As Brian Gutekunst took the podium for his mid-season press conference, reporters asked about the struggles of the Green Bay Packers defensive line under the new system.
“Have you been surprised it’s taken the defensive line a while to adjust to the 4-3?” a reporter asked him.
Not really. I think there’s always an adjustment period, but I think they’ve done some really good things. I think they’ve yet to have that real breakout game, but I think that’s coming. I like the way they are working. I think they are doing the right things. I think it’s just a matter of time before they get there.
Gutekunst’s answer about the defensive line’s adjustment timeline is concerning. There was always going to be some transition time. Still, the Packers are heading into their Week 10 bye, and the pass rush has remained ineffective. It’s been two months, and they haven’t had a breakout game.
If the improvement hasn’t shown up yet, when will it?
After trading Preston Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay’s edge room includes Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness, J.J. Enagbare, Arron Mosby, and Brenton Cox Jr. Gary leads the group with 365 defensive snaps this season, followed by Enagbare with 242 and Van Ness with 232. However, Mosby has only played seven snaps, five of them against the Detroit Lions in Week 9, while Cox has yet to see the field.
Another reporter asked Gutekunst, “Does Mosby need more snaps in the four-man rotation, or do you feel he or Cox have proven enough to handle that role?”
We’re excited to see both of those guys see more snaps. I certainly think they’ve earned it. I thought they really did a nice job in training camp, and they’ve continued that through practice. Mosby has done a really nice job on special teams for us, and Bren’s just really eager, and we’re eager to see him.
Green Bay’s four-man front will likely feature Gary and Van Ness on the edges, with Clark and Wyatt inside. They are all first-round picks, yet none perform at a first-round level.
The Packers are paying Rashan Gary the eighth-highest total contract value among edge rushers. He’s tied for 38th in pressures among all edges and ranks 60th in pass-rush win rate for those with at least 100 snaps. For comparison, Gary led all edge rushers in pass-rush win rate last October.
Van Ness recorded five pressures in his first NFL career game. Through nine games of his sophomore year, he has posted six pressures. His pass-rush win rate of just 6.7% is the lowest among Green Bay’s edge defenders. Meanwhile, Will McDonald IV, drafted two spots after Van Ness, has more sacks than Van Ness has pressures.
Kenny Clark is coming off a 2023 season with 66 pressures and a career-high 7.5 sacks. He signed a three-year, $64 million contract extension with the Packers in the offseason. In 2024, he has no sacks through nine weeks and only four pressures in the last four games, including none in the last two. He’s also posting the lowest pass-rush grade of his career.
Devonte Wyatt recorded nine pressures and three sacks in the season’s first month but missed the following three weeks with an ankle injury. Since returning against the Jaguars, he’s managed just three pressures over the last two games.
Green Bay has a top-10 defense in EPA per play. They are also 13th* in both EPA per pass and DVOA and lead the league in takeaways. The defense is producing results despite the lack of pass rush. However, this is not sustainable. If the pass rush doesn’t improve, Green Bay could face serious consequences come January.
It’s not a matter of Clark and Gary losing talent. They’ve both shown they can perform at a high level. But it’s concerning that they are struggling 10 weeks into the season. Van Ness will need to step up in Smith’s absence. Meanwhile, Wyatt is entering the final year of his rookie deal next season and hasn’t justified his first-round selection.
Green Bay’s pass rush has had nine games to adjust to Jeff Hafley’s system and now has enough tape to identify and correct its mistakes. They can’t afford to wait for their breakout game any longer.
