Packers edge rusher Kobe Jones a dark horse roster candidate?

The outside linebacker position for the Green Bay Packers behind Rashan Gary and Preston Smith is wide open, and Kobe Jones is taking advantage of the situation.

As of now, the Packers have two rotational roles up for grabs that will see steady playing time and likely three total roster spots.

Jonathan Garvin, Tipa Galeai, La’Darius Hamilton, and Kingsley Enagbare have all had their moments, seen consistent reps with the second team, and even some with the starters–but so has Jones.

"“One player who is quietly having a great camp is Kobe Jones,” wrote Andy Herman of Packer Report. “Jones had at least three sacks and a run stuff (during Tuesday’s joint practice) while I was watching the defense. The coaching staff took notice as well, because when Rashan Gary didn’t take the field against the Saints’ number one offense in the final two-minute drive, it was Jones across from Preston with the rest of the number one defense.”"

Jones went undrafted in 2021 out of Mississippi State. He has no regular-season NFL snaps and has spent time with Atlanta, Miami, and Tennessee.

Jones stands 6’3″ and weighs 255 pounds. According to PFF ($$), Jones played 1,303 defensive snaps while in college, lining up both as a traditional edge rusher and also moving inside as well. Jones was also on the field for 226 special teams snaps.

During his final two seasons, Jones logged 40 pressures, five of which were sacks, along with 102 total tackles, including 11 for a loss. Despite the impressive tackle total, missed tackles were an issue for him.

In the Packers’ preseason opener against San Francisco, Jones played 36 defensive snaps, which was the fifth most on the team, and came away with a sack. Jones also had seven special teams snaps, playing on the kick coverage unit, as well as on both punt teams and the field goal block unit.

Last season, Gary and Smith played roughly two-thirds of the defensive snaps, which means that 20 or so snaps per game will be available for a third and fourth edge rusher. And whoever those edge rushers end up being, the Packers are going to need more from them than what they got in 2021.

In addition to the defensive snaps that are available, special teams contributions will also be important for the Packer edge rushers.

Each summer, there seems to be at least one player who comes out of nowhere and surprises everyone. Perhaps this year that player is Jones–he is making plays, and there are snaps and roster spots available.

The next two preseason games for Green Bay will determine quite a bit.