Packers Analysis | Defense
How do the Packers look on defense for the 2021 NFL season?
Interior Defensive Line
Missing three games due to injury, Kenny Clark had a down year in 2020 compared to 2019. He had 42 tackles on 595 snaps, 2 sacks, and 6 QB hits. The lack of depth behind Clark should mean he is firmly entrenched as a starter this year.
Fifth-round selection Tedarrell Slaton could push for a rotational role in the middle of the defensive line. However, the Packers can also slide a couple of their defensive ends in to play nose or defensive tackle in an emergency.
Defensive End
As can often be the case in a 3-4 defense, the names at defensive end are somewhat unknowns on the Packers’ depth chart. Dean Lowry has been with the team five years, playing between 59 and 66 percent of the snaps on defense in each of the past three seasons. His sack and pressure numbers are not exciting, but he has missed just 4 tackles in the past two seasons.
The other names in contention are Tyler Lancaster (who has played around 35 percent of the snaps the last two seasons), Delontae Scott (who has not seen a snap in the NFL), and Kingsley Keke (who has 8 QB hits, 4 sacks, and 12 pressures on just 40 percent playtime in 2020).
Outside Linebacker
Rashan Gary is starting to look like the player Packers fans were hoping for but rarely saw. Playing in 15 games (four starts), Gary had 5.0 sacks, 35 tackles, 5 tackles for a loss, and 11 QB hits. Gary should be the starter coming off the edge in Week 1.
As a unit, the Packers struggled to generate pressure. Their 21.1% pressure rate was the sixth-lowest. For perspective, that is two spots worse than the Jets. However, no one can lay blame on Za’Darius Smith. In his second season with the team, Smith more than doubled the next closest Packer in sacks (12.5) while recording 52 tackles and 23 QB hits.
Compared to 2019, Preston Smith had a disappointing season. While playing in 16 games each season, Smith saw his sacks fall from 12 to 4, tackles fall from 56 to 42, and his QB hits cut more than half (23 to 11).
After restructuring his contract to free up cap space, the Packers need Preston Smith to bounce back in 2021. As a trio, Gary and the two Smiths are an intriguing pass-rush rotation if all three can play up to expectations.
Behind those three is a lot of question marks. Randy Ramsey played just 75 snaps as a rookie, while Jonathan Garvin saw just 85 snaps, and Tipa Galeai played just 9 snaps.
Linebacker
When you look at the Packers depth chart, the inside linebacker group immediately stands out as a potential concern. The positive is that there main three players are all young and could develop in 2021.
Krys Barnes, a UDFA out of UCLA, was one of the best undrafted players in 2020. In 13 games, including 10 starts, Barnes finished second on the team in combined tackles with 80. He also totaled 5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, and a forced fumble.
Another rookie for the Packers, Kamal Martin, made an impact early into the season. Making a total of 10 starts (six during the regular season), Martin recorded 24 tackles, 3 tackles for losses, 1 sack, and 1 quarterback hit while playing on just 19% of the defensive snaps.
Second-year player Ty Summers played in all 16 regular-season games, recording 39 tackles. Sixth-round selection Isaiah McDuffie could push for snaps in a rotational and backup role with a strong camp performance.
Cornerback
Jaire Alexander was as good as they come in 2020. He is, in fact, the best cornerback on the Packers depth chart. Targeted just 69 times, Alexander allowed only 35 receptions all season long for 337 yards, 2 touchdowns, and recorded 1 interception.
For context, he matched up against Mike Evans, Adam Thielen, Justin Jefferson, Calvin Ridley, Allen Robinson, A.J. Brown, and Marvin Jones. Alexander was a first-time Pro Bowl nominee and a second-team All-Pro.
The Packers addressed their corner position in Round 1 with the selection of Eric Stokes. Stokes could be an immediate starter, and for a player viewed as a second-round pick by many, the first-round draft capital almost means he has to be. Stokes opposite Alexander could be a dominant pairing in the next few years.
Depth at corner is an issue for the Packers. In 2020, Josh Johnson played 331 snaps in 11 games (five starts) and broke up only 2 passes. Chandon Sullivan could start at nickel. He allowed a 68 percent completion rate in 2020, after having allowed a 35.5 percent completion rate in 2019. In his three-year career, Sullivan has been noted as allowing just 2 touchdowns.
A 2017 selection of the Packers, Kevin King has posted 169 tackles (129 solo), 6 interceptions, 34 passes defensed, 6 tackles for a loss, 1 sack, 1 QB hit, 2 forced fumbles, and 2 fumble recoveries. In 2020, he was a liability at times. He failed to record an interception and allowed 2 touchdowns during the Packers’ NFC Championship Game defeat.
Safety
After just one pass breakup in his first six games, Darnell Savage did a 180-degree turn in 2020. In his final nine games, he recorded 4 interceptions and 11 passes defensed. In 15 games, he finished fourth on the team with 75 tackles, 4 interceptions, and 12 passes defensed.
Leading the team in tackles was Adrian Amos in 2020. Playing a high of 1,008 snaps, Amos was first with 83 tackles, second with 2 interceptions, third with 9 passes defensed, and fourth with 5 tackles for losses.
The addition of Christian Uphoff as an undrafted free agent could be interesting. Behind Savage and Amos, there is a glaring hole on the Packers’ depth chart. Uphoff has the opportunity to jump Vernon Scott, Will Redmond, Innis Gaines, and Henry Black and earn that reserve role.
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