logo
Reasons for optimism about Packers pass-rush entering 2025

Reasons for optimism about Packers pass-rush entering 2025

USA Today18 hours ago
The Green Bay Packers need to do a better job of consistently disrupting the quarterback during the 2025 season. Everyone in Green Bay knows it. Every fan of the team understands it. While the Packers didn't make significant additions along the defensive front, there are still reasons to be optimistic about the state of the pass-rushing unit entering this season.
Here are a few reasons that the pass-rush could be better in 2025:
Healthy Kenny Clark: The Pro Bowler injured his foot in Week 1 and then labored through one of his worst professional seasons before having surgery to fix the issue in January. Clark isn't getting any younger, and injuries are a concern for older players, but it's reasonable to think he could bounce back in a big way in 2025. Clark averaged over 50 pressures a year between 2022 and 2023; he had only 34 in 2024, and most were nothing more than hurries. Expect more pressure and disruption created by No. 97 this year.
Lukas Van Ness in Year 3: The 2023 first-round pick had a mostly quiet and disappointing first two NFL seasons. But Mark Oldacres of Packers Wire did some digging and discovered that many first-round picks at edge rusher break out in a notable way in Year 3. Can Van Ness do the same? He's going to get chances to rush the quarterback from the edge and inside. If Van Ness can become a reliable disruptor from multiple alignments, the Packers' pass-rush will be in good shape.
Rashan Gary in Year 2 with Hafley: Gary's production and efficiency as a rusher took a slight dip in his first year back as a 4-3 defensive end. Could he rediscover some of his past greatness as a rusher in Year 2? Prior to 2024, Gary's last two healthy seasons resulted in 66 pressures (2023) and 87 pressures (2021). There's no reason to think he can't get back to 60-70 pressures if healthy in 2025.
DeMarcus Covington: Don't underestimate the power of good coaching. A former coordinator, Covington worked under Bill Belichick in New England and is well-versed in several different systems and front alignments. Will he solve all the problems up front? Maybe not, but it won't be surprising if the Packers play better under a more experienced defensive line coach. Jason Rebrovich rarely got the most out of his guys up front.
Healthy Devonte Wyatt: The 2022 first-round pick was well on his way to a big-time season when he hurt his ankle in Week 4. Wyatt still ended up producing 32 pressures on 250 pass-rushing snaps. Can he avoid injury and truly break out in his fourth season? He's proven to be a hugely valuable interior disruptor when available. The Packers need (and should get) more snaps out of Wyatt in 2025.
Hafley's blitzes: First-year defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley proved his creativity and ability to improvise when he orchestrated one of the NFL's best blitz packages in 2024. The Packers don't want to rely so much on blitzing in 2025, but having Hafley's blitzes and the athletes to execute them (see: Cooper, Edgerrin) is a nice backup plan. Expect the Packers to evolve as a blitzing defense to keep quarterbacks guessing in 2025.
Rookies: Fourth-round pick Barryn Sorrell was nothing if not solid as a multi-year starter at edge rusher for Texas, while fifth-round pick Collin Oliver is an exciting athlete who created a ton of disruptive production at Oklahoma State. Could one of the rookies provide immediate help? Sorrell will get opportunities to win snaps as a rotational rusher with the second unit, while Oliver could provide some much-needed juice and speed as a rotational subpackage rusher.
Brenton Cox Jr. in Year 3: Cox will have to win a roster spot in camp, but his progression through two seasons is notable and suggests he could take another jump in Year 3. After a redshirt rookie season, Cox produced 4.0 sacks in just seven games down the stretch last year. He has legitimate pass-rushing talent. Unlocking more of it in 2025 could turn him into a truly useful player for the Packers defensive front.
No more Slaton snaps: As great as TJ Slaton was against the run, he provided almost nothing as a pass-rusher. That's kind of a problem for a lineman who was on the field for over 200 pass-rushing snaps last season. Slaton is now in Cincinnati, and the Packers didn't do much to replace him as a true nose tackle. If more of the defensive tackle snaps go to better pass-rushers, the Packers could naturally improve their ability to disrupt the quarterback on early-down passing snaps.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Eagles' Jalen Hurts Makes Shocking Appearance On QB List
Eagles' Jalen Hurts Makes Shocking Appearance On QB List

