The Green Bay Packers are a potential suitor for free-agent pass-rusher Jadeveon Clowney, but they could face competition from two NFC North rivals.
Clowney's name has come up multiple times this offseason, which would make sense with the Packers expected to miss Micah Parsons until at least October.
The latest comes from NFL insider Jason La Canfora in an article for SportsBoom.
He named all four NFC North teams as potential landing spots for Clowney, adding: "One executive told SportsBoom he has a hunch that Clowney ends up with the Packers."
La Canfora also noted that it "would not surprise league execs if he ended up with Chicago." He also specifically named the Detroit Lions as a team that would make sense.
Packers could face competition from their biggest rivals for Jadeveon Clowney
Several teams are reportedly "monitoring" Clowney's situation, but it's interesting how La Canfora singled out the Packers, Bears, and Lions. Green Bay may need to beat both of them to Clowney's signature this summer.
And a case can be made for all three teams.
The Packers have invested in their pass-rush depth, drafting Dani Dennis-Sutton to pair with 2023 first-round pick Lukas Van Ness and 2025 fourth-round choice Barryn Sorrell. But is that enough? Dennis-Sutton is a rookie, Sorrell is unproven, and while there's reason to have high hopes for Van Ness this fall, he's coming off three underwhelming seasons.
Clowney would give them a veteran who almost guarantees pressure. He is likely a designated pass-rusher at this point of his career and wouldn't play every snap, but Clowney has 23.5 sacks in his past 44 games, including 8.5 with the Dallas Cowboys last season.
Green Bay may need the extra help with Parsons potentially out for half the season.
The Bears need pass-rush reinforcements even more, having barely addressed the problem this spring. They are still heavily reliant on Montez Sweat.
The Lions have the building blocks of an elite pass rush, having added second-round pick Derrick Moore and free-agent addition DJ Wonnum to join All-Pro Aidan Hutchinson. But Clowney would give them something different and complement what they already have.
Clowney is undoubtedly the best pass-rusher still on the market, and he proved last season that he can still generate consistent pressure and help any defense. PFF credited him with 44 pressures, while his pass-rush grade of 80.6 ranked 15th among 115 edge defenders.
If the Packers are serious about bringing him in before the start of the season, they may need to act quickly to avoid losing out to a division rival.
Add us as a preferred source on Google