The Philadelphia Eagles, in a lot of ways, authored a blueprint for how to win a Super Bowl on the back of a defense.
After building one of the most dominant and disruptive defensive lines in football, the Eagles unleashed a relentless barrage of pressure on Patrick Mahomes in the Super Bowl. This offseason, teams like the Buffalo Bills, Pittsburgh Steelers, and others tripled down on their commitment to building a dominant defensive front.
Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) runs past Green Bay Packers defensive end Rashan Gary (52) and defensive tackle Colby Wooden (96)
Jan 12, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) runs past Green Bay Packers defensive end Rashan Gary (52) and defensive tackle Colby Wooden (96) in an NFC wild card game at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-Imagn Images
After a disappointing end to what was once a promising season in 2024, it begs the question of whether the Packers did enough to fortify their biggest weakness across the roster.
Pro Football Focus analysts Max Chadwick and Dalton Wasserman put together a list of each team’s biggest weaknesses entering the 2025 season, including the Packers’ defensive line.
“Green Bay’s defensive line simply didn’t make the impact it needed to under first-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley,” Wasserman and Chadwick write for PFF. “The unit placed among the bottom 10 defensive lines in PFF overall grade, PFF run-defense grade and PFF pass-rush grade. Edge defender Rashan Gary was the only player among the group to finish the season with at least a 70.0 PFF overall grade.”
Nov 17, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Green Bay Packers defensive end Rashan Gary (52) celebrates after the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images
Nov 17, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Green Bay Packers defensive end Rashan Gary (52) celebrates after the game against the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-Imagn Images
The Packers could be hoping that edge rusher Lukas Van Ness makes major strides in his third season and that Rashan Gary has another dominant season. However, even though the Packers have historically been reluctant to dip their toes into the free agent waters, perhaps this would have been a pressing need to allocate significant cap space to upgrading, given the outsized impact the position group is having on championship contenders across the NFL.
Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley
Green Bay Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is shown before their game Sunday, December 29, 2024 at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Minnesota Vikings beat the Green Bay Packers 27-25.
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