The Green Bay Packers did a few things well during a 13-3 season in 2019, but Matt LaFleur’s team probably didn’t do any one thing better than they rushed the quarterback.
Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith and Kenny Clark combined to create a three-headed pass-rushing monster that consistently terrorized opposing quarterbacks. Together, the trio combined for 31.5 sacks, 67 quarterback hits and over 200 total pressures. Few teams, if any, have a returning trio of two outside rushers and one interior rusher that was as productive as the Packers’ three.
More help could be on the way.
Not only are the Packers banking on a second-year jump from 2019 first-round pick Rashan Gary, but the team is interested in free agent edge rusher Everson Griffen, and according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the interest in a pairing is mutual from Griffen.
Who knows how real the interest really is. It’s possible the Packers inquired, and Griffen’s representation is using the team to drum up more interest from the Vikings or other teams around the league.
However, even the potential of the Packers adding Griffen to the defense’s pass-rushing group should be terrifying for the quarterbacks on Green Bay’s schedule in 2020.
Griffen might be 32, but he’s coming off a Pro Bowl season in which he produced eight sacks and 20 quarterback hits. In terms of overall grade, Griffen finished last year ranked as the NFL’s No. 25 edge rusher at Pro Football Focus. Although his run defense grade slipped, he still managed to create 66 total pressures over 547 pass-rushing snaps.
Adding Griffen to the mix would give defensive coordinator Mike Pettine endless combinations of impressive defensive fronts, especially on passing downs. Za’Darius Smith, who led the NFL in pressures last season, proved capable of moving all around the formation. He was at his best rushing against guards and centers. Gary is big and athletic and can slide down and rush from the inside, too. Clark is the best and most productive pass-rushing nose tackle in the game, and Preston Smith, who dominated early in the year last year, is no slouch on the other side of Za’Darius.
Griffen, with great size, experience and pass-rushing tools, could be another versatile weapon to throw at offensive lines and quarterbacks.
Pettine could throw all four edge rushers on the field at once. He could place Za’Darius inside next to Clark and rotate between Gary, Preston and Griffen on the outside. He could put Griffen inside with Clark or Za’Darius and have Gary rush from the outside. The list goes on and on.
When it comes to depth upfront in the pass-rushing group, a team can really never have too much of it. Waves of capable rushers can only make everyone else better. The two Smiths played a lot of snaps last season. With Griffen, their collective workload could drop some without a significant dropoff in quality.
Keep in mind, the Packers will likely need to find a fourth outside linebacker behind the two Smiths and Gary. Kyler Fackrell departed, opening up an opportunity. As it stands now, the competition is between Tim Williams and a bunch of youngsters, including seventh-round pick Jonathan Garvin.
Also, the Packers have a bunch of very good quarterbacks on the schedule this year. It’s imperative that the pass-rush remains elite in 2020.
Imagine the Packers swapping out Fackrell for Griffen and making the pass-rush a living nightmare for opposing quarterbacks. GM Brian Gutekunst has done plenty of roster patching this offseason, using Rick Wagner to replace Bryan Bulaga, Christian Kirksey to replace Blake Martinez and Devin Funchess to replace Geronimo Allison. Replacing Fackrell with Griffen would probably be his best move of the offseason.
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