Packers re-signing Justin Hollins, adding needed edge rusher depth
By Paul Bretl
The Green Bay Packers are reportedly bringing back another one of their own free agents, re-signing edge rusher Justin Hollins, according to Ari Meirov.
This is a move that always made sense for the Packers. Edge depth is a major need, and Hollins played well after joining Green Bay about halfway through last season, after he was claimed off waivers following his release by the L.A. Rams.
From Weeks 12 through 18, Hollins would rank 26th out of 104 edge rushers in PFF’s pass rush win rate metric. He also held up quite well against the run, ranking 27th in run-stop rate as well—an area where, as a whole, the Packers edge rushers and defense struggled. In total, Hollins logged nine pressures and three sacks with the Packers.
The depth of the edge rusher position for Green Bay was a concern prior to the 2022 season beginning, and we saw the reasons why once Rashan Gary was out for the season with an injury. From Week 10 on, the Packers struggled to get consistent pressure on the quarterback.
Edge rusher is a very heavily rotated position, oftentimes with up to four players seeing regular playing time each week. Prior to re-signing Hollins, the only healthy players on the roster were Preston Smith and Kingsley Enagbare, along with La’Darius Hamilton, who has spent most of his career on the practice squad, and Jonathan Garvin, who was inactive on several occasions in 2022 and will be fighting for a roster spot this summer.
This is one of the most important positions in football, where there really is no such thing as too much depth. When the defensive front is getting regular pressure on the quarterback, literally the entire defense benefits.
The contract details for Hollins’ deal have not been reported at this time, but another reason that a reunion made sense was because he wasn’t going to break the bank–an important aspect for the Packers, who are short on spending power in free agency.
With Hollins back in the mix, this should in no way impact how the Packers approach the draft. This is a very deep class at the edge rusher position, and Green Bay should be looking to continue adding to this room and doing so with an early-round pick is very much in play.