Packers Named Possible Landing Spot For Former No. 1 Overall Pick

The pressure is on the Green Bay Packers’ pass rush to produce more consistent results in 2025. While Green Bay finished with 45 sacks last season, 20 of them came in just three games — including seven against a struggling Titans offensive line. Beyond the inflated totals, the underlying metrics were concerning: The Packers ranked 27th in pass-rush win rate, and Rashan Gary, who led the team in pressures, fell short of the 50-pressure mark.

General Manager Brian Gutekunst made some moves this offseason to strengthen the trenches, drafting edge rushers Barryn Sorrell and Colin Olliver, along with interior lineman Warren Brinson. However, the absence of a high-profile free agent acquisition signals the organization’s trust in Jeff Hafley and DeMarcus Covington to get the most out of the defensive line.

Still, Green Bay should look for other alternatives. Just look at how the Philadelphia Eagles built a dominant pass rush rotation on their way to a dominant Super Bowl win against the Kansas City Chiefs. Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder believes adding a former No. 1 overall pick to their defensive front would be a smart way for Green Bay to create competition for one of their first-rounders.

"Lukas Van Ness hasn’t lived up to his predraft billing so far, yet he’s scheduled to be the Packers’ starting defensive end opposite Rashan Gary this season," Holder wrote. "It wouldn’t be a bad idea for the Packers to add Clowney to create competition for Van Ness during training camp."

Jadeveon Clowney has appeared in 12 or more games in five of the past six seasons. Last year, he tallied 44 pressures and 5.5 sacks with the Carolina Panthers—stats that would rank him just behind Rashan Gary as Green Bay's second-most productive pass rusher.

"You're always looking. With pass rushers, you can never have enough," Brian Gutekunst said after the 2024 season. "I thought there were times this year we did that, we were able to rush with four men. Every team in the league, that's how you'd prefer to do it, rush with four and affect the quarterback with four. There were periods of times where we didn't do that well enough, everybody understands that. That affects your football team."

Green Bay is placing its trust in internal development, which makes sense considering the significant investments they made upfront. Kenny Clark and Rashan Gary carry huge contracts, while Lukas Van Ness and Devonte Wyatt are first-round picks from just three and two years ago, respectively. Still, as Matt Holder pointed out, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to add more competition—at least for training camp and preseason—to help elevate the group even further.