The 2020 regular season is set to, hopefully, start in September. A new season would give the Green Bay Packers another chance to bring home their fifth Lombardi Trophy. No season is identical to another, which makes each season so hard to predict, especially this far ahead of time. But that doesn’t stop people from trying. So without further ado, here are five bold predictions for the Green Bay Packers 2020 NFL season.
Green Bay Packers 2020 Season Bold Predictions
Preston and Za’Darius Smith Will Combine for the Most Sacks by a Pair of Teammates in NFL History
Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith were absolutely disruptive last season, making general manager Brian Gutekunst seem like a genius for signing them to a pair of long term contracts. This season, they will need to be even more disruptive, and it’s not impossible. The record belongs to Chris Doleman and Keith Millard who combined for an astounding 39 sacks for the 1989 Minnesota Vikings. A duo exceeding that total would be difficult, but the Smiths have the talent to do so.
Allen Lazard Will Emerge as the Number Two Wideout and Have 1,000 Receiving Yards
Allen Lazard burst onto the scene last season when injuries hammered the Packers receiving corps, and continued to show flashes the rest of the season. Despite the obvious lack of depth at receiver, Green Bay’s front office only signed Devin Funchess this off-season to address their need at receiver. That means that they trust Lazard to make the leap to the next level. For Lazard reach 1,000+ receiving yards, he will need to average about 63 yards per game for sixteen games. Lazard got targeted in eleven games last season and finished with 477 receiving yards, which is about 44 yards per game. With almost a full year under his belt and more time to develop a deeper chemistry with quarterback Aaron Rodgers, it is certainly possible that Lazard will make the jump to 1,000+ receiving yards in 2020.
A Green Bay Packer Player or Coach Will Win a Major Award
Below is a list of the major awards in the NFL, and the Packer most likely to win that award.
MVP-Aaron Rodgers
Offensive Player of the Year- Davante Adams
Defensive Player of the Year- Za’Darius Smith
Offensive Rookie of the Year- AJ Dillon
Defensive Rookie of the Year- Kamal Martin
Coach of the Year- Matt LaFleur
Comeback Player of the Year- Christian Kirksey
At least one of those is bound to happen in this next upcoming season. The two awards that are most likely to be won by a Packer are MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. Offensive lineman David Bakhtiari said that Rodgers is “about to be on fire,” and there was a time last season when Rodgers’ name was mentioned in MVP chatter. So, if he backs up his left tackle’s words and has a fantastic season, he could win the MVP award. As for Defensive Player of the Year, Smith could absolutely win it. If he were to have twenty sacks and force around five to six turnovers, he would certainly be worthy and those are numbers Smith could put up in 2020.
AJ Dillon Will Have More Rushing Yards Than Aaron Jones
Coach LaFleur made it clear that he was thinking about a life without the Aaron Jones and Aaron Rodgers with his first two draft picks in the 2020 NFL Draft. Plus, LaFleur was the offensive coordinator of the Tennessee Titans before coming to Green Bay. The Titans relied on a ground and pound attack with running back Derrick Henry. Jones is a free agent next season, so LaFleur might just roll with Dillon in 2020 and use Jones as a receiving threat.
Jaire Alexander Will Have More Interceptions Than Touchdowns Allowed
This may be the boldest of these bold predictions. Jaire Alexander has been emerging as a star cornerback and is starting to show his ability to really shut down the opposing team’s number one wideout. Last season, New England Patriots corner Stephon Gilmore managed to do it, so this feat is possible. But Alexander will have to go up against star wideouts Michael Thomas, Mike Evans, and Julio Jones this season, which won’t be a cakewalk. But if Alexander can continue to learn from Mike Pettine, he could achieve this amazing feat.
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