Packers 2021 first quarter awards: MVP, most improved, top rookie and more

The Green Bay Packers are 3-1 after the first four games of the 2021 season. The addition of a 17th game in the NFL no longer allows us to cut the NFL season into four equal quarters, but that reality isn’t going to stop Packers Wire from handing out some ol’ fashion quarter-mark awards.

We’ll be talking about the most valuable player, the best on offense and defense, the top rookies, the most improved and the top newcomer.

Here’s an award-based breakdown of the team after four games from the staff at Packers Wire:

MVP: QB Aaron Rodgers

Green Bay Packers’ Aaron Rodgers (12) reacts after a TD during an NFL football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021, in Santa Clara, Calif. (AP Photo/Scot Tucker)

Zach Kruse, managing editor: Aaron Rodgers. He’s thrown eight touchdown passes and zero interceptions during the Packers’ current three-game winning streak. He’s helped the reconstructed offensive line greatly with decisiveness, and he also had his signature moment on the game-winning drive in San Francisco. This team goes as No. 12 goes.

Brandon Carwile, contributor: Davante Adams. The best receiver in the NFL has also been the best player on the Packers. Adams is top five in the league in targets, receptions, and yards and is well on his way toward another All-Pro season.

Jack Wepfer, contributor: Aaron Rodgers. The Packers haven’t been properly inoculated from the injury bug this year, but if your quarterback is healthy, your team is more or less “healthy.” As such Rodgers is their most valuable player. He’s not playing yet up to 2020 levels, but he’s been steady and close enough to his standard that I think he’s your most valuable player on the team.

Joe Kipp, contributor: Aaron Rodgers. It’s gotta be Rodgers, right? After struggling against the Saints in Week 1, Rodgers has been much better the last three weeks. The Packers don’t win that game against the 49ers in Week 3 if not for Rodgers’ miraculous drive with 0:37 remaining, which included one of the best throws of the young season to Davante.

Best Offensive Player: WR Davante Adams

(AP Photo/Jed Jacobsohn)

Zach: Davante Adams. He’s been targeted 45 times already, or almost 40 percent of the offense’s total targets through four games. The passing game is so reliant on his ability to make plays, regardless of coverage. The touchdowns are down, but Adams is on pace for 131 catches and 1,585 receiving yards.

Brandon: Davante Adams. Adams has been the most consistent offensive player to date. There’s nothing that opposing defenses can do to take him away unless triple teams start to become a regular occurrence. Of course, Aaron Rodgers and Aaron Jones have both been good this year, but Adams has been on another level.

Jack: Aaron Jones. If Elgton Jenkins had been healthy (and had continued his steady play at left tackle as we likely expect), I’d be tempted to put him here. That said, I think I want to go with Aaron Jones. He’s just such a dynamic player who can score from just about any place on the field and must be accounted for in the backfield. When the offense goes through Jones, which often means Rodgers is getting the ball out quickly and the play-action game is rockin’, the Packers find success.

Joe: Davante Adams. The passing game runs through him. To date, Adams has 31 catches for 373 yards and a touchdown. In addition to being unguardable, Adams opens up opportunities for other receivers by consistently drawing double coverage.

Best Defensive Player: DL Kenny Clark/OLB De'Vondre Campbell (tie)

(AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Zach: De’Vondre Campbell. This was a tough one. Kenny Clark has been impressive, and he makes a handful of notable plays every game, but Campbell has been so consistently good against the run and in coverage. He’s affecting the game in a lot of ways right now.

Brandon: Kenny Clark. Clark is just different. From his explosive first step to his ability to take on double teams, everything he does on a weekly basis continues to impress. Clark continues to disrupt opposing offensives more than any other defensive player on the roster.

Jack: Kenny Clark. It’s close between Clark and Jaire Alexander. I know Alexander has given up a few catches lately, which isn’t something we’re accustomed to seeing, but he’s still been the Ronco Rotisserie cooker in the secondary: set it and forget it. That said, I give the slight edge to Kenny Clark. He didn’t have a great Week 1 (who did?), but he’s been impressive ever since.

Joe: De’Vondre Campbell. For me, it’s Campbell. He’s having the best season of his career thus far and has had an immediate impact in the middle of Green Bay’s defense. He’s always around the ball and, most importantly, isn’t a liability in pass coverage.

Best rookie: C Josh Myers

Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (12) and center Josh Myers (71).

Zach: Josh Myers. A lot was asked of him right away. He not only had to replace an All-Pro at center, but he also had to get on the same page with Aaron Rodgers, arguably the NFL’s most demanding quarterback on the center position. Myers has never looked overwhelmed.

Brandon: Josh Myers. It’s impossible to ignore the constant praise Myers receives from Aaron Rodgers. That alone makes him the current leader for the best rookie at this point in the season.

Jack: Josh Myers. I’ll give the edge to second-round pick Josh Myers since he’d been installed as the Day 1 starter. The Packers have battled a lot of injury adversity along the offensive line, which is especially impressive provided that they had to stave off a Bosa brother and a Watt brother in back-to-back weeks. Myers has had a couple of rookie mistakes, but he’s more or less blended in and held the point along the offensive line.

