4 Big Things from the Packers preseason matchup with 49ers
By Paul Bretl
Depth at edge rusher for the Packers is a concern–as expected
The interior defensive line, from top to bottom, had a very impressive performance, generating regular push and making their way into the backfield. But the edge rusher position was a different story. In fact, it felt a lot like last season when Preston Smith and Rashan Gary weren’t on the field, where we saw a lack of plays being made.
In this game, Green Bay was without La’Darius Hamilton, who has consistently played with the second-team defense in practice, which meant more snaps for Jonathan Garvin, Tipa Galeai, and Kinglsey Enagbare, along with Kobe Jones and Chauncey Manac.
We saw a few flashes from Enagbare, who could carve out a niche role in passing situations, but other than that, there weren’t many memorable plays from this unit. As of now, there are three roster spots available, two of which will see a decent amount of playing time in a rotational role, and whoever that ends up being, Green Bay needs more from those players than what they got in 2021.
This is a position that I wouldn’t be surprised to see the Packers make a veteran addition at. My guess is that they want to get an idea of what they have first before making that move, but the urgency to do so might have been turned up a few notches after Friday night–not to mention that this position group is battling injuries, with Hamilton not playing and Galeai leaving with a shoulder injury.
Some may also include the secondary in this group because of Dallin Leavitt and Rico Gafford allowing big plays; however, that felt a bit more expected. Leavitt and Gafford, if on the roster, are both going to be special teams players. I also thought Keisean Nixon and Shemar Jean-Charles — two players who could see defensive snaps — held their own.