Packers edge rush group will be strong yet again in 2022

By the time next fall rolls around, the Green Bay Packers defense will be ready to take another strong step under DC Joe Barry.

According to Pro Football Reference, the Packers finished top 10 in turnovers created, least penalties committed, QB hurries, and total pass yards allowed.

Barry has this Green Bay defense in a very good place. It’s fair to say this defense is the best that it’s been since the 2010 Super Bowl season.

Arguably the most important piece of this defense is the edge rush spot. Last season, with Za’Darius Smith missing nearly the entire season, Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, and mid-season acquisition Whitney Mercilus did more than hold down the fort.

Even if they decide to release Za’Darius Smith, the Packers will still be in a great spot on the edge next season. It’s because of those names above.

Each season in his career, Rashan Gary has taken the next step. His statistics and his play have improved tremendously.

In his rookie season in 2019, Gary had 21 total tackles, three tackles for loss, three QB hits, and two sacks. The major reason why his numbers were down was because he sat behind Preston and Za’Darius Smith, who both had double-digit sacks.

In Gary’s second season, he had 35 total tackles, five tackles for loss, 11 QB hits, and five sacks. Last season, Gary had a Pro Bowl-caliber year with 47 total tackles, eight tackles for loss, 28 QB hits, and 9.5 sacks.

He has steadily grown every single year, especially without Za’Darius Smith in there. The former Michigan Wolverine has gotten stronger and grown more familiar with successful pass-rush techniques. He has gotten more and more comfortable and accustomed to being a pro. Look for Gary to have another career year in 2022.

What Packers fans, and all NFL fans too, need realize is that Preston Smith is resilient. After having a career year in 2019 with 12 sacks, Smith took a dip in 2020 with just four. He got a lot of heat for not producing enough sack numbers. But head coach Matt LaFleur repeatedly stated that there is more to playing defense and rushing the passer than just sacks.

He played important coverage snaps as well as taking the ball into the opponent’s end zone. Most people like to point the finger when a player isn’t necessarily playing up to his potential. He played up to his potential in plenty of other areas besides sacks.

Even if 2020 was a down year, it paved the way for a rebirth. After proving how much he cared about the team by taking a pay cut to come back to Green Bay, Smith had a much-improved year when it came to rushing the passer.

He totaled nine sacks, had his second-best season in terms of QB hits, forced the most fumbles since his rookie season in Washington in 2015, and a had his most amount of QB hurries since he came over from Washington. After he had a down year in many people’s eyes, he responded with a very strong season. You need resilient players to be a good team.

After spending nine years with the Houston Texans, Whitney Mercilus was signed in late October after he was granted his release. Especially after Za’Darius Smith’s back injury, the Packers needed more experience in that pass rush room.

Mercilus, a former All-Pro, brought exactly what that. After playing in just four games, the Illinois product suffered a regular season-ending torn pectoral. He would return for the postseason but was not as effective after the injury.

In his four games, he recorded one sack, four pressures, two QB hurries, and two QB hits. Mercilus will be a free agent this spring. Despite an injury-plagued season, the Packers need the former Texan back. They need to find a way to re-sign him. He has played in the NFL for a decade. He is the definition of a Packer.

His last name is how he is on the field but in the locker room, he is incredibly personable and someone a lot of people look up to. He has played at an incredibly high level, especially in Houston. He can provide great leadership for Rashan Gary while still improving the team with that Mariano Rivera-like role at the end of the game.

Mercilus can bring that finishing blow that the Packers defense could lose with Za’Darius Smith leaving possibly. If nothing else, to have a 10-year vet and former All-Pro as your No. 3 edge rusher is a pretty good problem to have.

Those three players are incredibly key to the success of the Green Bay defense. Again, Joe Barry has this team in a great place. They are just scratching the surface. If the Packers can keep these three together, which appears quite possible, this defense will not miss a beat assuming they remain healthy.

One ascending player. One resilient player. One experienced player. Any team that has those three types of players has a bright future ahead.