3 Packers who regressed on defense in 2022 season

The Green Bay Packers had a rough 2022 season on all accounts. They began the year with Super Bowl aspirations and entered Week 18 just hoping to make the playoffs. Unfortunately, they failed on all accounts.
Part of the reason for their struggles was the defense’s inability to live up to the pre-season hype. They were billed as one of the best units in the NFL, especially following a loud training camp where they reportedly dominated the offense day in and day out.
The reality is their unit was overrated and underperformed with defensive coordinator Joe Barry at the helm. That’s been the theme for Barry-led units and it continued in 2022.
These three players, in particular, regressed and didn’t play up to their normal standards.
These three players on the Green Bay Packers’ defense regressed last year and were part of the reason for the team’s disappointing season.
Darnell Savage
Savage, a former first-round pick, is floundering in Green Bay. He was once thought of as an up-and-coming safety who had plenty of range, could cover in the slot, and play up near the line of scrimmage. His best play came over the second half of 2020 and further cemented the belief that his arrow was pointing straight up.
Unfortunately, he’s suffered two down seasons and 2022 was his worst yet. His PFF grade dropped from 72.1 in 2020 (17th out of 94 qualified safeties) to 57.3 in 2021 (72nd out of 92) and all the way down to 47.5 (88th out of 89). The Packers accepted his fifth-year option so he’ll likely be back next year, but they have to find potential upgrades at the position.
Adrian Amos
Amos could not pick up Savage’s slack, looking like Father Time quickly caught him. He was a step slow all season long and was uncharacteristically out of position far too often. He’s an unrestricted free agent, however, he has a void year that will still be on the Packers’ cap. It’s unclear what his future holds.
Kenny Clark
Since Barry arrived in Green Bay, their best defensive players have all taken a step back (except for Rashan Gary). That’s not a good sign. According to PFF grades, Clark had the worst season of his career and was only rated as the 44th-best interior lineman out of 127 qualified candidates (his previous low was 24th in his rookie season).
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Clark is a beast who can control the line of scrimmage, and disrupt both the pass and the run. Those disruptions were far and few between in 2022, causing the rest of the defense to suffer as well. There might be hope for the future, however, as rookie Devonte Wyatt played well down the stretch when given a larger role. His emergence could help Clark right the ship in 2023.