In 2023, having moved on from Aaron Rodgers, the Green Bay Packers exceeded expectations in the first season of the Jordan Love era.

After going 9-8 in the regular season to sneak into the postseason as the No. 7 seed in the NFC, the league’s youngest team upset the second-seeded Dallas Cowboys in the Wild Card Round and then gave the San Francisco 49ers all they could handle in the Divisional Round before ultimately taking a 24-21 loss.

With such a strong season, expectations were naturally much higher for Green Bay heading into the 2024 campaign.

And from a statistical standpoint, the Packers were better than they were the year before on both sides of the ball, scoring more points per game while giving up less en route to finishing 11-6 and earning a second straight trip to the playoffs.

But while the Packers were a good team, they never crossed the threshold into the elite category, which is why five of their six regular-season losses came at the hands of the Detroit Lions, the Minnesota Vikings, and the Philadelphia Eagles, who boasted the top three records in the NFC.

Let’s not pretend the Week 18 loss to the Chicago Bears really counted, as a lot of starters were resting with playoff seeding already determined.

Green Bay was then simply outclassed in the Wild Card Round, taking an ugly 22-10 loss to the Eagles in a game that proved the Packers still have improvements to make to be considered one of the elite teams in this league.

And here are a few areas they can address during the offseason to help make that happen.

The Packers must address their cornerback issues

The cornerback position was a cause for concern during last year’s offseason, but Brian Gutekunst chose to turn his attention elsewhere, which we’ll circle back to in just a moment.

Simply put, this is the biggest problem for the Packers right now. Jaire Alexander’s injury issues can no longer be ignored, and the team may just have to cut him or trade him and take the dead-cap hit.

Soon-to-be free agent Eric Stokes lost his starting job early in the year and won’t be back, nor will Corey Ballentine.

Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine had decent campaigns, but that shouldn’t stop Green Bay from looking for better options, whether in free agency or the draft.

A year ago, Gutekunst completely overhauled the safety room, and that’s precisely what needs to happen with the cornerback room this spring.

The Green Bay pass rush needs improvement as well

While the Green Bay defense improved from an overall standpoint under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, the Packers still had a few issues with their pass rush, which is why Matt LaFleur has chosen to move on from defensive line coach Jason Rebrovich.

Sure, Green Bay racked up 45.0 sacks during the regular season, the eighth-most in the NFL. But as 19 of those came in just three games, that total is a bit misleading.

Green Bay’s 68.3 PFF pass-rush grade (subscription required) ranked just 17th in the league, and its pass-rush win rate of 35% ranked just 26th, according to ESPN.

So, those two figures paint a more complete picture.

Rashan Gary had a decent season and led the team with 7.5 sacks, but with his cap hit set to surpass $25 million in 2025, the Packers should expect more.

Devonte Wyatt continues to be a disappointment and likely won’t see his fifth-year option exercised, and fellow first-round pick Lukas Van Ness didn’t live up to expectations either.

By season’s end, both were being outplayed by Brenton Cox Jr., who went undrafted in 2023 and appeared in just four games as a rookie.

A healthy scratch for much of the year until Preston Smith was traded, Cox ultimately appeared in just seven games but still ranked fourth on the team in sacks with 4.0.

For those wondering, Wyatt and Van Ness combined for 8.0. Three-time Pro Bowler Kenny Clark regressed as well, recording just one single sack after notching 7.5 a season ago.

The Packers won’t be able to rid themselves of all of these players during the offseason, but with several only under contract for one more season, they can start looking at replacement options now and get them going in 2025.

Jordan Love still needs more at wide receiver

Not every elite team needs a true WR1 to win football games.

Just look at the Buffalo Bills for proof of that.

But the Packers definitely don’t have the overall talent of that group, and it certainly wouldn’t hurt Jordan Love to have more help on that front.

Christian Watson seems set to miss a decent chunk of the 2025 campaign after tearing his ACL in Week 18 against the Bears. So, that’s already a problem that needs addressing. And Romeo Doubs suffering two concussions this past season is undoubtedly a cause for concern as well.

Both are eligible for contract extensions, but the Packers could very well just see how things play out next season before deciding whether to let both enter free agency in 2026.

Jayden Reed led the team in receptions (55) and receiving yards (857), but he struggled with drops at times.

Dontayvion Wicks actually led Green Bay with 76 targets but caught just 39 passes for 415 yards, which obviously aren’t the numbers you want to see from a top target.

The Packers are lucky to have a strong tight end room with Tucker Kraft, Luke Musgrave, and Ben Sims, but bringing in a true WR1 would go a long way in helping this team get even more out of its franchise quarterback.