From an outside perspective, extending Kenny Clark was a clear, obvious top priority for the Packers all offseason. 

Clearly, the Packers agreed.

Clark is now the highest paid nose tackle in NFL history, but the term "nose tackle" really doesn't fully describe everything Clark does for the Packers' defense. For a big man playing tackle in a 3-4, he has an incredible pressure rate, and he affects nearly every play on the line of scrimmage. He has somehow managed to get even better every year in the NFL, is finally starting to get the recognition he deserves as one of the league's premier defenders, and is still only just 24 (!) years old.

So now that Clark is taken care of, the question becomes... who's next?

The Packers are going to have some very difficult decisions on their hands leading up to the 2021 offseason. There are several key players not under contract, most notably elite left tackle David Bakhtiari, breakout running back Aaron Jones, reliable starting center Corey Linsley and mercurial starting corner Kevin King.

Let's take a look at each of these four and the factors the Packers will have to consider.

David Bakhtiari, LT

Age: 29
2020 Cap Number: $14.7 million

Bakhtiari is in the prime of his career, and has a very strong argument for being the finest left tackle in the game. The old adage always goes that beyond the quarterback, the most valuable players on the field are the guy who gets the quarterback (pass rusher) and the guy who protects the quarterback (left tackle). A new contract for Bakhtiari won't come cheap; right now he's got the fourth-largest cap hit in the NFL for left tackles in the 2020 season according to Over the Cap, and given he's still on the right side of 30, he's going to command at least as much money moving forward. 

Bakhtiari has been extremely reliable and generally durable throughout his tenure, plays one of the two or three most valuable positions in the sport and has been a consummate professional and leader during his tenue with the Packers, not to mention a fan favorite. He will be a top contender for an extension.

Aaron Jones, RB

Age: 26
2020 Cap Number: $2.1 million

Jones' salary more than triples from 2019 to 2020, but he still comes in at tremendous value under his rookie contract as a later round selection. But an extension for a player of Jones's explosiveness and versatility is not going to come cheap.

There are several factors in Jones's favor. One is that the offense is clearly beginning to rely more on him than it did under Mike McCarthy. Matt LaFleur likes to get the most out of his running backs, running the ball a higher percentage of the time and using the backs more frequently as receivers, all over the field. Jones is capable of lining up just about anywhere, has dramatically improved his pass blocking and is the most reliable, explosive runner of the football the Packers have by a large margin. He's young enough and has been used sparingly enough in his first three seasons that age and wear and tear shouldn't be as big of factors for him as they would be for other running backs seeking new contracts after their year four or five season.

The primary factor working against Jones is the market. Frankly, if the last five years have taught us anything it's that the NFL is no longer a league where you can pay a running back a hefty contract and expect it to work out in your favor. Contracts for big-name players like Todd Gurley, David Johnson and Le'Veon Bell have all been questionable at best given their resulting yields. 

While the Packers would undoubtedly like to keep Jones, his future may depend in large part on how other players like AJ Dillon or Dexter Williams perform this year, and what the Packers expect him to command on the open market. Because really, paying large RB contracts in today's NFL is a fool's errand.

Corey Linsley, C

Age: 29
2020 Cap Number: $10.5 million

Linsley has been a wonderful surprise throughout his Packers tenure, playing consistently strong football since his rookie season with very little of the national recognition he deserves for it. However, the writing would appear to be on the wall for Linsley entering the 2020 season.

While Linsley still almost certainly has another contract's worth of strong football in him so long as he stays healthy, what's working against him are a) who's ahead of him on the list of priorities (see: Bakhtiari and Jones) and b) who's waiting behidn him on the depth chart.

The Packers extended the versatile Lucas Patrick during the season last year, and at the time it sure felt like a sign that Linsley may not be back in Green Bay after 2020. Patrick has filled in admirably at interior line positions and may well be the team's long-term plan at center should they pass up on extending Linsley. 

While I would love to see Linsley back in Green Bay, I think the situation simply isn't in his favor. He's likely playing somewhere else in 2021. 

Kevin King, CB

Age: 25
2020 Cap Number: $2.2 million

King's future may be the hardest to predict of this foursome, as what happens to him will likely depend largely on his level of play in 2020.

During King's first two years, he had a difficult time just staying on the field. During the 2019 season, his play was inconsistent; when he was on, he was fantastic. When he was off... it wasn't pretty. There was a lot of promise there, and one had to remember that while King had two years under his belt entering last year, he had barely a season's worth of game time, and was still relatively fresh to the league as a result.

This year, it's put up or shut up time for King. If he can play more consistently to the caliber we saw him flash in 2019, he's going to make it hard for the Packers to get rid of him. Jaire Alexander is in it for the long haul for the Packers, and having two strong players on the outside locking down two top receivers each game... that's something NFL teams would pay a premium for. King has shown he has the talent to be a long-term player in the NFL, but he has yet to show he has the consistency. 

Of course, another factor is would-be nickel corner Chandon Sullivan. The team showed a lot of faith in this former undrafted free agent when they opted not to bring back Tramon Williams this offseason. Sullivan played outstanding football in 2019, and will be relied upon as a larger contributor in 2020. If he continues his trajectory, there's a chance the team might see him as the long-term starter opposite Alexander intsead of King.

If I had to make a prediction based on how the team wlil handle this, I'd say the Packers will almost certainly wait out the entire decision before making a decision on King in February or March. They're going to see what they have in him and how he's progressed.