy Graham was released just ahead of free agency and ended up signing with the Chicago Bears. Green Bay has not added a tight end to this point.
Sternberger missed the majority of his rookie season with injury. However, he did end up playing a small role in the playoffs and caught three passes for 18 yards and a touchdown. His first career touchdown reception came in the NFC Championship Game against the San Francisco 49ers.
The Packers have been very high on Sternberger, drafting him in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft at No. 75 overall. At 6-foot-4 and just over 250 pounds, Sternberger has great speed and athleticism for a tight end. He could be a big part of the offense in 2020, but Green Bay needs him to show a big leap of improvement to trust him with a starting role.
1. Rashan Gary, Edge Rusher
Finally, we're going to end this list with the Packers' top first-round pick in 2019. Rashan Gary played sparingly in his rookie season, but he showed off some flashes of big-time potential. In 2020, Gary will still be playing behind Preston Smith and Za'Darius Smith, but he could handle a much larger role.
Gary racked up 21 total tackles to go along with two sacks and a fumble recovery in 2019. He came close to racking up quite a few more sacks throughout the season. There are some technique things that he needs to work on, but the Packers should be very optimistic about him.
If Gary can take the next step in 2020, he will take a lot of pressure off of the “Smith brothers.” Green Bay's pass rush improved last season, but there is still room for more improvement. Gary could be that improvement with hard work and improvement.
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