Will the Defense Stay Great or Regress?

The Packers’ defense was in a very strange spot last season. They were not truly elite where they could completely carry the team. However, they were better than the average defense. One could say they were better than good but worse than great. A matchup with the Vikings in Week 1 will be a great test for where they’re at in 2020.

While the Vikings lost Stefon Diggs, Justin Jefferson is a promising young rookie. In some ways, he reminds me of Randy Moss. He is tall, fast, and can make plays downfield. Minnesota got a very promising rookie who would bring a lot to this offense. The task to shut this offense down may be tough for Green Bay.

Dalvin Cook is a handful in the backfield and is capable of making big plays whenever he touches the football. The Packers’ front seven must be at their best if they want to shut him down. This has been an issue for Green Bay in head-to-head matchups with the Vikings in the past.

The Vikings will be a very good early season test to see what we should expect from this Packers defense. They have star players all over their defense. Jaire Alexander is an excellent corner and Kenny Clark is a monster nose tackle. Meanwhile, Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith are one of the best edge duos in the league.

Can these players along with the rest of the Packers’ defense make the leap towards elite level? We should get a clearer picture of what to expect after week 1.