Green Bay Packers: 2019 53-Man Roster Prediction

EDGE (4)

Preston Smith, Za’Darius Smith, Rashan Gary & Kyler Fackrell

Call them outside linebackers or call them EDGE players. I don’t care. These are the guys that Pettine will be using off the edge to rush the passer. Za’Darius Smith has been probably the Packers’ best player this preseason. During 1-on-1’s, he’s bested Bakhtiari on more than one occasion. He’s a strong candidate to be used all over the place and lead the team in sacks this season.

The other big EDGE rusher acquisition was Preston Smith. During his time with the Washington Redskins, Smith was a consistent pass-rushing presence. That’s exactly what Green Bay is hoping he brings to them. After dominating throughout training camp, Rashan Gary has struggled to make an impact during preseason games. He will be used as a rotational player during the season, but his spot on the roster is a lock.

Behind the top three, we have a pair of guys that are going to be on the roster almost simply out of attrition. Kyler Fackrell led the team in sacks last season with 10.5. That was 5.5 more than he had piled up in the previous two seasons.

Then there is Reggie Gilbert who would have been the fifth player at the position until he was traded. With none of the other players at the position showing anything special, they may be waiting for final roster cuts to add a player for depth.