Green Bay Packers Boost Edge Depth with Whitney Mercilus
By Paul Bretl

The Green Bay Packers are dealing with several injuries but find themselves very thin at the edge rusher position.
Za’Darius Smith is on IR at the moment and we do not know when, or if, he will return. Chauncey Rivers’ season ended a few weeks ago with a knee injury, while Preston Smith exited last Sunday’s game with an oblique injury.
Fortunately, it doesn’t sound like Smith’s injury is long-term — although he could still miss time —but even when healthy, it’s not as if he and Rashan Gary can play every snap. And even with Jonathan Garvin stepping up in recent weeks, the depth at this position is still a major concern.
Enter Whitney Mercilus, who was cut by the Houston Texans earlier this week, and is reportedly expected to sign with the Green Bay Packers.
Former Texans DE Whitney Mercilus expected to join the Green Bay Packers, per a league source
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) October 20, 2021
A 2012 first-round draft pick, Mercilus’ best seasons came in 2015 and 2016 where he totaled 140 pressures and 26 sacks over that span, according to PFF.
He would miss most of the 2017 season with an injury but was still productive in 2018 and 2019–although not to the level that he was at previously. Mercilus would record 100 pressure and 14 sacks in those two seasons.
Admittedly, Mercilus play has really fallen off the last two seasons. He was even graded PFF’s worst edge rusher in 2020–although I do want to point out that he has three sacks in six games this season, which isn’t bad.
But no, the expectation shouldn’t be that the Green Bay Packers are getting the 2015-2016 version of Mercilus or even the 2018-2019 version. However, he does add needed depth at a key position.
In a rotational role where he is used on third downs and in obvious passing situations, we will hopefully see him have a greater impact than what he recently did in Houston.
At this time we do not know the terms of the contract between Green Bay and Mercilus, but it shouldn’t break the bank by any means. Perhaps it’ll even be a veteran minimum deal.