The Green Bay Packers have at least six young players who will compete to replace backup edge rusher Kyler Fackrell, who departed in free agency.
After producing a career-high 10.5 sacks in 2018, Fackrell settled into a rotational role in 2019, giving defensive coordinator Mike Pettine a versatile third or fourth option at outside linebacker.
Now, Fackrell is in New York with the Giants. The Packers will look to a half-dozen youngsters to step up and step into the role Fackrell left behind.
Tim Williams, Randy Ramsey and Greg Roberts and rookies Jonathan Garvin, Delontae Scott and Tipa Galeai should all get opportunities to win the job as the team’s fourth outside linebacker.
It’s unclear how many snaps will be available. Fackrell played 415 snaps for the Packers in 2019, but a big chunk of his snaps will likely go to second-year edge rusher Rashan Gary, who the Packers are counting on to play a much bigger role alongside Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith in 2020.
Even if Gary and the two Smiths dominate the snaps on the edge, all 3-4 teams need at least four edge rushers, so a spot on the 53-man roster is wide open.
Williams, a third-round pick of the Baltimore Ravens in 2017, returns after spending the better part of three months with the Packers last year. He has a mix of athleticism and pass-rushing potential but it never came together for him in Baltimore. Ramsey, an undrafted free agent, flashed during the preseason and lasted the entire season on the practice squad, while Roberts – who dealt with a significant injury for most of 2019 – was a priority free agent signed by the Packers following the draft.
Of the six players, only Garvin – a seventh-round pick in 2020 – was a player drafted by the Packers. The team believes the 20-year-old has untapped potential entering. Garvin is joined in the rookie class by Scott and Galeai, two highly productive college edge rushers.
Identifying a clear-cut favorite entering camp is tough to do, although the three returning edge rushers will clearly have an important head start on the three rookies. Experience in the league and in Pettine’s system could be vital after the coronavirus wrecked the offseason and now threatens to shorten or even eliminate the preseason, an important proving ground for fringe roster players.
Versatility and special teams ability will likely determine who wins the spot on the roster. Fackrell gave Pettine an outside linebacker who could rush upfield or drop into coverage. He had the length and athleticism to handle both situational assignments. Also, only six players on the whole team played more special teams snaps than Fackrell’s 182. Outside linebacker provides an ideal body type for running down the field and covering kicks and punts, making special teams an important part of who the Packers will pick to handle the role.
The Packers also reportedly claimed outside linebacker Jamal Davis off of waivers from the Miami Dolphins in April, but he likely hasn’t had an opportunity to pass a physical and isn’t listed on the team’s roster. Davis, who played in three games for the Dolphins in 2019, is a long edge rusher with top athleticism. He went undrafted out of Akron.