Packers edge rusher depth already in question after 2 games
By Paul Bretl
Understandably so, the Green Bay Packers wide receiver position has garnered much of the attention over the last several months.
However, another major concern, perhaps an even bigger one than receiver, is the lack of experienced depth at edge rusher, which has already shown to be an issue through only two games.
The Packers, fortunately, have one of the best edge rusher duos in the NFL with Rashan Gary and Preston Smith. Among all edge rushers through two weeks, Smith ranks third in PFF’s pass rush productive metric while Gary ranks 12th.
The edge rusher position, however, is a heavily rotated one—or at least it’s supposed to be. Last year, for example, Gary and Smith were both on the field for fewer than 70% of the Packers’ defensive snaps, which is relatively normal.
But to begin this season, Gary has been on the field for 83% of the defensive snaps and Smith 87%—an unsustainable pace for both. Fortunately, for both players, the defense was on the field for just 41 total snaps against Chicago.
The question marks around the edge rusher depth aren’t new for the Packers. In 2021, when neither Smith nor Gary were on the field, there was a lack of impact plays from the rotational players. It’s why the Packers felt the need to sign Whitney Mercilus, who did find some success prior to his biceps injury.
The only significant addition to the edge rusher room this offseason was Kingsley Enagbare, who was taken in the fifth round of the draft. Enagbare flashed in the preseason, but relying heavily on a rookie fifth-round pick comes with obvious risks.
Enagbare, along with Jonathan Garvin, who was one of Andy Herman’s lowest graded defenders from 2021, have been the third and fourth options at edge rusher to begin the season, with Tipa Galeai playing solely on special teams. Enagabre has 14 defensive snaps through two games, while Garvin has 15, and neither has a pressure recorded per PFF ($$)—although it’s not as if they’ve had a ton of opportunities either.
Perhaps to help mitigate any of the deficiencies from the backups, the Packers could do a better job of resting Smith and Gary at different times, and pairing them with Enagbare and Garvin in those instances, something they didn’t often do last season.
If there is a position that the Packers are going to add to during the season, something that they have often done under GM Brian Gutekunst, edge rusher is very likely at the top of that list.
As I mentioned initially, the current percentage of snaps that Gary and Smith are playing isn’t going to be sustainable over a full 17-game season. At some point, Garvin and Enagbare will have to take on larger roles, but it remains unknown what type of impact they can consistently have.