Kenny Clark believes Kingsley Keke can be a “huge part of the Packers’ plan along the defensive line in 2020.
Pro Bowler Kenny Clark is hopeful that second-year defensive lineman Kinglsey Keke can play a major role in helping the Green Bay Packers improve upfront on defense in 2020.
Clark noted Keke’s athleticism and potential, especially as a pass-rusher, as evidence for what the young defensive lineman can bring to the table this season.
“A guy that has a lot of potential,” Clark said during a Zoom call with reporters on Monday. “I think he has a lot of potential to be a great rusher too. Not only can he stop the run but he can be a really good rusher. He’s really athletic. Has a lot of ability.”
The Packers drafted Keke in the fifth round of last year’s draft. He played sparingly as a rookie, seeing the field for only 94 defensive snaps, but the Packers will likely need him to play a much bigger role in 2020, especially if the defensive line group wants to improve without a major outside addition.
Clark didn’t want to add unnecessary hype ahead of Keke’s second season but insisted he’ll need Keke to help the Packers take the next step along the line of scrimmage on defense.
“I’m not going to sit here and hype him up and stuff, but I want all the guys to come in and be ready to work and do their part and just make the defensive line better,” Clark said. “I think Keke is going to be a huge part of the plan of doing that.”
Getting a big second-year leap from Keke would help, but Clark knows it’ll take a more complete and consistent team effort from everyone upfront to get better in 2020.
“Everybody has to be more consistent,” Clark said. “That’s what it takes. I do think we have the guys in the room. I think our scheme is great. Coach (Pettine) puts us in a lot of situations to where we can win one-on-ones in the run and pass game. We just have to capitalize. It’s going to take a mentality. We have to make the plays and sometimes we got to make plays when it’s not asked of us.”
Clark ended up at No. 4 on the 11-player list, trailing only Cameron Hayward, Chris Jones and Aaron Donald and confirming his status as one of the game’s titans of the defensive interior.
From Schofield: “It is rare to see sideline-to-sideline ability from an interior defensive lineman, but Clark brings that to the table, along with great awareness for the position. But you also have to take note of his strength, power and leverage.”
Clark is something of a football unicorn. He is a true nose tackle, with the rare combination of size and power to handle the run game in the three-man front, but he’s also graced with impressive quickness and rare pass-rushing ability from the position.
Last season, Clark delivered 62 total pressures – second only to Donald among interior defenders. According to Pro Football Focus, Clark has 146 total pressures and 116 run stops since 2017, making him one of the most productive and disruptive interior defensive linemen in the game.
Amazingly, Clark is still only 24 – he doesn’t turn 25 until October – and although he’s entering the final year of his rookie deal in 2020, both sides are optimistic that he’ll sign a new, long-term deal with the Packers at some point in the near future.
Clark and Za’Darius Smith give the Packers an incredible inside-outside duo. Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire recently ranked Smith as the NFL’s No. 1 edge rusher, and both Clark and Smith finished with top-10 passing grades at PFF last season.
No team in the NFL has a pair of pass-rushers quite like the Green Bay Packers’ impressive inside-outside duo.
According to Pro Football Focus, outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith and nose tackle Kenny Clark both finished among the top 10 players in pass-rushing grade during the 2019 season.
The Packers were the only NFL team to have two players included on the top-10 list. Smith ranked eighth, while Clark ended up ninth.
Together, Smith (93) and Clark (62) combined for 155 total pressures during the regular season. Smith led all players in total pressures, while Clark finished second behind Aaron Donald in pressures by an interior defender. The pair added another 19 total pressures over two postseason games, giving them 174 over 18 games – good for almost 10 a game.
The pair proved to be special, especially together. Not only does Smith produce as both an edge rusher and interior disruptor, but Clark can consistently collapse the pocket from the nose tackle position.
The best part for the Packers? Smith is just one year into a four-year deal, while Clark doesn’t turn 25 until October and will likely sign a long-term deal to stay in Green Bay soon. The Packers’ pair could be disrupting quarterbacks and destroying passing games for a long time.
Sure, Aaron Donald is the top dog. But what about the rest? Here are the best interior defenders in the game today.
Twitter can be a difficult place sometimes, like almost any social media outlet. There can be vitrol and abuse, there can be arguments that never seem to end, and there can be moments where you wonder just why in the world you spend so much time on the bird app.
However, Twitter also can provide some great ideas for content. A prime example is this tweet from Matt Miller, who covers the NFL draft incredibly well for Bleacher Report:
Which best at their position NFL player is farthest separated from the next best player?
