4. Signing OLB Preston Smith
The Packers certainly needed help getting to the quarterback entering the 2019 offseason, and signing free agent outside linebacker Preston Smith to a four-year, $52 million deal was one of the first steps to fixing that problem.
Drafted in the second-round in 2015 by the Washington Redskins, Smith hasn’t missed a game in his four seasons in the NFL. So far, he’s recorded 24.5 sacks, 59 quarterback hits and 29 tackles for losses in 64 career games.
But just looking at sack production doesn’t tell the whole story of a pass rusher. Last season, Smith had a pressure rate of 13.5 percent, the fourth-best rate in the NFL, according to NFL.com’s Next Gen Stats. He had 53 total quarterback pressures in 2018, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Overall, Smith was PFF’s No. 19 rated edge defender last season.
Smith isn’t just known for rushing the passer, though. He also excels in stopping the run, producing 20 run-stops, per PFF. All in all, Smith is one of the most complete edge defenders in the NFL. He may not be elite in any one category, but he’s a jack of all trades who can fill in admirably at a position of need for the Packers.