Packers 2022 roster preview: What to expect from Kingsley Enagbare
The Green Bay Packers needed to strengthen their pass-rush depth during the 2022 NFL Draft after releasing Za’Darius Smith this offseason.
In the fifth round, they drafted Kingsley Enagbare out of South Carolina.
Can Enagbare win the Packers’ number three spot at edge rusher this summer?
2021 stats
Enagbare started 12 games for South Carolina last season, making 4.5 sacks, 44 tackles, seven tackles for loss, and one forced fumble.
According to Pro Football Focus, Enagbare earned a 92.5 pass rush grade in 2021, which ranked third among Power Five edge rushers.
According to Rob Demovsky of ESPN, he pressured quarterbacks on 15.7 percent of dropbacks last season.
Per @ESPNStatsInfo, Packers' fifth-round pick Kingsley Enagbare generated pressure on 15.7 percent of opponents’ dropbacks in 2021. That was the ninth-highest rate in FBS and second in the SEC only to Alabama’s Will Anderson Jr.
— Rob Demovsky (@RobDemovsky) April 30, 2022
One thing is for sure: Enagbare knows how to rush the passer.
Will he make the roster?
Yes. The Packers tend to keep their draft picks. Enagbare will be in contention for the number three edge rusher spot behind Rashan Gary and Preston Smith.
What to expect in 2022
As of yet, Green Bay hasn’t added a veteran pass rusher to the roster this offseason. Perhaps they will at some stage, but they may not.
Rashan Gary and Preston Smith will start and dominate the snaps at edge rusher. But the Packers will also need to lean on their depth when the starters come out of the game for a rest, or if one of them suffers an injury.
Enagbare’s performance at training camp and in the preseason will help determine how big of a role he will play this year.
He will face competition from Jonathan Garvin, Tipa Galeai, and Randy Ramsey.
The competition for the number three spot behind Gary and Smith should be wide open this summer.
Enagbare will need time to develop his game, but he is clearly a talented pass rusher. He can help improve the Packers’ edge rusher depth this season.
The fifth-round pick has every chance of winning the number three spot at training camp.