Green Bay Packers: 3 Players due for bounce-back 2018 seasons

Nick Perry, Outside Linebacker

When the Green Bay Packers selected Nick Perry in the first round of the 2012 NFL Draft, the hope was the defense would have another pass rusher to compliment Clay Matthews. He had the size and athleticism needed to produce at his position at the NFL level.

The problem with him was the consistency. When he was on his game, Perry was an all-pro caliber player. However, since his career in the pros started, he has faced numerous injuries. Every year Perry would have to deal with some sort of injury. He hasn’t really had the opportunity to shine for a whole season.

2016 was Perry’s best in the NFL. It was his only double-digit sack season. The best part about the 2016 season, he played the majority of the year with a club on his hand. That led to one of the funniest sack celebrations.

He signed a five-year deal worth $60 million last offseason. It looked as if Perry finally broke through and became the player the Packers front office had hoped when they drafted him in 2012.

However, 2017 saw Perry struggle once more. While he put up numbers better than earlier in his career, they weren’t worth the $60 million price tag. He did manage to stay away from the injury bug, for the most part as well. focused

Because the Packers focused on wide receivers and the secondary in the most recent draft,  the organization is committed to who they have for outside linebackers and EDGE rushers. That’s good news for Perry who was could have lost playing time if the organization decided to take an EDGE rusher early in the draft.

The defense needs Perry to step up, he has the opportunity to do so in 2018.