Green Bay Packers: 10 Nationally underrated players of the 2000s
By Hunter Noll
9. Ryan Pickett
Ryan Pickett played with the Green Bay Packers from 2006-13. In that time, he was the member of a defensive line that allowed the least amount of rushing yards in the NFL in 2009. Now, Pickett wasn’t the superstar of the defensive line, but he played an important role. The 340-pounder was a plug on the line. He was integral in stopping the run, and his contributions against the passing game were underrated.
Pickett wasn’t about to break any records when it came to getting after the quarterback. In fact, his career-high in sacks was two — and that was with the St. Louis (now Los Angeles) Rams. His best with the Packers was 1.5 (done in 2008).
That wasn’t where his value came from in the passing game though. Pickett could eat a blocker, sure, anyone could do that though. His value came from his ability to disrupt a pass. Even there though, the numbers don’t jump out at you.
Pickett never had a season in Green Bay without a pass deflection. His high however, was only four. That’s not bad by any means, but with players like J.J. Watt nowadays who rack up the pass deflections, this number seems low. Pickett didn’t always need to get a hand on the ball though. Due to that, he’s a classic case of stats not telling the whole story.
The defensive lineman found ways to disrupt the pass without putting up the stats. Pickett could push back an offensive lineman, getting in the quarterback’s face. This didn’t lead to sacks, but it led to rushed throws. He also got his hands up, so even when he wasn’t deflecting passes, the line of sight for the quaterback wasn’t clear.
Pickett also moved around for the Packers. He was a nose tackle for a while, but moved to defensive end to make room for B.J. Raji. I don’t know about you, but unselfish play always deserves a shoutout in my opinion.
The defensive line is definitely one of those positions where numbers can lie. Ryan Pickett was never a superstar, but he contributed heavily for years on a winning team, and has a Super Bowl ring to show for it.