Going into the 2024 NFL season, Green Bay Packers fans were eager to see what the defense could look like with new coordinator Jeff Hafley and the depth of talent they had along their defensive front.
The Packers had two recent first-round picks, Devonte Wyatt and Lukas Van Ness, and three highly paid veterans in Rashan Gary, Kenny Clark, and Preston Smith. They also had great role players in Kingsley Enagbare, Karl Brooks, and Colby Wooden. Fans thought Green Bay could have one of the best pass rushes in the league.
However, they had a no-show in the playoff game against the Philadelphia Eagles and disappointing seasons from their three most prized pass rushers: Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness, and Clark. So, Packers fans gathered a search-and-rescue team to find any resemblance of a pass rush before the 2025 NFL season
Acknowledging that the previous D-line coach hire was a mistake, and trying to correct it as soon as possible is a step in the right direction. Packers fans would tell you it should not be the only step the team takes to address the lackluster pass rush. While I agree, I would say, as many of you have probably heard from Aaron Nagler in the past, “Lotta ballgame left.”
Although the Packers haven’t addressed the rush by signing anyone, they may have made an addition by subtraction. T.J. Slaton was an impact player defensively, and I would’ve kept him around as a run defender. However, his departure opens an opportunity to move Clark to nose tackle, the more natural and productive position he played every year until 2023. Maybe Kenny is just washed, but moving back to his natural position should give fans some hope that he can find his old form.
On top of this, we must keep an open mind about the current roster when looking at the pass rush. Despite the down season, this is nearly the same depth chart, minus Preston Smith, who was clearly gassed out, that many thought could be one of the best pass rushes in the league going into last season.
We all know many of the players are better than what they showed. Many are also young and have the potential to grow, despite some of them not engendering much hope. There’s the potential that a simple coaching change and familiarity in the defense can make the pass rush better.