The Green Bay Packers dropped the ball when it came to upgrading their pass rush this offseason. But that can change quickly now that Jadeveon Clowney has been cut loose by the Carolina Panthers and is back on the open market.
Heading into the offseason, the defensive line felt like it should’ve been a top priority—or so fans thought.
Instead, the Packers are rolling with a defensive end group of Rashan Gary, Lukas Van Ness, Kingsley Enagbare, and a handful of lottery tickets. It’s a rotation that left a lot to be desired in 2024.
Gary’s struggles have been well-covered. Despite leading the team in sacks (7.5), hurries (10), QB knockdowns (8), and pressures (26), he was a middle-of-the-pack pass rusher league-wide. He ranked 37th, 27th, 47th, and 32nd in those categories, respectively. For a player carrying a superstar paycheck, that’s far from elite.
To make matters worse, the guys lined up across from Gary failed to take advantage of the extra attention he drew. One-on-ones came often, and they were mostly wasted.
Van Ness was the biggest disappointment. Drafted 13th overall in 2023, the Packers knew he was a project. But it turns out he’s more renovation than fixer-upper.
The athleticism is off the charts. But the technique is still on backorder. If he doesn’t win with raw effort, he doesn’t win at all. So far, he’s been running into walls rather than around them.
Beyond him, the group includes Enagbare, Brenton Cox Jr., and Arron Mosby. That’s a fine rotation on paper, but it lacks a true difference-maker—the kind of guy who forces offensive coordinators to stay up late.
Green Bay had chances to fix this in free agency or early in the draft. Instead, they waited until Day 3 to draft Barryn Sorrell and Collin Oliver. Both rookies have promise, but expecting instant impact from either is wishful thinking.
That’s where Clowney is a potential gift from the football gods.
No, he never quite lived up to the No. 1 overall hype from 2014. But he’s carved out a solid career as a reliable, battle-tested edge rusher. He’s logged four seasons with nine or more sacks, most recently in 2023.
In 14 games with the Panthers last year, Clowney posted 5.5 sacks, 11 hurries, 5 QB knockdowns, and 22 pressures. Not exactly All-Pro numbers, but they would’ve had him leading or near the top of every major pass-rush stat for Green Bay.
Of course, there’s the question of fit. Clowney is looking for his fourth team in four years and has suited up for about 20 percent of the league during his 11-year career. That kind of résumé raises eyebrows. The Packers would need to feel confident about his locker room presence before bringing him in.
But if they’re comfortable with the off-field side, the on-field fit is obvious. Clowney could rotate opposite Gary, take some heat off Van Ness, and give the defense another hammer in the pass-rush toolbox.
At this stage, he doesn’t need to be a full-time starter. That flexibility would let the Packers keep developing Van Ness while still upgrading the unit where it counts.
Pursuing Clowney just makes sense. He fills a need, fits the scheme, and brings the kind of edge this defense sorely lacks. Adding him wouldn’t just patch a hole—it would change the tone of the entire offseason.
