Questions the Packers must address about their defense during the bye week

With the bye week providing a chance to step back and evaluate, the Packers have several matters to address regarding their defense.

On Tuesday, The Leap published a list of questions that the Green Bay Packers must address about their offense during the bye week. Today, we close the loop on that endeavor by diving into the questions concerning their defense.

How do the Packers rebalance their D-line rotation?

In the unlikely event you spent the past 48 hours under a rock, the Packers made a move just before the NFL trade deadline. However, that deal saw them part with a player rather than add, sending veteran pass rusher Preston Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a seventh-round pick. Peter wrote about the trade in detail on Wednesday.

But even before Smith departed Green Bay, the matter of the Packers' D-line rotation merited a lengthy discussion. To this point in the season, none of the primary members of the group -- Kenny Clark, Rashan Gary, Devonte Wyatt, and the aforementioned Smith -- have rushed the passer at their usual levels. The coaches have chalked that up to scheme change under new coordinator Jeff Hafley, and that might indeed explain part of the regression. But it can't account for all of it, and defense needs more productivity out of the front.

Trading Smith creates opportunities for the remaining defensive linemen. Though his usage had waned in recent weeks, he still appeared on most of the defensive snaps so far in 2024. Lukas Van Ness might seem like the most obvious candidate for that work, and he likely will see more snaps. As a recent first-round pick, he represents a significant investment by the team and would presumably benefit from more live reps.

However, the Packers had already increased Van Ness' role as Smith's time on the field declined, and it did little to improve his productivity. Van Ness currently has a dreadful 6.8% win rate, according to Pro Football Focus. No player on Green Bay's roster with at least 50 pass-rush snaps has a worse mark. Perhaps more consistent time on task will help, but the Packers can't simply assume he alone will fill Smith's void.

Kingsley Enagbare has performed better in that regard. His 10.9% win rate through nine games falls just below that of Smith (11.3%), and that includes two games at the start of the season where Enagbare produced zero pressures over 61 snaps. His productivity has improved considerably since then, and he might actually have the most to offer of the backups at this stage.

Meanwhile, general manager Brian Gutekunst suggested Tuesday that Arron Mosby and Brenton Cox Jr. should factor into the discussion.

"We're excited to see both those guys see some more snaps," Gutekunst said. "I think certainly they've earned it. I thought they did a really nice job in training camp, and they've continued that through practice. I think Mosby's done a really nice job on teams for us. Brenton's just really eager, and we're eager to see him."

Both Mosby and Cox have flashed when given opportunities, though those haven't come in regular-season games too often. As smaller, quicker defensive ends, they also offer different body types and skill sets to Smith. Given how much success the Packers have enjoyed on simulated pressures, Mosby and Cox could potentially unlock some possibilities for Hafley.

Ultimately, the Packers had enough in-house options to feel comfortable moving Smith. Still, how they deploy those players will matter the most, and that rebalancing might require several rounds of trial and error.

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