Green Bay Packers veteran defensive end Kingsley Enagbare has emerged as an impact player on the defensive line, which is excellent news for Green Bay heading into the final month of the regular season.
Enagbare went from someone who saw his name pop up in trade chatter in October, and only played 25.3% of defensive snaps between Weeks 1-5, to playing 46.3% of snaps over the last seven games (Weeks 7-13).
Over that stretch, Enagbare has wreaked havoc, accumulating 18 total tackles, five quarterback hits, three tackles for loss, and a sack. In Green Bay’s Thanksgiving win over the Detroit Lions, the impending free agent defensive end had a half-sack, a tackle, and a quarterback hit across 27 defensive snaps.
Enagbare’s performance from a numbers perspective doesn’t stand out like Micah Parsons. Still, it's clear that some believe he’s their second-best defensive end/pass rusher on the roster, which could put a player like Rashan Gary on the chopping block this offseason. Meanwhile, others are pleased that Green Bay did not trade him, as he continues to make plays.
And if that’s the case, the Packers might need to seriously consider re-signing the 25-year-old defender this offseason, which likely wasn’t high on the priority list in September.
Packers Can't Ignore Mounting Kingsley Enagbare Evidence Anymore
When the regular season began, the Packers likely envisioned Lukas Van Ness and Rashan Gary taking that next step or building off what they did in 2024. Through the first five games of the season, it was clear that Van Ness was finally coming into his own, and Gary was looking like the guy who was a Pro Bowler in 2024.
However, with Van Ness getting injured and Gary slowing down over the last five games (0 sacks, 0 tackles for loss, and 2 QB hits), it has opened the door for Enagbare to show Jeff Hafley and Matt LaFleur that he could be a key piece of this defensive line rotation.
If you remember, Gary got off on a torrid pace with 13 QB hits, seven tackles for loss, and 7.5 sacks in the Packers' first seven games.
The 25-year-old Enagbare doesn’t have the traditional stats that you want from a rotational pass rusher (1 sack, 6 QB hits, and 3 tackles for loss). However, Enagbare has already posted nine pressures, which is close to his average in the previous three seasons (12).
He doesn’t bring down the QB for sacks, but as JP Acosta of CBS Sports pointed out on Twitter, Enagbare plays with a high motor, which you’ll take if you’re Green Bay 100 times out of 100. A defensive lineman with a high motor never gives up on a play and will constantly be a terror in the opposing team’s backfield.
Since he’s not a huge sack guy (10.5 in four seasons), the Packers might be able to bring him back on a reasonable deal. At this point, it's more of a requirement, especially given his age, and what the former fifth-round pick can do as a pass rusher, but also against the run (62.9 grade per PFF – 52nd among 112 EDGEs).
If you ask Packers fans who they would rather keep this offseason — Enagbare or Gary, most would say Enagbare, which just speaks volumes about his performance over the last several weeks, and what he could develop into going forward.