Green Bay Packers: 3 Players due for bounce-back 2018 seasons
Muhammad Wilkerson, Defensive Tackle
One of the most intriguing moves the Green Bay Packers made this offseason was signing Muhammad Wilkerson. The defensive line is easily the strongest on the Packers defense. Signing Wilkerson improves it even more. When you pair him with Mike Daniels and an up and coming star in Kenny Clark, exciting things are in store for the new Packers defense.
However, Wilkerson has struggled the last few years. It’s been all downhill after a 2015 season that saw him go to the Pro Bowl. From decreased production to a lacking work ethic, a release from the Jets was evident.
If Ted Thompson was still the GM, Wilkerson may never have had a chance in Green Bay, due to his lacking work ethic. But when the Packers hired former Browns head coach and Jets defensive coordinator Mike Pettine, the move to get Wilkerson seemed even more likely. He was close to Pettine during their tenure in New York. He knew how to get the best out of Wilkerson.
A reunion in Green Bay was surely one of the factors in coming to play for the Packers.
Despite announcing it last week, the #Jets haven’t officially released DE Muhammad Wilkerson yet. That should happen today... and I’m told his first free agent visit is likely to be with the #Packers. New defensive coordinator Mike Pettine could help rejuvenate his career.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 5, 2018
All of the following makes Wilkerson a clear candidate to have a bounce-back season. The one-year “prove it” deal should light a fire under him too. It worked with Nick Perry a few years back.
Next: NFL 2018: Each team's best offseason move
If Wilkerson can have one of his best years as a pro in 2018, the Packers will no doubt have a top-five defensive line in the league. Mike Daniels, Kenny Clark and Dean Lowry already have shown to be a solid unit. Adding in a former Pro-Bowl caliber player will make the defensive line one of the best in the league.