It's easy to embark on hype trains in August. After all, every team in the NFL is undefeated at this point. If you look back one year, everyone around the league was optimistic about things that would look incredibly silly right now.

Some things will really look good in a couple of months, but it's impossible to think that every positive perception we have now will seem as promising during the regular season.

So, let's evaluate which hype trains are more or less likely to keep moving when the games really count.

Buying

Jordan Love as a deep thrower

Last year, the quarterback was up and down throwing deep, which created some fair questions marks about his game. He had already progressed at it down the stretch in 2023, but his performance in training camp has been much more consistent. He proved it with a 65-yard touchdown to Dontayvion Wicks in the preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns.

"He's always had the arm talent to make the throws downfield," quarterbacks coach Tom Clements said this week. "I think just at the beginning of the year, you can call deep passes and, if you get the right coverage, then you have a shot to take it downfield. If you don't get the right coverage, you can't force it downfield. I think maybe at times we were trying to go downfield when the defense didn't allow it."

Now, Jordan Love understands better what the defense offers him. It's a sustainable approach, and it could easily be translated to the regular season.

---

Young safeties stepping up

Javon Bullard's versatility and Evan Williams ability to be close to the ball were obvious points of their performance against the Browns, and camp had been showing they can be exactly that alongside veteran Xavier McKinney for this defense.

While it's harder to project rookies, they have been what the Packers expect from them as rookies, and their college tape shows that. Bullard and Williams might not be elite players from the get go, but they can certainly be useful contributors and an upgrade over what the team had in 2023.

---

Jacob Monk as the swing IOL

Everything depends on perspective and expectations. If you want Jacob Monk to be an immediate starter at center over Josh Myers, you will most likely be disappointed. However, if you see him as a developmental and versatile piece on the interior of the offensive line, that can very well be the case.

It is I, Jacob Monk enjoyer. pic.twitter.com/lDAjbtWXWt

— Ross Uglem (@RossUglem) August 14, 2024

Monk had a promising preseason debut in Cleveland, and he showed good blocking technique, especially in the run game. He had snaps at right guard and center, making it clear that he can eventually play any of the three positions inside.

You can compare him to Lucas Patrick, who recently had this type of role for the Packers — JC Tretter also comes to mind, but he could play tackle as well, which Monk probably can't.

---

Selling

Romeo Doubs as the WR1

Doubs is a really good and useful wide receiver, don't get me wrong. And he can be a real X receiver because of his style. But it's hard to foresee him as a real WR1, a designation that head coach Matt LaFleur is tired of listening to.

Click here to accept Marketing cookies and load this content

Last year, with Christian Watson injured and a bunch of rookies, Doubs had his best chance to be the most productive receiver of the team. However, Jayden Reed still outproduced him in terms of catches and receiving yards.

Watson might be ahead of him if healthy, and Reed can get better in year 2. Dontayvion Wicks is the fourth option at this point, but his ceiling is also higher.

So yes, Doubs is the Packers receiver with the highest floor, but I'll wait to proclaim him as the top target.

---

AJ Dillon as a huge offensive piece

Matt LaFleur seems to be happy with Dillon in training camp, and the running back himself said he received a high grade from the coaching staff after the Browns game.

Nonetheless, Dillon's production is heavily dependent on what the offensive line gives him, and teams usually look for backs that can produce by themselves as much as possible. The Packers might not have an immediate contribution from MarShawn Lloyd, but second-year player Emanuel Wilson looks clearly more efficient than Dillon under similar circumstances.

---

Josh Jacobs as a major receiving threat

The Packers can take more out of Jacobs than what the Las Vegas Raiders did in the passing game, but not by much. He won't be prime Alvin Kamara or Christian McCaffrey out of nothing. What he can do, in fact, is to score more touchdowns (because he hasn't scored any for the Raiders, which is actually wild). Jacobs can also be more used to running real routes, since for the Raiders he was much more of a dump off option.

But in terms of yardage and receptions, it doesn't seem like it will be a huge difference. Jacobs had 53 receptions for 400 yards in 2022, his All-Pro season, and last year he had 37 receptions for 296 yards even missing six regular season games.

Aaron Jones also played 11 games in 2023, and he finished the season with 30 receptions for 233 yards. Jones' most productive season as a receiver was in 2019, when Davante Adams missed four games, and the running back had 49 receptions for 474 yards.

Now, the Packers have multiple mouths to feed in the passing game. And if Jacobs gets close to what Jones did in 2019, it won't be that much better than what he did in Las Vegas. Jacobs workload in the running game, yes, that can be the area where he truly makes a difference for this offense.

Jordan Love action and edge attack: Packers game observations of preseason opener vs Browns

Packers are facing the Browns in Cleveland