The New York Giants will host the Green Bay Packers on Sunday at MetLife Stadium, presenting those of us at Giants Wire a unique opportunity to raid a roster we do not typically see.
In pouring over the Packers’ depth chart, there are a few players that immediately catch the eye — quarterback Aaron Rodgers, running back Aaron Jones, wide receiver Davante Adams, inside linebacker Blake Martinez and edge rushers Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith.
The argument could always be made for Rodgers, but with Daniel Jones under center and breaking records left and right, we’ll stick with the young gun this time around.
Aaron Jones is also an intriguing option based on his touchdown production alone, but Saquon Barkley is bound to bounce back at some point… right?
With so many injuries at wide receiver, the Giants could also stand to benefit from Davante Adams, just as they could from either of Green Bay’s tackles. But nope, we’re not going that route, either…
Defensively, Blake Martinez would be a substantial upgrade for the Giants on the inside, but he’s not really so much of a game-changer as he is an average consistent presence.
Ultimately, that left us to choose between Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith, and while Preston has 10.5 sacks to Za’Darius’ 10, we’re going with Za’Darius anyway.
The 27-year-old Za’Darius flashed talent in Baltimore, but had been moved around from position to position, playing inside, outside, on the line and standing up. There was no consistency and despite marked improvement year-to-year, Smith was clearly being held back.
In Green Bay, Smith has erupted, recording 10 sacks and 23 QB hits in 11 games, but he’s proven himself to be more valuable than a situational edge rusher. He’s also recorded 40 tackles, including 10 for a loss, good for an overall Pro Football Focus grade of 84.6 on the season.
What say you, Giants fans? Would you steal Za’Darius Smith or snag someone else from Green Bay’s roster?
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