Tag: Kingsley Keke

Packers also getting back DL Kingsley Keke, LB Isaiah McDuffie from NFI list

Like CB Kevin King, DL Kingsley Keke and LB Isaiah McDuffie are both coming off the non-football injury list for the Packers on Thursday.

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Cornerback Kevin King isn’t the only player making his training camp debut for the Green Bay Packers on Thursday.

Like King, defensive lineman Kingsley Keke and rookie linebacker Isaiah McDuffie both came off the non-football injury list and are practicing with the team on Thursday, per Mike Spofford of the team’s official site.

Keke was dealing with an ankle injury, while McDuffie had a hamstring injury. Both were placed on the NFI list to start training camp.

Keke is entering his third NFL season as an expected starter at defensive end. He produced four sacks and 22 total pressures last season and is expected to take another step in 2021. With more development, Keke could be a vital part of the Packers’ base defense and interior pass-rushing packages.

McDuffie, a sixth-round pick from Boston College, needs to make up for lost time as he competes to win a roster spot as a backup linebacker and special teams contributor.

The Packers are getting healthy to start the preseason. King, Keke and McDuffie are off the NFI list, and both Kamal Martin and Chris Blair returned to practice on Thursday.

Outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith and safety Will Redmond are the only two players left on the NFI list. Left tackle David Bakhtiari is the lone player left on the PUP list.

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4 members of Packers’ 2019 draft class capable of more impact in 2021

Four under-the-radar players from the 2019 draft class that could contribute in bigger ways for the Packers in 2021.

The Green Bay Packers have already enjoyed significant contributions from the top three picks in Brian Gutekunst’s 2019 draft class. Second-round pick Elgton Jenkins is a Pro Bowler and one of the most versatile offensive linemen in football. Darnell Savage has been an effective two-year starter at safety, and Rashan Gary really came into his own as a disruptive player to end 2020.

While the second-year jump is always notable, sometimes players – especially those picked later in the draft – need an extra year to finally find their footing. The third year could be the sweet spot for a few members of the Packers’ 2019 class.

Here are four under-the-radar players from that draft class that could contribute in bigger ways in 2021:

Packers DL Kingsley Keke shows growth as a pass rusher against Eagles

Packers interior rusher Kingsley Keke showed more signs of improvement as a disruptor against the Eagles.

Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Kingsley Keke is quietly becoming an exciting young prospect in his second year in the NFL. After a two-sack performance against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Keke is now up to 4.0 sacks on the season and tied for second on the team.

As a rookie Keke, only appeared in 9 percent of the snaps on defense. That total has risen to 43 percent in 2020. Naturally, Keke’s increase in playing time has led to more production. However, the improvement has been substantial compared to a first year in which he hardly saw the field.

Last season, Keke totaled 10 tackles, 1 quarterback hit, no tackles for loss, and zero sacks. Through 12 games this season, including seven starts, Keke has posted career-highs of 20 tackles, 5 quarterback hits, 3 tackles for loss, and 4.0 sacks. After doubling his sack total in a single outing, Keke is now tied with Rashan Gary. Most people would agree that Gary has come on strong in 2020. Meanwhile, Keke is seeing similar development with comparable numbers to the former first-round pick.

Keke, a fifth-rounder out of Texas A&M, even caught the eye of another former Day 3 pick by the Packers in Mike Daniels. After seeing Keke against the Eagles, Daniels tweeted this:

The fact that Daniels took the time to point out Keke’s play speaks for itself, and the season he is having. Let’s take a look at the film and see what went into his breakout game from Week 13.

This was Keke’s first sack of the game, which came at a good time on third down. After injuries have derailed most of their offensive line, All-Pro tackle Jason Peters has recently moved to guard for Philadelphia. On this play, Keke gets the best of him.

Keke gets off the ball well and beats Peters with a nice double-swipe rip move. He displayed excellent technique but appeared to trip on his inside rush to the quarterback. Luckily, good coverage downfield forced Carson Wentz to hold the ball, and Keke was rewarded with a well-deserved sack.

This play does a good job of showing Keke’s mental capability. Some defensive lineman will fail to key on offensive tendencies, including fakes like this, and as a result, they will have no impact on this type of play. However, Keke sniffs out this misdirection call beautifully. His vision and mental processing allow him to key in on Wentz and help breakdown the play.

On Keke’s second sack, he went to the double-swipe move again. It works just as well as the first time, but this time, he has a clean rush at the quarterback.

On the end zone angle, we see just how good this rep is. Keke uses his athleticism to get Peters off balance with a nice crossover move before engaging with his hands. This is very impressive to see from a defensive tackle in only his second year.