Newsweek

time37 minutes ago

  • Newsweek

Eagles' Jalen Hurts Makes Shocking Appearance On QB List

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts is heading into the 2025 NFL season recognized as the NFL's latest Super Bowl MVP. In the Super Bowl, Hurts completed 77 percent of his passes for 221 yards. He threw for one touchdown and one interception. The quarterback was key to helping the Eagles achieve their ultimate goal at the end of the year, when they dominated the Kansas City Chiefs to win their second Super Bowl in franchise history. Surely, Jalen Hurts can't be viewed as underrated. Well, not exactly. Recently, CBS Sports put together a list of the NFL's most underrated and overrated quarterbacks. Hurts' presence in the former category will likely leave some confused, considering he just earned one of the highest honors for a player in the game. Read More: NFL Star Makes Shocking Statement on Philadelphia Eagles Fans "The reigning Super Bowl MVP is underrated? It sure seems like it," writes CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin. "You won't find anyone who puts up a fight when you mention Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen in lists of elite quarterbacks. Throw Hurts' name in there, however, and all of a sudden you're clawing for your life. But since when did gaudy stats and pretty highlights mean more than, you know, winning games that matter? Hurts played more of a background role in the Philadelphia Eagles' historic Super Bowl LIX run, but too many people forget he's now given two championship-caliber performances at that stage. And he's still just 26! He may not be flawless, but he's close to inevitable." alen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles warms up before kickoff against the Dallas Cowboys prior to an NFL football game at AT&T Stadium on November 10, 2024 in Arlington, Texas. alen Hurts #1 of the Philadelphia Eagles warms up before kickoff against the Dallas Cowboys prior to an NFL football game at AT&T Stadium on November 10, 2024 in Arlington, always a yearly debate about the importance of QB wins in football. It's important no matter what, but in a team sport, a good quarterback might have a losing win percentage because his team is bad. Read More: Eagles' Saquon Barkley Sends Clear Message To Dallas Cowboys For Hurts, the argument tends to go against him. Yes, he wins, but his team is currently at the top. It's difficult to find balance when it comes to the Hurts debate. In this case, he's an underrated player. Since entering the NFL as a second-round pick, Hurts has appeared in 77 games. He was the team's starting quarterback for 66 of those matchups. He showed a lot of promise in year one, but left a lot of question marks at the end of his first full campaign as a starter. By year three, Hurts entered the NFL's MVP conversation. Since then, his passing has been under a microscope and heavily debated, but he hasn't stopped winning. Over the past three seasons, Hurts' Eagles have lost just 10 games. They've been to the Super Bowl twice and will enter the new football season defending a title. For more Philadelphia Eagles and NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.

New York Giants among NFL's worst in Yahoo! Sports' offseason power rankings
New York Giants among NFL's worst in Yahoo! Sports' offseason power rankings

