The Green Bay Packers are coming off two underwhelming performances and entering the bye week 2-1-1. They could easily be 4-0 and just as easily be 2-2. Fortunately, there’s still plenty of season left for Matt LaFleur to get his team back to looking like a true threat in the NFC.

With nearly a quarter of the season in the books, we have a large enough sample size to identify three players who have surprised and three who have disappointed.

Three surprises

WR Romeo Doubs: On the heels of a season where Doubs was suspended by the team and suffered a pair of concussions, there were questions about whether he’d be back in 2025. However, Doubs attacked the offseason like a pro and has been Green Bay’s No.1 wide receiver through the first four weeks. He’s tallied 11 first downs on 13 receptions for 179 yards and is tied for third in the NFL with four touchdown receptions. Also, his 137.9 NFL passer rating when targeted ranks third among wide receivers with at least 10 targets. Any trade speculation surrounding Doubs can be ignored. The chemistry Doubs has built with Jordan Love isn’t something you part ways with during a title-contending season.

DE Lukas Van Ness: There was talk about Van Ness having a breakout season coming off his best training camp performance to date. Well, something has clicked in Year 3 for the former top-15 pick, particularly as a pass rusher. Van Ness is second on the team with 13 pressures, and his 16.7 pass-rush win percentage blows his first two seasons out of the water: 6.1 (2023) and 9.8 (2024). Van Ness is still sitting at 0.5 sacks on the year, but that will change if he can keep winning his matchups.

QB Jordan Love: Love has been one of the best quarterbacks in the league to start the season, and there’s no need for debate. He’s fifth in passing yards, eighth in completion percentage, tied for second in passer rating, and tied for third in touchdowns, all while playing behind an offensive line that has been missing multiple starters. While Love has made a couple of costly turnovers the last two weeks, he’s still playing at an extremely high level. His timing and rhythm within the offense have noticeably improved compared to last season, proving that he is a different player when he’s healthy.

Three disappointments

LB Edgerrin Cooper: Cooper was expected to be an All-Pro candidate in 2025. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case through the first four weeks. Cooper’s tackling has taken a noticeable dip. He’s missed 10 tackles in four games. This is a notable increase compared to last year, when he missed 14 total in 14 games. Even when he is making tackles, they aren’t as impactful as they were during his standout rookie season. Cooper totaled 13 tackles for loss last season but has zero this season. Cooper is one of the most talented players on this defense, but that’s hard to showcase if you’re missing a lot of tackles.

LT Rasheed Walker: The offensive line as a whole has been a disappointment this season, and Walker has been one of the biggest culprits. A seventh-round pick back in 2022, Walker had been a dependable starter in Green Bay the past two seasons. However, something is amiss. He leads the team with 13 allowed pressures and has surrendered a pressure on 10.3% of pass plays, the 11th-worst rate among 58 qualifying offensive tackles, per PFF. He’s also given up two sacks in the past two games. Reliable left tackles don’t grow on trees, so Walker was in line for a big contract this offseason. However, he will continue to hurt his future paycheck if he can’t turn things around soon.

C Elgton Jenkins: Jenkins was a Pro-Bowl guard in 2020 and 2022. Now, he’s struggling to find his footing in his transition to full-time center. Once widely considered the best center prospect in the 2019 NFL Draft, Jenkins hasn’t stacked up well among his peers since making the switch. Among the 35 centers who have played at least 100 offensive snaps this season, Jenkins is ranked 23rd by PFF. Making a position change isn’t easy, especially seven years into your career. However, Jenkins has been one of the team’s top offensive linemen for years because of his versatility, and center isn’t a brand-new position. Hopefully, it’s just a slow start, and Jenkins can settle in soon.