We can dispense with the suspense, as Mr. Donald is certainly the player atop this list. Even the best debaters in the would might have difficulty making a case for anyone else atop the interior defensive line rankings in the league today. But there are some fascinating names to consider for the remaining ten spots, and as always there are difficult choices ahead.
Best Interior Defensive Line Unit
(Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports)
When you place a pair of players on a list like this, you are in good shape. The Philadelphia Eagles sport a very solid group up front, starting with Fletcher Cox. but they gave him quite the running mate when the organization added Javon Hargrave in free agency. When you have those two on the inside, and players such as Derek Barnett and Brandon Graham on the outside, you are truly cooking with gas.
But there are some other talented duos in the league. The Buffalo Bills have a nice 1-2 punch of Ed Loiver and Star Lotulelei, while the Cincinnati Bengals also have a great combo with Geno Atkins and the recently acquired D.J. Reader. Finally, do not forget about the Dallas Cowboys. They added Gerald McCoy and Dontari Poe this offseason, and have solid depth behind them in Trysten Hill and third-round pick Neville Gallimore.
Honorable Mentions
(Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports)
As with every position group, there are players who just missed the cut who merit both consideration and accolades, and interior defensive line is no exception to that rule. Tampa Bay Buccaneer Vita Vea is – perhaps quietly – living up to his pre-draft expectations, and last year he notched career highs in pressures, tackles and quarterback hurries. Tennessee Titans’ defensive lineman DaQuan Jones is another very solid player, and interestingly enough he led all interior defensive linemen with 14 pass coverage snaps, according to charting data from Pro Football Focus. Veteran Steve McLendon with the New York Jets had a very solid season, posting a career-high of 18 pressures. Finally, both Dalvin Tomlinson and Dexter Lawrence had good years with the New York Giants.
Kenny Clark and the Packers want to get a deal done, but the coronavirus pandemic is stunting some of the progress.
The Green Bay Packers and Pro Bowl defensive lineman Kenny Clark have a mutual interest in getting a new contract done, but both sides have an unexpected but major hurdle blocking progress.
“I just think with everything that’s going on with COVID-19, and everybody not knowing if there’s going to be a season and what’s going to happen next year, all of that is affecting the contract and everything,” Clark told Wilde.
Clark, a first-round pick of the Packers in 2016, is entering the final year of his rookie deal in 2020. Now a dominant interior defender at only 24 years old, Clark is due for a massive payday. While there was growing optimism that a deal could get done this summer or at some point during the regular season, the coronavirus – and how it may affect the 2020 season and the financials of the league in the immediate future – could stunt progress as players and teams prepare for the worst.
On the financial side, it’s increasingly possible the 2021 salary cap will need a massive adjustment based on lost revenue across the league from the 2020 season. The Packers are already entering a tricky situation cap-wise, especially with Clark and four other important veterans – David Bakhtiari, Corey Linsley, Kevin King and Aaron Jones – all scheduled to be free agents after 2020. A shrunken cap would only complicate the process of bringing a majority of them back.
Clark and Bakhtiari will likely require massive deals to sign long term.
Clark confirmed to Wilde that his side and the Packers have talked about a new deal during this offseason. With the coronavirus still spreading across the country, more patience is required.
“I don’t really have a timeline on it of when I want it to get done,” Clark told Wilde. “I understand the business and I understand everything that’s going on. So I’m just being patient with everything and just working every day.”
A first-time Pro Bowler in 2019, Clark produced six sacks and finished second in the NFL among interior defenders in total pressures, according to Pro Football Focus. He doesn’t turn 25 until October.
Touchdown Wire picked Kenny Clark as the Packers’ most underrated player entering 2020.
Every young, ascending player that isn’t an instant superstar must go through a phase of being underrated. For some, the phase doesn’t end until national recognition finally catches up to the consistent quality of player’s performances. For a select few, even a Pro Bowl nod isn’t enough to shed the underrated label.
According to Doug Farrar of Touchdown Wire, defensive lineman Kenny Clark is the Green Bay Packers’ most underrated player entering the 2020 season.
A first-round pick in 2016, Clark has strung together three straight fantastic seasons, capped off by last year’s overdue Pro Bowl selection. He finished second among interior defenders in total pressures, trailing only perennial All-Pro Aaron Donald.
Over the last three seasons, Clark has 146 total pressures and 116 run stops.
