For the Green Bay Packers to have a successful 2023 season, a few different things need to go in their favor. Likely atop that list for many people is for Jordan Love to make a successful transition into the starting quarterback spot in place of Aaron Rodgers.
Love has a lot of pressure on his shoulders to replace a legend of that stature, but his coaches and teammates are confident that he can get the job done. But, given his inexperience and the lack of experience surrounding him, there will assuredly be some bumps in the road.
Knowing that, the Packers’ best chance of competing in 2023 is if their defense plays up to its potential. Pass rusher Preston Smith has talked about that side of the ball having to get the job done to put the team in the best position to win games.
So, it should come as no surprise that the best player on that defense, cornerback Jaire Alexander, was selected by Eric Edholm of NFL.com as the Packers’ likeliest non-quarterback MVP for the 2023 season. Coming off of his second Pro Bowl and All-Pro second-team nominations of his career, Alexander is the centerpiece of the team’s defense.
“The Packers’ secondary might be the second-biggest question mark on the team, next to how Jordan Love will fare in his first crack as the full-time starting quarterback. That’s why Alexander playing in peak form is critical for the Packers in this season of change.
Safety is a huge mystery, and the CB depth after Alexander and Rasul Douglas appears a tad thin, too. Eric Stokes is working his way back from knee and foot surgeries, and edge rusher Rashan Gary is coming off a torn ACL.
The NFC North has some true No. 1 receivers now, and Alexander will be tasked with covering them quite often. Entering a season where the margin for error has shrunk following the departure of Aaron Rodgers, Alexander is carrying a heavy load defensively, which earns him the nod here.”
Expectations are sky-high for Alexander, who has been selected as one of the top cornerbacks in the NFL by executives, coaches and scouts around the league. He would have also made the top 25 players under 25 list had he been eligible.
As Edholm noted, Alexander will have his hands full on a nearly weekly basis as the NFC North has some explosive wide receivers. Justin Jefferson, Amon-Ra St. Brown and D.J. Moore are going to be tough to stop when the Packers face off with them twice a season. Matchups against Davante Adams, Cooper Kupp and Mike Evans also are on the schedule.
If Alexander can play at the level he has shown capable of, the Packers’ pass defense should once again be solid. But, it takes more than one player to win games and his teammates are going to have to step up around him for 2023 to have a successful season in Green Bay.