Packers Should Keep Six Defensive Ends Instead Of Five

With minicamp in the books, next up on the schedule for the Green Bay Packers is training camp on July 23, which means the roster breakdown and predictions have already begun.

Regardless of how it shakes out, it makes most sense for the Packers to keep six defensive ends.

Green Bay left much to be desired when pressuring the quarterback in 2024. Some will see the Packers tied for eighth in the NFL with 45 sacks. However, a deeper dive into those numbers shows that the total was propped up by 15 combined sacks in two games against the Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks. The harsh truth is that the Packers had a pass-rushing group that would play full games without even breathing on an opposing quarterback.

With the bulk of the offseason’s additions having already been made without addressing the defensive end, the Packers will be banking on rapid improvements from returning players. It’s a risk, one they will need to see pay off. That’s why keeping more options is better than trimming it down.

As the season progressed, Rashan Gary appeared to become more comfortable in Jeff Hafley’s system. Gary only had 7.5 sacks a year ago, but 5.5 of them came in the second half of the season.

Lukas Van Ness underwhelmed again and was often invisible on the field. When talking to reporters after minicamp concluded, the now third-year player out of Iowa noted a thumb injury as a big reason for his not-so-great season.

Last year I had a broken thumb all of OTAs. … I wore a full cast all the way until about Week 10 or 11, I’m not exactly sure, and then had lingering issues. So I wore it most of the season which is kind of why I was limited to playing on just the right side of the defensive line. So I’m excited to get back, kind of have the ability to go play on both sides again.

Green Bay is high on Van Ness entering this year, but it’s far from guaranteed that he’ll make a leap forward.

After that, the Packers have two rookies, Barryn Sorrell and Collin Oliver, with Kingsley Enagbare and Brenton Cox Jr. also in the mix.

They need to keep all six.

Some will want or believe the best course of action is keeping five so that the Packers can add elsewhere, like additional wide receivers or offensive linemen. With the questions of where consistent production will come from at defensive end in 2025, it’s a risk Green Bay can’t take.

The more options the Packers keep at the defensive end, the more they can pivot and make snap-count adjustments accordingly. The fewer options they keep around, the more hairy things will get for Hafley if they don’t get the production Green Bay expects.

The assumption is that the Packers will keep Sorrell and Oliver, the two rookies, alongside the starters, Gary and Van Ness. For those wanting the Packers to keep only five, Cox and Enagbare would battle it out for the last spot.

However, let’s not forget that Cox out-snapped Van Ness in two of the last three games he played last season. Enagbare played 540 total snaps, as opposed to 459 for Van Ness.

The Packers used the 13th-overall pick in 2023 on Van Ness, who will start along with Gary and get every opportunity to flourish in 2025. If he’s still unable to put it together, having the depth to go elsewhere becomes a necessity.

Green Bay’s lack of attention paid to adding at the defensive end aside from two picks in the middle of the draft could result in it cutting valuable assets elsewhere on the roster to ensure the defensive end spot doesn’t become a black hole.

It’s risky to rely on two rookies from the fourth and fifth rounds, respectively, to contribute in strong reserve roles. That’s why they must keep Enagbare and Cox instead of one or the other.

The interior of the defensive line is also a big factor in the pass rush. Outside of the first month of the season from Devonte Wyatt, the rest of the group left a lot on the table.

Kenny Clark had his lowest sack total (one) and quarterback hits (five) numbers since his rookie season in 2016. He noted a foot injury suffered against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 1 as a derailment for his 2024 season.

With Clark back, along with Wyatt, Brooks, and Wooden, there’s a better sense that the production won’t be a problem at defensive tackle. Lump in sixth-round pick Warren Brinson, and plenty of pieces are on the chessboard at that position.

All of it circles back to defensive end.

Green Bay needs more from the defensive end position, and to consistently get more, keeping six instead of five on the final 53-man roster is the way to go. One injury, one player disappearing for long stretches, and suddenly, there is immense pressure across the board for the other defensive ends if the Packers were to keep just five.

The group as a whole showed last year that it needs to regain trust from a pass-rushing perspective until further notice. Keeping six gives them a better chance to solve the riddle.