However, nose tackles in the 3-4 defense often get overlooked, especially when they play on a defense with another emerging star. In Green Bay, that star is Za’Darius Smith, who burst onto the scene in 2019, leading the NFL in total pressures and joining Clark as a first-time Pro Bowler.
But Clark remains one of the rarest players in the game: A truly disruptive, every-down nose tackle who consistently affects the passing game as a rusher. Most nose tackles are gap-plugging, double-eating run stuffers. Clark can do all of that, but he stays on the field for passing downs because he can consistently collapse the pocket around the quarterback, a hugely valuable skill set for a 314-pounder.
It can be safely argued that Clark is one of the NFL’s five best defensive linemen entering the 2020 season, although it’s doubtful he’s that highly regarded among most casual fans living outside Wisconsin. In this way, Clark is hugely underrated.
Who else would be considered underrated in Green Bay? Running back Aaron Jones has a case, but he’s far more nationally known after scoring an NFL-high 19 touchdowns in 2019. Second-year guard Elgton Jenkins is an ascending player coming off a terrific rookie season. Safety Adrian Amos is one of the most consistent and reliable safeties in football.
Every NFL team has at least one player whose play deserves more praise than it gets. Here’s every team’s most underrated player.
In the NFL, players are underrated for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes, they’re second banana to a superstar whose deeds take up all the oxygen. Other times, it may be that the player has to climb up the depth chart as a little-regarded contributor, and the media hasn’t caught up yet. It’s also possible that the player has an incandescent talent that’s hidden by an unfavorable scheme. And it could also be that the player has had one great season, and everyone’s waiting to see if it’s a fluke.
No matter the reasons, every player on this list has set an exceptional standard deserving of more recognition. Here are the most underrated players for every NFL team going into the 2020 season.
Arizona Cardinals: EDGE Chandler Jones
(Getty Images)
Do you know which NFL player has the most sacks since 2012? We’re kind of giving it away here, but yes, it is Chandler Jones with 96 since his rookie season. That puts him above Von Miller, J.J. Watt, Cameron Jordan, Justin Houston, Aaron Donald, and anyone else you’d care to mention. Jones also has 85 quarterback hits and 307 quarterback hurries in that time, but he’s rarely discussed when it’s time to talk about the league’s edge-rushers. This despite the fact that he led the league in sacks in 2017 with 17 and finished second to Shaquil Barrett with 19 last season. Perhaps it’s because he’s been doing his work of late with a Cardinals team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 2015, but no pass-rusher deserves more praise in line with his accomplishments than Jones.
Atlanta Falcons: DL Grady Jarrett
(Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports)
Lost in the specter of the Falcons’ 28-3 meltdown in Super Bowl LI was the fact that Jarrett, the Falcons’ fifth-round pick in 2015, was a borderline MVP candidate with three sacks and four quarterback hits before everything fell apart. Downgraded out of Clemson because he was allegedly too short, Jarrett has been a remarkable interior disruptor throughout his NFL career. Whether aligned at nose tackle or three-technique, Jarrett has totaled at least 43 quarterback hurries every season since 2016. The Falcons rewarded him with a four-year, $68 million contract in July, 2019, but Jarrett still doesn’t get the recognition he deserves.
Baltimore Ravens: OT Ronnie Stanley
(Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
Who’s the best left tackle in the NFL today? Were you to poll 100 experts, you’d get several different answers. But it’s hard to argue against Stanley, who allowed just one sack and 10 total pressures in 543 pass-blocking snaps last season, and helped the Ravens put together the NFL’s most dynamic rushing attack in his 489 run-blocking snaps. The 2019 season marked Stanley’s first All-Pro and Pro Bowl nods, and there should be more of that to come. Lamar Jackson is the talk of Baltimore’s offense, but it wouldn’t go the way it does without Stanley’s presence.
Buffalo Bills: WR John Brown
(JAMIE GERMANO/ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE -Imagn Content Services, LLC)
The big news for the Bills this offseason was the trade that brought Stefon Diggs to the team, but Buffalo’s receiver corps was already pretty strong, and Brown was the primary reason in 2019. Despite the fact that he plied his trade in a new offense and took passes from erratic quarterback Josh Allen, the former Cardinal and Raven set a career high with 72 receptions and posted the second 1,000-yard season of his career. The addition of Diggs should give Brown more one-on-one opportunities to succeed — especially if Allen is able to get his GPS aligned.
