The Packers have added some marquee playmakers to the back-seven of the defense the past two offseasons, but the front four could be an area coordinator Jeff Hafley will need to scheme up in 2025.
Safety Xavier McKinney became an All-Pro in his first season in a Packers uniform, and Edgerrin Cooper was a revelation at linebacker, after being chosen by the Packers with the No. 45 overall pick last spring before receiving All-Pro votes by season’s end, but, the defensive line remains a work in progress.
Little Respect for the Packers’ Defensive Line
Over at Pro Football Focus, Zoltán Buday put together his rankings of defensive lines across the NFL, with the Packers checking in at a meager 21st overall.
“None of the Packers’ four former first-round picks along the defensive line,” Buday writes for PFF. “Are performing at the expected level.
“Edge defender Rashan Gary’s PFF overall grade has declined in three straight seasons since his career-best 2021 campaign, and he ranked only 49th among edge defenders with a 66.7 PFF pass-rush grade in 2024. Interior defender Kenny Clark will turn 30 during the 2025 season and has already shown signs of decline in recent seasons. He ranked 53rd among interior defenders with a 60.0 PFF overall grade last season.”
While there is plenty of optimism that Gary takes a leap this season for the Packers, Green Bay has yet to find an established star player up front or the kind of players who can consistently be disruptive in opposing backfields.
Much of the priority the past two offseasons has been fortifying the secondary, but depending on how the 2025 season plays out, the Packers may need to begin investing premium resources building along the defensive line. After all, the Philadelphia Eagles wrote the blueprint last season for how to win a championship on the back of a dominant pass rush and defensive front, which the Packers have yet to see develop.
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