Green Bay Packers: High hopes for Kenny Clark in sophomore season
Regardless of how high a prospect is selected in the draft, very rarely is that individual expected to storm out of the gates and perform to the level of a seasoned All-Pro, but signs of progress are expected from every rookie fortunate enough to be part of any team’s final roster of 53.
Yeah, any way you slice it—it’s never easy being a rookie.
Making that transition from college to the pros for the vast majority of draft picks isn’t so much a small step up in level of play as much as it is a quantum leap from adjusting to the speed of the game to learning the playbook and building chemistry with new teammates.
And that just covers what’s takes place between the white lines.
These young men in the early 20s also have to find a place to live and establish a successful routine of how to cope with the extra free time they suddenly have on their hands in order to be 100-percent prepared to face the following week’s opponent.
Among last year’s crop of rookies brought in by the Packers, Kenny Clark ranked prominently as the team’s first-round choice that was expected to play a vital role and produce sooner rather than later.
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What added urgency to the matter was an unanticipated retirement on the part of B.J. Raji, who after six years in a Packers uniform decided to call it a career.
That meant going in, Clark wouldn’t be afforded the luxury of bidding his time as a quasi redshirt rookie behind veteran linemen. The 20-year-old underclassman needed to grow up in a hurry.
As it turned out, the wide-bodied defender struggled mightily during much of his first three months of the season by authoring quite a few disappearing acts.
Outside of a key fumble recovery during a Week 5 win over the Giants, in fact, the 314-pound space eater put up blank stat lines in seven of his first 12 games by registering neither a tackle, sack nor forced fumble.
Clark’s primary issue was his inability to disengage from blockers which made him a non-factor versus the run and pass.
Getting well aquainted with all the tricks blockers employ to keep opponents at bay was a gradual process.
The fact that the 2016 first-round pick was able to emerge late in the season and into the playoffs is a testament to No. 97’s diligence in constantly honing his craft and being extremely coachable.
The fruits of the young man’s efforts were on display in Green Bay’s thrilling 34-31 playoff victory over Dallas, where he used his quickness to penetrate the backfield, as well as his leverage and upper-body strength to get underneath blockers while keeping Ezekiel Elliott under wraps as far as preventing the running back from taking over the game.
Most importantly, the nose tackle let his instincts take over and exhibited great awareness in reading plays to put himself in favorable position to locate the ball.
Clark’s mission headed into the new season is clear: He needs to elevate his pass-rushing skills.
Serving as merely a run-stuffing nose tackle in today’s pass-happy NFL doesn’t hold as much value as it once did. The former high-school wrestler will need to penetrate the backfield with increased regularity if he hopes to see major reps.
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The good news is Clark has dedicated himself to a strict offseason regimen designed to strengthen his lower body in order to gain explosiveness off the snap.
Whipping himself into better shape as he approaches his sophomore campaign should also translate into increased stamina levels and thus leaving him with no excuses for taking plays off.
Also working in his favor is Letroy Guion’s four-game suspension, which puts the 21-year-old in the driver’s seat to assume the lion’s share of snaps early on.
Guion was one of the more disappointing players on defense who contributed one single pressure all season at nose tackle.
Nine years under his belt has apparently taken a toll on the former Florida State Seminole, who proved incapable of maintaining his technique when he was asked to take on 30 or more snaps. In one late-year tilt versus Chicago, Guion stayed in for 45 plays.
Clark has a golden opportunity to seize a major role not only as a nominal starter in Dom Capers’ base 3-4 scheme, but as a versatile component that can be effective on passing downs.
The coaching staff is of the belief that the interior lineman is up to the task with Mike McCarthy recently commenting on how he thinks the California native is ready to take that big “jump” in Year 2.
The future is bright for Clark, who has the size, athletic ability and relentless work ethic to fulfill his immense potential.
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The big man’s dirty work up front can open things up for fellow lineman and constant double-team target Mike Daniels, as well as a young corps of linebackers that possess the instincts to fill in the gaps and make plays.
This could be the year Clark becomes the new Raji.