Carolina Panthers: S Tre Boston
(Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)
Few deep safeties have been as adept in pass coverage than Boston over the last five season, so it has been a mystery why the Panthers cut him in 2017, and why he was unable to find more than a series of one-year deals with different teams until Carolina re-assessed its approach and signed him to a three-year, $18 million deal in March. It’s still chump change for a guy who plays as well as Boston does — he’s totaled 16 interceptions to just eight touchdowns allowed in his career — but it’s a nice bounceback for a player whose desire to protest may have cost him a more lucrative deal.
Chicago Bears: WR Allen Robinson
(Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports)
If any current receiver would be justified in filing a grievance against the NFL for lack of quarterback support, it would be Robinson, who has moved from Blake Bortles as his primary QB in Jacksonville to Mitchell Trubisky in Chicago. Hardly ideal. Still, Robinson led the NFL in touchdown receptions with 14 in 2015, and last season, with Trubisky falling apart most of the time, he still caught 98 passes for 1,147 yards and seven touchdowns. 2020 marks the last year of Robinson’s current contract with the Bears, and he’ll undoubtedly make the best of Chicago’s Trubisky/Nick Foles quaterback situation, and perhaps wind up on a team with a functional quarterback after that.
Cincinnati Bengals: RB Joe Mixon
(Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports)
The hope in Cincinnati is that the offense will come around with Joe Burrow at quarterback, but the Bengals are already set at the running back position, where Mixon gained 1,137 yards and five touchdowns on 278 carries last season, adding 35 receptions for 287 yards and three more touchdowns for good measure. Only five backs broke more rushing tackles than Mixon’s 52, and he totaled 14 runs of 15 or more yards last season, tied for fourth in the league.
Cleveland Browns: RB Nick Chubb
(AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Tennessee’s Derrick Henry was the NFL’s rushing leader in 2019, but it could easily be argued that Chubb was the league’s most efficient rusher. Not only did he gain 5.0 yards per carry (1,494 yards and eight touchdowns on 298 carries), but he also led the league in rushed of 15 or more yards (20), only the Raiders’ Josh Jacobs broke more rushing tackles than Chubb’s 66, and only Henry averaged more yards after contact per carry than Chubb’s 3.77. He was a one-man wrecking crew in a broken offense in 2019 — perhaps new head coach Kevin Stefanski can change that, but there’s no doubting Chubb’s status as one of the league’s rising stars.
The Packers have two game-wreckers on the money down.
Third down is often called the “money down,” and the Green Bay Packers had two players on defense who were among the best at cashing in during the 2019 season.
According to Next Gen Stats, edge rusher Za’Darius Smith and defensive lineman Kenny Clark both finished among the top five in the NFL in third-down pressures last season.
Three players finished among the top 5 in 2019 in total QB pressures and pressure rate on 3rd down:
Clark, a first-time Pro Bowler in 2019, was one of just three players – joining Aaron Donald and Justin Houston – to finish among the top five in both total third-down pressures and third-down pressure rate among qualifying rushers.
Smith and Clark both tallied 23 pressures on third down. Donald, the league leader, had 28.
Disruption on third down is huge for a defense, especially in today’s passing-centered game. A pressure or sack can be as good as a turnover if the disruption helps the defense get off the field on third down.
Not surprisingly, the Packers were terrific against the pass on third down in 2019. Mike Pettine’s defense delivered 19 sacks and four interceptions and allowed a completion percentage under 60.0 (56.1), a passer rating under 80.0 (78.9) and a yards per attempt average under 7.0 (6.6), all terrific situational numbers.
Clark and Smith likely played off each other, with Smith’s edge-rushing ability helping free one-on-one rush opportunities for Clark inside and Smith’s ability to slide inside and rush over the guard or center next to Clark creating increasingly difficult matchups for the interior of the offensive line.
According to Pro Football Focus, the pair produced 174 total pressures over 19 total games in 2019, including the postseason. They were as disruptive as any edge-interior duo in football (in fact, no other duo had more total pressures) and have a strong case for being the NFL’s best pair entering 2020.
Smith already cashed in on his ascension as a disrupter, signing a four-year, $66 million deal with the Packers in March of 2019. Now, it’s Clark’s turn. He’ll enter 2020 playing on the final year of his rookie deal, but the Packers are working on locking him long term with a monster new deal. Players as good and disruptive on the money down as Clark always get paid.
Kenny Clark and Jaire Alexander both made PFF’s list of the NFL’s top 25 players under 25 years old.
Young, game-changing talent is the lifeblood of any successful NFL franchise. Good teams find good players in the draft and development them into cornerstone players during their rookie contracts.
The Green Bay Packers have found at least two of those players.
