The Green Bay Packers defense didn’t get a lot of credit during the 2010s, but they finished the decade ranked 10th in points allowed (3,519) and tied for eighth in takeaways (251) and fifth in sacks (413).

Green Bay Packers 2010s All-Decade team: Offense

Introducing the defense of the Packers’ All-Decade team:

Interior defensive line

First team: Mike Daniels, Kenny Clark

From 2012 to 2018, Daniels provided a foundational player for the middle of the Packers defense. Despite being undersized as a 3-4 defensive end, Daniels used power and a non-stop motor to produce 29 sacks, 47 tackles for losses and 68 quarterback hits over 102 games. Clark, a first-round pick in 2016, is already one of the NFL’s elite interior linemen. The 24-year-old has 16.5 sacks and 24 tackles for losses during his first four seasons. The sky is the limit for Clark, who will soon sign a long-term extension with the Packers.

Second team: B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett

A massive human being with rare athleticism, Raji provided the perfect nose tackle for Dom Capers’ 3-4. He became a dominant interior force during his second season as the Packers went on to win the Super Bowl. He had 11 sacks, 24 tackles for losses and an iconic interception over 91 career games in Green Bay. Pickett, another massive human, played 60 games between 2010-13 and was an effective run-stopping defensive end and nose tackle.

Edge rusher

First team: Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers

Matthews was the franchise’s best defensive player during the decade, and there isn’t a close second. After a Pro Bowl rookie season in 2009, Matthews produced 73.5 sacks, 104 tackles for losses, 14 forced fumbles and six interceptions between 2010 and 2018. Peppers, a rare free-agent addition of Ted Thompson, gave the Packers 25 sacks, 21 tackles for losses, eight forced fumbles and two defensive touchdowns over three solid seasons between 2014 and 2016.

Second team: Za’Darius Smith, Nick Perry

Smith didn’t arrive in Green Bay until 2019, but he produced arguably the most productive single season by a Packers edge rusher during the decade. His 2019 season included 13.5 sacks, 37 quarterback hits and 17 tackles for losses. Perry, a first-rounder in 2012, played seven seasons with the Packers and peaked with 18 sacks and 30 quarterback hits in 2016 and 2017, but he couldn’t stay healthy and found himself out of the league by 2019.

Inside linebacker

First team: A.J. Hawk, Blake Martinez

Of Hawk’s 924 career tackles, 527 came over 78 games between 2010 and 2014. His best season arrived in 2010. He was solid but never spectacular, and many wanted more from the fifth overall pick in the 2006 draft. Martinez, a fourth-rounder in 2016, is charting a similar path. He has three-straight seasons with over 140 tackles and 506 total tackles during his first four seasons. Martinez is a capable starter but far from a difference-maker.

Second team: Desmond Bishop, Jake Ryan

Bishop was a rising star before injuries wrecked his career. Between 2010 and 2011, Bishop created 218 tackles, eight sacks, 13 tackles for losses, 13 quarterback hits, four forced fumbles and nine pass breakups. He suffered a major hamstring injury before the 2012 season and didn’t play in Green Bay again. Ryan, a fourth-round pick in 2015, delivered 206 tackles and eight tackles for losses over three seasons (2015-18).

Cornerback

First team: Tramon Williams, Charles Woodson

Among defensive players, only Clay Matthews played in more games for the Packers during the 2010s than Williams. who was in Green Bay for seven of the 10 seasons during the decade. Between 2010 and 2014, Williams tallied 18 interceptions and 82 pass breakups. He returned in 2018 and has been solid the last two seasons. Woodson, a future Hall of Famer, was the heart and soul of the defense to start the decade and led the NFL in interceptions in 2011.

Second team: Sam Shields, Micah Hyde

Shields, an undrafted free agent gem, played his first seven seasons in Green Bay. A true speedster, he produced 18 picks and 66 pass breakups while making the Pro Bowl in 2014. Concussions ended his career in Green Bay. Hyde gets the nod over Casey Hayward because he was more versatile and made more big plays, and he scored three punt return touchdowns. The Packers made mistakes by letting Hayward go following the 2016 season and not playing Hyde at safety, where he’s become an All-Pro in Buffalo.

Safety

First team: Morgan Burnett, Ha Ha Clinton-Dix

Burnett, a third-round pick in 2010, played 102 games for the Packers over eight seasons (2010-17). He rarely put up big numbers but was reliable and consistent. Clinton-Dix looked like the next great Packers safety after putting together a Pro Bowl season in 2016, but he faded in 2017 and was traded away in 2018. The first-rounder intercepted 14 passes over 71 games with the Packers.

Second team: Nick Collins, Charlie Peprah

A neck injury in 2011 ended what could have been a Hall of Fame career for Collins, who was a Pro Bowler in 2010 and intercepted Ben Roethlisberger for a touchdown in Super Bowl XLV. He got hurt two games into 2011 and didn’t play again. Such a shame. Peprah was a starter for the 2010 championship team and intercepted five passes as a 14-game starter in 2011.

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