Green Bay Packers: Who will be most valuable behind Aaron Rodgers?

The safe bet for who will be the most valuable member of the Green Bay Packers next season is Aaron Rodgers. Now the question is who will be second in line?

ESPN recently posed the question, who will be the most valuable player on each NFL team? Green Bay Packers writer Rob Demovsky went with Aaron Rodgers for Green Bay. Great pick, I don’t think anyone’s going to argue with him. In fact, this might be one of the most obvious answers out of all 32 teams. I mean, is anyone really going to say they think another player will mean more to the Packers in 2018?

Due to that, this question is kind of boring for Green Bay fans. It’s been a long time since Rodgers wasn’t the clear-cut answer. So let’s liven it up a bit and take him out of the equation. After Rodgers, who’s going to be the most valuable member of the Packers in 2018?

Well, there’s David Bakhtiari. If Rodgers is the MVP, it’s important to keep him healthy. Bakhtiari (a two-time All-Pro offensive tackle) is the Packers’ best line of defense.

Then there’s Kevin King. The Packers secondary should be improved thanks to their first two draft picks this year. They added a veteran leader in Tramon Williams as well. Someone will need to do the heavy lifting when it comes to coverage though. King might have to be that guy. If he can continue to improve and have a solid year, that will make a massive difference for the team. Even if he isn’t a superstar in 2018, having a reliable cornerback is something Green Bay would love.

Of course, there’s Davante Adams as well. Rodgers needs someone to throw to and Adams is his best option. The receiver had his second straight fantastic year in 2017, and that was with the poor quarterback play after Rodgers went down. He’s proven he’s a legit threat and can score touchdowns in bunches.

My final answer though, is Blake Martinez. The linebacker can alter a game in multiple different ways. Emerging as a star over the last few years, he’s the prototype linebacker. He is superb against the run (and a plus-plus tackler) and strong enough in coverage.

Martinez isn’t going to get you a ton of sacks, but he can contribute in the pass rush. Meanwhile, he won’t create tons of turnovers, but he’ll get a few. All while probably leading the team in tackles. He is the anchor of the defense and can help to revitalize the unit. If the Packers defense improves in 2018, expect him to be right in the middle of it all.

Next: NFL 2018: One breakout candidate for each team

A strong defense takes a lot of the pressure of Rodgers, and that’s pretty valuable. It only makes sense then to consider their leader as one of the most valuable players on the roster. As of right now, it’s pretty clear that Blake Martinez is one of the most important players on the Green Bay Packers.