There are a lot of good things to take away from this play even though the quarterback is able to escape the pocket for a first down. Keke loops around and forces Wentz to flush out the other way. However, Keke doesn’t give up on the play. He is actually the closest guy to Wentz before he is forced out of bounds. Effort goes a long way with coaches, and this type of hustle from Keke will lead to more opportunities in the future.

Keke’s development as a pass rusher was on full display against Philadelphia. Don’t be surprised if Keke finishes with more sacks before the season ends.

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Kenny Clark hopeful Kingsley Keke will play ‘huge part’ of Packers DL plan

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.”

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2020 Packers breakout candidates: DL Kingsley Keke

Why second-year DL Kingsley Keke could be a breakout player for the Packers in 2020.

The Green Bay Packers didn’t augment their defensive line group with any notable additions through the NFL Draft or free agency this offseason, despite struggling mightily with run defense a season ago.

Judging by their offseason approach, it appears the Packers are content to bank heavily on internal improvement to fix their woeful run defense in 2020.

It’s possible that free agent linebacker Christian Kirksey or fifth-round rookie linebacker Kamal Martin will help them improve in that department, but good run defense always starts up front and the Packers didn’t add any new players that are likely to make a big difference in the trenches this season.

To solve their issues up front, the Packers will need players like Kingsley Keke and Montravius Adams to step up, and players like Dean Lowry and Tyler Lancaster to bounce back from disappointing seasons.

In three NFL seasons, Adams hasn’t shown much improvement or looked like he could be much more than a situational player. Lowry, a fifth-year player, had a couple of solid seasons prior to 2019, which earned him a starter-level paycheck last offseason. Lancaster, a third-year player, was rock-solid in 2018 when he was playing more nose tackle and less defensive end.

Out of the aforementioned players, Keke, a 2019 fifth-round pick, seems most likely to lead any internal improvement on the Packers’ defensive line.

In 2019, Keke recorded 10 tackles and played only nine percent of defensive snaps. As a second-year player in 2020, though, he is likely to receive a much higher snap count and an ample opportunity for a breakout season.

Why he’ll break out:

  1. The Packers didn’t address their defensive line with any notable offseason additions. Keke is arguably their most talented interior defensive lineman not named Kenny Clark, and he should have plenty of opportunities to lock down a starting job this season.
  2. Keke will be surrounded on the defensive line by Clark, Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith. Having such a talented supporting cast should lead to favorable matchups.
  3. Having skilled pass rushers to learn from in Clark and the Smiths could flatten his learning curve and help him make a big impact as a pass rusher in Year 2.
  4. Now that he’s had a season to learn defensive coordinator Mike Pettine’s playbook, he should be more comfortable with his role in the defense and have the ability to play faster.

Why he might not break out:

  1. Progression isn’t always linear. Keke might not take a significant step forward this year and he could remain buried on the defensive line depth chart behind Lowry and Lancaster.
  2. Injuries could derail his season.

They said it:

“He was a guy that, as the year went on, and he got his opportunities in there, he was productive for us. He’s someone we’re looking forward to having a much more increased role.” – defensive coordinator Mike Pettine

Previous 2020 Packers Breakout Candidates:

Rashan Gary

Allen Lazard

Jace Sternberger

Darnell Savage

Packers hope Kingsley Keke helps create much-needed depth along DL

Second-year DL Kingsley Keke will be crucial for adding necessary depth up front for Mike Pettine and the Packers defense.

Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Mike Pettine knows he needs to build depth around Kenny Clark along the defensive line, and he’s increasingly confident second-year defensive lineman Kingsley Keke can be a big part of the solution in 2020.

Asked about a player to watch on his defense, Pettine immediately pointed to Keke, the Packers’ fifth-round pick in the 2019 draft.

“He had a long way to go as a very raw player, we saw the talent coming out of Texas A&M, but he was just very raw,” Pettine said during a conference call with reporters. “Had a pretty good knack as a pass rusher, had some natural ability there. Just as far as his run technique, pad level, playing with his hands and having a good understanding of all the information we gather pre-snap. What’s the down and distance, what personnel grouping are they in, what’s the formation telling us, all those little details. It takes some guys a little while to learn and apply it. He was a guy that, as the year went on, and he got his opportunities in there, he was productive for us. He’s someone we’re looking forward to having a much more increased role.”

A bigger role for Keke is possible because Pettine and the Packers hope to create a greater variety and more depth along the defensive line. Clark, a dominant nose tackle, played almost 900 snaps during the regular season. The Packers want that number to come down. Tyler Lancaster played out of position for most of 2019. They feel he’s better as a backup to Clark on the nose. Dean Lowry, another starter, was on the field for over 60 percent of snaps and had a disappointing season.