Joe: Eric Stokes. The obvious answer is Stokes. He may have stolen Kevin King’s starting job if not for Jaire Alexander’s shoulder injury. Now, the Packers seemingly have no choice but to start Stokes going forward. Luckily for them, Stokes has been extremely solid through four weeks, notching six pass breakups and an interception.

Biggest surprise: CB Eric Stokes/OLB Preston Smith (tie)

(AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Zach: Eric Stokes. The Packers’ first-round pick hit the ground running. Stokes has been targeted 25 times, but he’s handled the extra attention well. With Jaire Alexander likely out for the foreseeable future, the Packers need the rookie to play like a veteran. He looks capable.

Brandon: Preston Smith. For a guy many believed would be cut during the offseason, Smith has been impressive in the first four games of 2021. He has done a good job against the run and is also finding some success as a pass rusher. His 1.0 sack isn’t much to write home about, but the Packers would appreciate it if Smith can continue his level of play the rest of the season.

Jack: Eric Stokes. I’m surprised he’s been as effective as he’s been in limited time. We all saw the training camp reports that he’d been struggling. Turns out getting torched by Davante Adams in camp helped quite a bit.

Joe: Preston Smith. He’s been one of the team’s best defensive players after having a below-average season in 2020. It appears the heavily incentivized contract restructure he agreed to this offseason has him motivated.

Biggest disappointment: CB Kevin King

(AP Photo/Mike Roemer)

Zach: Kingsley Keke. He had the strip-sack last week, but his first three games were a huge disappointment. The Packers are trying to turn him into a three-down player, but he’s really struggled at the point of attack against the run, and his impact as an interior rusher hasn’t been enough. The Packers need more, especially with Za’Darius Smith out.

Brandon: Chandon Sullivan. Wasn’t sure who to put here, but Sullivan has to be up there as one of the bigger disappointments. He’s allowed 14 completions on 16 targets for a team-high 179 yards. Sullivan must find a way to play better in Joe Barry’s star role, or the team may look elsewhere.

Jack: Kevin King. The Packers spent a not-insignificant chunk of change bringing back King. When he hasn’t been hurt, he’s been bad. He just doesn’t have the extra gear that his draft measurables imply. Moreover, while he can be physical – he’s a pretty big guy for a cornerback – that physicality doesn’t consistently show up on the football field in terms of production.

Joe: Kevin King. It’s gotta be King. The expectations were low after what we’ve seen the last few years, but it’s been more of the same this season. He just doesn’t have the athleticism anymore to keep up with vertical routes downfield.

Most improved: OT Yosh Nijman

Green Bay Packers offensive tackle Yosh Nijman (73).

Zach: Yosh Nijman. The Packers – and especially offensive line coach Adam Stenavich – deserve so much credit for staying patient and developing him. The reward was the last two games. He held his own at left tackle in two really difficult matchups.

Brandon: Yosh Nijman. Easy decision. Nijman went from being a practice squad player to competing for the starting left tackle job with Elgton Jenkins set to return. His performance against the San Francisco 49ers was all the validation I needed to see that he is a legit NFL player that could possibly emerge into a starter in the future.

Jack: Yosh Nijman. For the first four games, it’s got to be Nijman. He looked quite “meh” in pre-season, and when I heard he’d be starting against Nick Bosa, I had flashbacks to Jason Spriggs/Alex Light turnstile that often threw sand in the Packers’ offensive engine. Nijman needed help, yes, but he was functional, which is more than you can expect to receive from the 2020 UDFA. If you ask me this question at the halfway point, I’m anticipating my answer will be Eric Stokes.

Joe: Yosh Nijman. Nijman was thrown to the wolves at left tackle against the 49ers and held his own against Nick Bosa. He appears to be one of the team’s best backup linemen moving forward. top newcomer: De’Vondre Campbell. After signing a one-year deal this past offseason, he’s having a career year. He’s ranked PFF’s No. 3 overall linebacker through four weeks.

Top newcomer: LB De'Vondre Campbell

(AP Photo/Jeffrey Phelps)

Zach: De’Vondre Campbell. No one could have anticipated Campbell being this good to start the season. He’s played at a Pro Bowl level. In fact, the Packers haven’t gotten this good of inside linebacker play since…probably Desmond Bishop?

Brandon: De’Vondre Campbell. Green Bay signed Campbell to a one-year deal worth just $2 million in June, which is starting to look like more and more of a bargain. He leads the team in tackles and also has an interception and fumble recovery. You could argue that Campbell has been their best playmaker on defense.

Jack: De’Vondre Campbell. I have to say De’Vondre Campbell. As the Packers Wire’s resident off-ball linebacker propagandist, I want to do some horn-tootin’. I thought the Packers should have started Campbell a few years ago when he was leaving Atlanta, and I was glad they signed him this year. Having a reliable, football-savvy athlete in the middle of the field shores up a lot of problems and raises your defense’s floor. This defense may not be great this year, but I think Campbell’s presence has stabilized it.

Joe: De’Vondre Campbell. He leads the team in tackles and has two takeaways (interception, fumble recovery) through four games.

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