Packers: Reviewing the roster midway through preseason
Linebackers
Edge rusher continues to be a weak spot on this defense year after year, and honestly, not much has changed at all since last season. There were not any free agent additions at edge rusher, the only real addition is a seventh-round pick, Kendall Donnerson, as well as a few UDFA players who are basically just serving as camp bodies.
The same players are still in line to backup Nick Perry and Clay Matthews. They are Kyler Fackrell, Vince Biegel and Reggie Gilbert. Only one of those players has shown they deserve playing time, and that is Gilbert. Gilbert has been one of the main talking points among fans this preseason, and rightfully so. He has recorded 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and multiple QB pressures. The player that was stashed on the practice squad almost all of last season, is now looking like the best edge rush option outside of Perry and Matthews.
Fackrell is going into his third season with the Packers, and truthfully has not shown much of an improvement at all over that time. He is far too often manhandled by opposing offensive tackles, and has not found a consistent way to beat tackles and get after the quarterback. If it were up to me, Fackrell would be a roster cut.
Biegel is a very hard player to figure out, as he spent half of his rookie season on the PUP list and once he returned we saw little production. Now during this preseason, Biegel has been virtually non-existent in terms of production. He has only accounted for one tackle and has not been around the quarterback often at all.
Edge rush is one position group where a single injury to either Perry or Matthews could really put the Packers in a bad spot. Fackrell and Biegel do not look like viable options right now. In my humble opinion, I believe Donnerson flashes more playmaking ability than Fackrell and Biegel, strictly due to his freakish athleticism for a 6-foot-3, 250-pound linebacker (4.48 40-yard dash, 40-inch vertical, 10-foot-11 broad jump and 7.03 three-cone).
Unfortunately, training camp immediately kicked off with a season-ending injury to Jake Ryan, making inside linebacker a position group with very little NFL experience. Ryan certainly had his struggles in pass coverage, but was a major run-stuffer at inside linebacker. His injury left the Packers with only one inside linebacker with experience, last season’s NFL tackle leader, Blake Martinez.
The Packers have taken the next-man-up approach at inside linebacker, and that is Oren Burks, a third-round pick in the 2018 draft out of Vanderbilt. Burks has looked impressive so far this preseason. His speed and quickness has been a real game changer. He is a converted safety, which makes him an asset against the pass, something the Packers have been lacking from the inside linebacker position. Burks looks to be the opening day starter next to Martinez, and he could have an immediate impact on this defense.
Behind Martinez and Burks are a handful of UDFA players. The two that have seen the most time on the field this preseason and look to have the best chances of making the 53-man roster are Greer Martini (Notre Dame) and Ahmad Thomas (Oklahoma).
Martini has made an impact on special teams, which will only help his case to make the roster, but he has been missing quite a few tackles while playing at linebacker. Thomas, in my opinion, has been the more impressive of the two. Thomas has better coverage skills, he is a better tackler, and he is more effective in coverage than Martini. As of right now, it’s not too unlikely that both guys make the roster with very little depth at inside linebacker, and both can contribute on special teams immediately.