Establishing more specific roles will require building the necessary depth around Clark, Lancaster and Lowry.

“I don’t think it was any secret. we’ve talked about it, we felt Kenny played too many plays,” Pettine said. “Tyler is more of a true backup nose. And we wanted to get Dean off the field some too. So developing some depth in that room (is important).”

The Packers hope Keke or Montravius Adams can develop into a starting-level defensive end, which would create more competition for Lowry and allow Lancaster to play more snaps at his best position. They’re also optimistic about Treyvon Hester and Gerald Willis, two free agents signed this offseason along the defensive line.

“Keke is going to have to step up, Montravius is going to have to step up,” Pettine said. “We are excited about the two guys we brought in as free agents. Treyvon Hester and Gerald Willis are both guys who have done some good things on tape. We’re looking forward to getting those guys in camp.”

Pettine said he wants front-seven defenders who can create knock backs and attack up the field. They want to control gaps by getting off blocks but also create disruptions in gaps by beating blocks and winning in the backfield. It’s unclear how many players the Packers have on the roster who are capable of executing everything consistently. Clark is one. The rest are question marks.

Keke might have the best chance to develop into one of those players. He’s long and athletic and looks capable of handling more weight and playing bigger as he gets stronger. Despite limited playing time as a rookie, Keke flashed the kind of physical traits that should translate well into the three-man front.

Now, the mental side must catch up. All young players feel like they’re drowning in the details, constantly struggling to keep up with all the information thrown at them as rookies. Second-year players come back more comfortable, more physically prepared and ready to play faster. The Packers hope all those factors come together for Keke, who figures to play a vital role in building depth for a defensive line needing help in 2020.

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Packers rookie review: DL Kingsley Keke

Reviewing the rookie season of Packers defensive lineman Kingsley Keke, the 150th overall pick in the 2019 draft.

The Green Bay Packers made eight picks during the 2019 NFL draft and signed several others during college free agency, adding an influx of first-year talent to the roster. Over the next few weeks, we’ll be going through and reviewing the 2019 season for all of the Packers’ top rookies.

Next up: defensive lineman Kingsley Keke, the 150th overall pick and the Packers’ fifth-round draft pick in 2019:

Season stats

Keke finished his rookie season with 10 tackles and a quarterback hit over 14 regular-season games. He added three more tackles and a tackle for loss during the postseason.

Snap counts

Keke played 94 defensive snaps and nine special teams snaps during the regular season and another 14 defensive snaps and two special teams snaps during the postseason, giving him 119 total snaps over 16 games in 2019. He played a season-high 15 snaps against the New York Giants. He wasn’t active in Week 1 or 2 but was on the 46-man active roster every game the rest of the way. He reached 10 or more defensive snaps in five different games.

Best game

NFC Championship Game against the 49ers. Keke came on late in the 37-20 drubbing and actually stood his ground well over 11 snaps, mostly against the run. By then, the game’s result wasn’t in question and the 49ers were killing clock, but it was an encouraging effort nonetheless. On one late third down, Keke bench-pressed the right guard to disengage from the block and then burst into the backfield to stop Raheem Mostert for a loss. Earlier in the half, he once again got off a block from the right guard and helped stop Mostert on the edge after a short gain. His three total tackles were a season-high.

Best play

It might have resulted in a touchdown, but Keke’s hit on Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott in Week 5 was an impressive individual play. He worked through a double team and then powered right through the left guard en route to smacking Prescott in the pocket as he launched a second-down throw late in the third quarter. Michael Gallup ended making a tough catch downfield and scoring, but Keke wasn’t far away from tallying his first career NFL sack. It ended up being his lone quarterback hit of the year.

Season review, future outlook

Keke was very much a rotational player during his rookie season. During most games, he was the fifth defensive lineman option for a defense that didn’t put many down linemen on the field in 2019. There were flashes, including a few early as a pass-rusher and especially late in the run game. He still needs to get a little bigger and stronger to handle more snaps at defensive end, and his gap discipline against the run looked a little inconsistent at times. However, his movement ability jumps off the tape, and with added weight and a legitimate second-year jump, he could help the Packers improve against the run as a five-tech defensive end while also giving the pass-rush another athletic interior option. It’s possible he could wiggle his way into the conversation for a starting spot in 2020. The traits are there.

Season grade

Keke didn’t have many chances to get on the field as a rookie, which was expected given the experience of the players ahead of him and the Packers’ defensive scheme. He still managed to flash some of the athletic traits that had the Packers excited to get him in the fifth round. There’s potential for Keke to make one of the defense’s biggest development jumps in 2020. Grade: C+

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