Green Bay Packers: 5 Most Intriguing Players Heading into 2020
By Paul Bretl
Kingsley Keke
It’s no secret that while the Green Bay Packers’ defense did improve with the additions of Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, Adrian Amos, and Darnell Savage, their play against the run was still a major issue.
We all saw how ugly the NFC Championship game was and although that was by far the run defense’s worst performance of the year, opposing teams still had their way on the ground for much of the season. And without the Packers making any high-profile additions to the defensive front this offseason, someone already on the roster is going to have to step up and give Kenny Clark some help.
When it comes to Dean Lowry, Tyler Lancaster, and Montravius Adams, we pretty much already know who they are. But 2019 fifth-round pick Kingsley Keke could give them a much-needed boost.
In 2019, Keke’s role was small but he was able to flash both as a pass-rusher and in defending the run as well. While he does need to bulk up a bit, he has the athleticism and skill-set to be an effective five tech defensive end in the NFL.
If the Packers are going to improve in 2020, they need their run defense to be much better. I’ll be curious to see if Keke can make the jump from the fifth man on the interior defensive line rotation up to possibly the second behind Clark.