Short of the Green Bay Packers pulling off a blockbuster trade to acquire All-Pro Micah Parsons, defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley is going to need to rely on the players on the roster to manufacture a pass rush this season.
The Packers’ edge presence left much to be desired last season, and the 2025 campaign may be former first-round draft choice Lukas Van Ness’s last opportunity to prove he can live up to that billing.
However, another homegrown player may hold the key to the Packers’ pass rush leveling up this upcoming season.
NFL Analyst Bullish on Packers’ Rashan Gary
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Sep 22, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Green Bay Packers defensive end Rashan Gary (52) celebrates the sack against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
ESPN NFL Insider Dan Graziano put together a list of all 32 team’s X-Factors for the upcoming season, including Rashan Gary sparking the Packers’ pass rush.
“The average NFL edge rusher (minimum 200 pass rush snaps) had a pressure rate of 12.3% last season,” Graziano points out for ESPN. “Gary led all Packers edge rushers at 13.4% — the worst mark for a season in his career. Green Bay certainly would love to get more out of Gary’s running mate, 2023 first-round selection Lukas Van Ness (11.2% pressure rate, only three sacks). But Van Ness didn’t get a four-year, $96 million extension during the 2023 season. Gary did.
“Gary is a solid three-down player, and some of his drop-off in pressure rate can be explained by what defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley asked of him. But Gary simply did not produce the sheer volume of disruption a star edge rusher needs to create on a team with deep playoff aspirations. If the Packers want to reach the Super Bowl, they’ll need to win against Lane Johnson and Jordan Mailata; Taylor Decker and Penei Sewell; Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke. Gary made his first Pro Bowl last season, but another level is required of him.”
Gary has turned in an impressive summer’s worth of training camp practices and a solid showing in the preseason, inspiring confidence that he could be primed to make a major leap for Green Bay.
Last season, Gary posted 47 pressures to go with his eight sacks, as one of Pro Football Focus’ top rated edge rushers.
Gary is going to need to be dominant against some of the NFL’s premier offensive tackles, and his performance this season might just determine how lofty the Packers’ ceiling is in a season with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations in front of it.
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Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark (97) celebrates sacking Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with defensive end Rashan Gary (52) and linebacker Quay Walker (7) during their football game Thursday, November 28, 2024, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.
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