The Green Bay Packed landed firmly within the top 10 of Doug Farrar’s NFL power rankings for Touchdown Wire ahead of training camp.
The Packers, an NFC finalist in 2019, ranked seventh overall, trailing only the Buffalo Bills, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans Saints, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs among the 32 NFL teams.
Farrar, like many others, questioned why the Packers didn’t do more to build up the offense around Aaron Rodgers this offseason.
“If Rodgers is able to shake it off and continue his development in head coach Matt LaFleur’s offense, another deep playoff run is not out of the question,” Farrar wrote. “But why not fortify one of the best quarterbacks of his generation?”
GM Brian Gutekunst released tight end Jimmy Graham, swapped out receiver Geronimo Allison for Devin Funchess and drafted running back A.J. Dillon and tight end/fullback Josiah Deguara after moving up to take quarterback Jordan Love in the first round.
The Packers will need internal improvement – the lifeblood of every consistently good team – to hold off regression in the win column in 2020, but Farrar still believes Matt LaFleur’s team will be one of the NFL’s best.
Of Farrar’s top 11 teams, seven are from the NFC, highlighting the perceived strength of the conference entering this season. Joining the Packers, 49ers, Saints and Buccaneers in the top 11 were the Dallas Cowboys (No. 9), Minnesota Vikings (No. 10) and Seattle Seahawks (No. 11).
The Packers will play eight games in 2020 against teams ranked in the top half of Farrar’s rankings: One each against the 49ers (No. 3), Saints (No. 4), Buccaneers (No. 5), Tennessee Titans (No. 8), Indianapolis Colts (No. 12) and Philadelphia Eagles (No. 16) and two against the Vikings (No. 10).
Elsewhere in the NFC North, the Chicago Bears ranked No. 19, while the Detroit Lions landed at No. 26.