Green Bay Packers: More than Muhammad Wilkerson is needed

The Green Bay Packers have added Muhammad Wilkerson to their defensive line. This is by no means a bad pickup, but more is still clearly needed.

Mike Daniels is a fantastic weapon for any defensive line to possess. With that being said, the Green Bay Packers haven’t supplied him with much help lately. Due to the complete lack of other true threats on the defensive line, Daniels gets targeted. Opposing teams focus on him, daring the rest of the line to make them pay for it.

This strategy makes Daniels less of a threat, but leaves a great opportunity for his teammates to make a play. We’ve all seen the movie and we’ve all read the story though. The rest of the Green Bay line just hasn’t been up to the task in recent years.

Due to that, an overhaul was needed this offseason. The first move was made when the Packers brought in Muhammad Wilkerson. There are some heavy positives that come along with him as well.

First off, Wilkerson is a veteran. He knows how to play the game, and can help to lead the defensive line. Then there’s his ability. The 28-year old has had some monster seasons, including 2015 when he racked up 64 tackles and 12 sacks to go along with an impressive seven pass defends.

That was 2015 though. In the two years since then, Wilkerson has seen his numbers drop drastically. In 2016 he recorded 58 tackles and 4.5 sacks. Then, last season saw just 46 tackles and 3.5 sacks (in 13 games).

So while he’s not too far removed from being a dominant force, Wilkerson hasn’t been very impressive the last two seasons. With that in mind, he’s still a fantastic addition to a team in desperate need of help on the defensive line.

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Those average numbers over the last two years bring up one other point though. This can’t be the last of the Packers’ moves to bolster their defensive line this offseason. More help needs to come, whether through the draft or free agency. Barring a major comeback effort, Muhammad Wilkerson in 2018 isn’t going to drastically alter Green Bay’s defensive line fortunes.