Yahoo

time41 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

New York Giants among NFL's worst in Yahoo! Sports' offseason power rankings

When will the New York Giants get back into the good graces of experts who cover the NFL? The answer is: When they start winning consistently again. Until then, don't expect the red carpet to be rolled out or the white glove treatment. Advertisement The Giants, who have lost 10 or more games in nine of the past 11 seasons, continue to get no respect from national pundits, and deservedly so. In the latest NFL power rankings from Yahoo! Sports, Big Blue placed 27th of 32 teams -- actually better than most expected. The tone for this season all about whether head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen can survive again. The Giants have a really good defensive line, a secondary that has gotten an influx of talent, a future star in receiver Malik Nabers and not much else. There's still a long way to go before the Giants are contenders again. Daboll and Schoen need some results this season to stick around for those better days. But there is a twist to this season that can -- and probably will -- save Daboll's job along with Schoen's. They revamped their quarterback room, replacing Daniel Jones and Drew Lock with veterans Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston and rookie Jaxson Dart. Dart is the best path to showing progress. Dart is an interesting first-round pick out of Ole Miss. He will take some time to learn an NFL offense, but he has enticing skills. Russell Wilson and Jameis Winston were signed before Dart was picked, and presumably Wilson will begin the season as the starter. If the Giants aren't much better than last season, the biggest question will be when to give Dart a shot. The reality is that decision will be made by a coach and general manager who are in self-preservation mode. Whatever is best for their survival will play a role in that decision. The Giants' offense was stuck in neutral most of the past two seasons with no confidence in Jones or any player who filled in for him. With established veterans and Dart under center, expect that play to improve. Advertisement The Giants lost eight games by one score or less in 2024. Their inability to put points on the board was seen as the culprit. That could be about to change. This article originally appeared on Giants Wire: Giants among NFL's worst in Yahoo! Sports' offseason power rankings

Ex-Eagles Player Pushes Back on TJ Watt Trade Idea
Ex-Eagles Player Pushes Back on TJ Watt Trade Idea

Newsweek

time41 minutes ago

  • Newsweek

Ex-Eagles Player Pushes Back on TJ Watt Trade Idea

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. TJ Watt's search for a new deal is ongoing and forcing the Pittsburgh Steelers to pick up the phone to hear trade proposals from teams in the league. The Philadelphia Eagles recently popped up as a popular link to the situation for multiple reasons. Howie Roseman isn't one to shy away from considering a blockbuster deal, and he likes to build in the trenches. Knowing those two factors, there's an assumption that the Eagles could at least make a call to inquire about Watt's true availability as his situation stretches out without getting resolved. As the situation continues to play out, former Eagles defensive lineman Hugh Douglas recently thought about a potential deal getting done between the Eagles and the Steelers. When a hypothetical framework of Nolan Smith and a late-round pick in exchange for Watt was tossed out on the airwaves, Douglas pushed back on the idea. Read More: Eagles' Saquon Barkley Sends Clear Message To Dallas Cowboys "It doesn't play into the defense is a luxury, not a necessity, situation," the former Eagle said. "The reason I say it like that is this: You're going to have a high-priced older player that has a Hall of Fame resume, no question about it, but Nolan has a tremendous upside as of right now. He's much cheaper." Linebacker T.J. Watt #90 of the Pittsburgh Steelers pumps up the crowd during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, at Empower Field at Mile High on September 15, 2024... Linebacker T.J. Watt #90 of the Pittsburgh Steelers pumps up the crowd during the third quarter of an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos, at Empower Field at Mile High on September 15, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. MoreGetting great value is the approach Douglas wants the Eagles to continue taking. It's hard to do that when the Eagles would have to pay assets to get Watt in addition to paying him a major contract extension to keep him happy and on the field. "You're getting more bang for your buck with a lesser-paid defense that was ranked higher than the Pittsburgh Steelers," Douglas added. The former first-round pick out of Wisconsin has dominated offensive lines since 2017. With 121 games under his belt, Watt has combined 462 tackles with 126 for a loss. He has generated over 100 sacks, setting a record in 2021 with 22.5 in a single season. He was the Defensive Player of the Year at the time. Read More: Eagles Named as Potential Landing Spot for Steelers' TJ Watt There's no question that Watt would be an upgrade over Nolan Smith, who just wrapped up his second season in the NFL. With just 10 starts in 33 games, Smith's production doesn't jump off the page. Still, the Eagles are thrilled with his upside and look forward to what he can bring to the table now that there are several pass rushers who left the building in Philadelphia. For more Philadelphia Eagles and NFL news, head over to Newsweek Sports.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store