Green Bay Packers: Mike Daniels ready to anchor defensive line

The Green Bay Packers came into the new season with the hopes of a better defense, Mike Daniels stepped up in Week 1 and looks ready to be an anchor.

It’s probably not the happiest moment of an offensive lineman’s life when Mike Daniels lines up opposite them. The Green Bay Packers defensive lineman has been considered one of the best at his position for the last few seasons. At 6-0, 310 pounds, Daniels definitely has the size for the position. Thanks to his boxing regiment, he has expert footwork and hand activity as well.

Nevertheless, Daniels numbers are a little underwhelming. The 28-year old has had four sacks in each of the last two seasons. Meanwhile, his career-high sits at just 6.5. Sack numbers are just a small part of his impact though. Daniels regularly demands extra attention. He’s fantastic in the run game, and helps free up holes for his defensive teammates.

While his impact on the success of his teammates might be enormous, the Packers needed more. Daniels has the skillset to truly lead a strong NFL defense. That’s something the Packers haven’t had in years though. Although that blame can be put on the other players in the system, they do need a true anchor.

That’s where Daniels comes in.

On Sunday, Daniels came out firing. He recorded seven tackles (one for loss) as well as 1.5 sacks, while forcing one fumble. Daniels was utterly dominant and caused havoc the entire game. That showed up in the final score, as the Packers held the Seattle Seahawks to just nine points.

Now the question becomes, is this his final form? I’m sorry, I had to do it.

Next: NFL 2017: 20 Bold predictions for Week 2

Mike Daniels has shown just how dominant he can be during his NFL career. Now it’s time to see if he can lead a dominant defense. If week 1 is any indication, this could be a long season for opposing offenses.