Pro Football Focus recently identified the site’s “top 25 players under the age of 25,” and the Packers placed two players on the list.
Defensive lineman Kenny Clark ranked No. 11, while cornerback Jaire Alexander came in at No. 20.
Clark, a first-round pick in 2016, is now considered the NFL’s top pass-rushing nose tackle. Despite four years of experience, Clark still doesn’t turn 25 until October. He has made PFF’s list the last two years.
Alexander, Brian Gutekunst’s first draft pick in 2018, ranks high among NFL cornerbacks in contesting targets and forcing incompletions, two important stats tracked by PFF. Alexander turned 23 years old in February, meaning he could easily find himself on this same list next year.
Clark and Alexander give Mike Pettine’s defense a disruptive player to build around upfront and in the secondary. And both figure to remain in Green Bay long term. Clark is about to enter the final year of his rookie deal but is due for a massive payday, while Alexander is under contract for at least the next two years – and the Packers will almost certainly exercise his fifth-year option following the 2020 season.
Landing on PFF’s list is difficult, but one Packers player is a strong candidate to make it in 2021: safety Darnell Savage. Still only 22, Savage is a versatile defensive back with elite speed and playmaking ability. With a jump in performance and productivity in 2020, Savage could easily join the NFL’s best under 2025 by next offseason.
Packers DL Kenny Clark is going to sign a mega deal at some point in the near future. Let’s project how big of a deal it could be.
The Green Bay Packers might have a long checklist of things to get done this offseason, but agreeing to a new contract with Pro Bowl defensive lineman Kenny Clark is at or near the top of the list.
Clark, who is still only 24 years old, has produced three straight productive years (including a Pro Bowl season in 2019) and is about to go into 2020 playing on the final year of his five-year rookie deal, which will pay just under $8 million.
Clark wants to get paid and the Packers want him in Green Bay long-term, so there’s incentive on both sides to get something done this spring or summer.
What will it cost? A lot. Of that, there is no doubt, especially considering the value of contracts signed by some of his peers along the defensive line.
Grady Jarrett’s new deal with the Atlanta Falcons is a logical starting point. They are similar players with similar production in somewhat similar positions.
During his first four seasons, Jarrett produced 14 sacks, 30 tackles for losses and 41 quarterback hits. His approximate value was 22 over 61 games. Clark produced 16.5 sacks, 24 tackles for losses and 26 quarterback hits during his first four seasons, and his approximate value was 30 over 60 games.
Jarrett was given the franchise tag during the 2019 offseason and eventually signed a four-year, $68 million deal, averaging $17 million per year with $42.5 million guaranteed. It made Jarrett the third-highest paid defensive tackle by average value in the NFL.
Clark is under contract in 2020, and the Packers won’t be handcuffed by the franchise tag, so the situations aren’t perfectly symmetrical. But you can bet Clark’s representation will point to Jarrett’s deal while negotiating a new deal with the Packers.
Clark has the statistical ammunition to match or beat Jarrett’s deal. In 2019, Clark produced six sacks and had the second-most pressures by an interior defensive lineman, trailing only Aaron Donald. The fact that he’s 24 and truly entering his physical prime only adds to his potential value. Jarrett, for instance, was almost 26 when he signed his new deal.
Given his age, the Packers may push for a five-year deal, which would keep him under contract through the 2024 season. Clark would be 29, giving him a shot at a third contract before his age-30 season, and the Packers would get him locked up through his best years.
The guess here is that Clark won’t come close to matching Donald’s monster deal with the Los Angeles Rams, but he could easily beat Jarrett, Fletcher Cox, Geno Atkins and Jurrell Casey, currently his four best comps, in average value.
Free agency could change the landscape, especially with Chris Jones and Arik Armstead heading for unrestricted free agency. It makes sense for Clark to wait, see how the market reacts and adjust the negotiation accordingly. Still, Jones and Armstead aren’t perfect player comps for Clark, so their new deals shouldn’t change the outlook too much.
Clark may have to sacrifice some total value to get a deal done now, with one year left on his deal, but he should still clear $17 million annually. The guaranteed money is tricky, but the Packers like using the signing bonus to help spread out cap hits and avoid guaranteeing base salaries. Most of the top defensive lineman contracts are guaranteed at 60 percent or more of the total value but the Packers rarely go that high. Selectively placed roster bonuses add functional guarantees early in the deal and functional team options later.
Projection: Five years, $87.5 million, $40 million guaranteed, $25 million signing bonus
