Green Bay Packers: Adding to pass rush is need in 2018 NFL Draft
By Hunter Noll
The Green Bay Packers will enter next season with high hopes simply due to the fact Aaron Rodgers will be back. Adding pass rush will help though.
Clay Matthews led the Green Bay Packers in sacks in 2017. That’s not great news for two reasons. First off, he’s not getting any younger as he’ll be 32 next season. Second, he had 8.5 sacks. While that’s not bad, it’s nothing spectacular. In total, the Packers amassed 37 sacks (17th in the NFL). They’ll be looking to upgrade their pass rush this offseason with that in mind. To do so, they should look to the draft.
There’s a simple reason for why the draft is the right place for the Packers to solve their pass rush issue. The draft isn’t short on pass rusher by any stretch of the imagination. This works to the Packers advantage as getting an upgrade at defensive end, defensive tackle, and outside linebacker all make sense.
The prize of this draft when it comes to pass rushers is Bradley Chubb. Barring something crazy though, there’s almost no chance he falls to the Packers. Losing out on the top dog is never fun, but there’s more than enough talent to soften the blow.
Tremaine Edmunds is interesting. The Virginia Tech product has a quick burst at the linebacker position and could benefit from learning under Clay Matthews and Nick Perry. Boston College’s Harold Landry is another great prospect. While he has massive upside, he had a tendency to disappear in games. He’s another strong candidate to learn under Matthews.
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UT San Antonio’s Marcus Davenport is a monster both in terms of size and production. The defensive end would compliment Mike Daniels nicely, and could make an immediate impact. That’s something you might not get from Edmunds and Landry.
Alabama’s Da’Ron Payne and Washington’s Vita Vea could both plug up the middle of the line. The defensive tackles both offer plus pass rush for the position and could shore up the run defense in a heart beat.
If the Packers decide to go another route in the first round, this doesn’t kill their chances of making a splash later. Uchenna Nwosu (USC) immediately comes to mind as someone who could be available in the middle rounds. He might not be the size of Davenport, but he’s proven he can get to the quarterback.
Defensive ends Breeland Speaks (Ole Miss) and Marcell Frazier (Missouri) could be available in the third round as well.
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The most important thing to remember though, is that these names are barely scratching the surface. There are so many other talents in the draft that could help the Packers pass rush in the future. If the Green Bay Packers truly want to start fixing this weakness, the draft is the perfect place to start.