There’s lot of interest in the Packers DBs and LBs for good reason – both those rooms need multiple additions and Gute will be a busy beaver adding competition for those groups
However, when it comes to the DL, the Packers are actually in pretty good shape heading into 2024 - even without significant reinforcements
The Jeff Hafley defense is (allegedly) modeled after the SF, Hou & NYJ style and those teams all feature a very talented DL who limit the opposing offense with relentless pressure. Rush 4, drop 7
In order to be successful, you need a sizable stable of Big Men to rotate and keep ‘em fresh for the 20 game season.
Wave upon wave of demented avengers...
Here’s where we’re at in March 2024:
The Packers will play the most snaps in a 4-2-5 nickel alignment with (4) DL.
2 of those guys are DE types and are somewhat interchangeable
(but there are nuances to LDE vs RDE)
For the 2 DTs, traditionally its been one behemoth and 1 penetrator, but that’s not the case as much anymore. There’s a requirement for the space - eaters to contribute pass rush, otherwise teams just throw on 1st down vs your heavier package.
Listed below are the players, what roles they can play and where they slot on the depth chart in Spring of '24. Just one man's opinion, happy to hear yours
Basically you need 2 dudes from each group and the ideal split is starters playing 65% snaps and back- ups 35 %
I think it’s going to end up closer to 60-40 because the drop-off between the top guys is minimal compared to years' past. This is a deep and talented group
I’d guess they will keep 8 - 9 DL plus another 1- 2 on PS for further development and to insure you’ve got enough guys to run practice
DE: Gary, Smith, Van Ness, Clark, Enagbare, Cox, Odumegwu & maybe Brooks
Gary/ Smith/ Van Ness /Engabare is a fine 4 man rotation, need one more there and both Clark and Brooks have shown the ability to play outside. Cox is still an unknown but did show some flashes in OTAs
DT: Clark, Wyatt, Slaton, Brooks, Wooden, Ford... with Gary & Van Ness both capable of moving inside in pressure packages
Clark/ Wyatt/ Slaton is a great 3-man rotation at DT; with Clark the all around stud, Slaton the run stuffer and Wyatt the penetrator. Brooks and Wooden showed promise in 2023 and Ford is still TBD as a back-up to TJ Slaton as a run plug.
Here are DL snap counts from 2023, scroll down and you can get a feel for the previous rotations.
https://www.footballguys.com/s...eam=GB&year=2023
Next up :
The amazing Salvatore has put together highlight reels on most of these guys, so you can see them in action from 2023
https://www.youtube.com/@salva...2/videos?app=desktop
Coaching these guys will be Jeff Hafley, Jason Rebrovich and Vince Oghobaase, a smattering of different experiences and insights from around the league. Oghobaase is a former player, he's been called a real technician in terms of his coaching style and he studied under SF DL guru Kris Kocurek.
The 2024 Packers defense will lean heavily on the DL and it appears we have the horses to make it work. More depth is always appreciated, but this group is already pretty well- stocked for a deep run and there is serious competition in both rooms. Hat tip to Gute & Co.
Go Packers