Packers' uncommonly productive 2023 rookie class fueling playoff contention

Jordan Love and Matt LaFleur deserve much of the credit for the Packers' turnaround in 2023, but the rookie class has provided more support than the team could have anticipated.

For the most part, credit for the Green Bay Packers' midseason turnaround has gone to the coach running the show from the sideline and the new starter piloting the offense from under center: Matt LaFleur and Jordan Love. The two went through the wringer early in the 2023 campaign, with each drawing intense national scrutiny as the team endured a winless October.

But that losing streak seems like a distant memory in early December. The Packers have won four of their last five games, including major upsets of the NFC North-leading Detroit Lions and defending champion Kansas City Chiefs over the past two weeks. LaFleur's game plans and play-calling during that stretch rival his best work while Love looks like the franchise signal-caller around which Green Bay can build long term. Now 6-6, the team sits in the No. 7 position in the NFC playoff field with a favorable schedule ahead.

Still, though Love and LaFleur form the twin engines of the Packers' rise as a postseason contender, the club surely could not have reached this point without its rookie class. So far, it appears general manager Brian Gutekunst has delivered his Sgt. Pepper, a collection of first-year players who have provided uncommonly strong contributions nearly across the board.

Between the extra 2023 picks acquired through the Aaron Rodgers trade and some draft-day maneuvers, the Packers ultimately made 13 selections in April. Of those, one left for another team after final cuts (running back Lew Nichols III, pick No. 235 overall) while another currently resides on Green Bay's practice squad (wide receiver Grant DuBose, No. 256). The rest earned spots on the 53-man roster.

But the rookie class features more than draft picks. The Packers also made room on the 53 for undrafted free agents Brenton Cox Jr., Malik Heath, Ben Sims, and Emanuel Wilson. All except Cox have appeared in at least seven games, and both Heath and Sims have played well over 100 snaps each.

In past seasons, rookies on the Packers' roster -- especially those acquired outside the top 100 picks -- couldn't expect heavy workloads out of the gate. Front-seven defenders typically saw most of their action in sub packages or as injury replacements while first-year pass catchers famously had to earn Rodgers' trust before carving out significant roles on offense. Star pass rusher Rashan Gary, who signed a massive extension in October, didn't make his first NFL start until his second season. Davante Adams, a potential Hall of Famer with 10,451 receiving yards and 91 touchdowns to his name, garnered just 66 targets as a rookie.

A different story has played out for the rookies in 2023, however.