The Green Bay Packers’ lack of edge depth has been a problem all season, especially after Rashan Gary suffered a season-ending knee injury. And while it still might be one of the team’s biggest needs for 2023, general manager Brian Gutekunst again found a nice piece to add to the rotation in Justin Hollins.
The Denver Broncos drafted Hollins in the fifth round of the 2019 draft, but they waived him a year later. However, the Los Angeles Rams immediately claimed him off waivers, and Joe Barry was on their staff. That’s why the Packers’ defensive coordinator was willing to include Hollins in the rotation right away.
Barry praised Hollins after the Packers claimed him, citing how “savvy and smart” Hollins is.
Three days later, the edge defender played 21 defensive snaps (26%) against the Philadelphia Eagles. Hollins had three pressures and a 61.0 PFF grade, enough to put him on the defensive top five for the week. He also had two tackles for loss and a quarterback hit.
“You can definitely see the speed,” head coach Matt LaFleur said after the Eagles game. “For what he was asked to do, I thought it was a good performance.”
Hollins played 14 defensive snaps against the Chicago Bears (27%), the same amount as Jonathan Garvin, who’s been with the Packers since 2020. Even if starters Preston Smith and Kingsley Enagbare dominated the snap percentage, Hollins was a solid part of the rotation.
Hollins has played under Vic Fangio and Brandon Staley, who coaches with the same defensive philosophy implemented by Barry in Green Bay. In just two games with the Packers, the edge defender has shown the ability to set the edge, which had been missing for the other rotational pieces. He also has a decent capacity to rush the passer.
“Looking over it, scheming over it, there’s a lot of carry over,” said Hollins when he arrived in Green Bay. “Different terminology here and there. Of course, he [Joe Barry] is going to put his own spin on things. So, I just gotta adapt to that and have a good handle on that. It shouldn’t be hard.”
It was surprising when the Rams cut Hollins. He had played around 50% of the team’s defensive snaps this season, even though the pass-rush efficiency wasn’t there. He had only one sack (and he already has one for the Packers), one tackle for loss, and three quarterback hits in 10 games.
Hollins had an impressive senior season at Oregon University, with 6.5 sacks and five forced fumbles (first in the nation in 2018). The performance caught the eye of the Broncos, who chose him 156th overall in 2019.
According to the NFL Network’s draft analyst Lance Zierlein, some of Hollins’ strengths are that he “plays with plus athleticism and movement skills in both tight quarters and open field,” “possesses agility and looseness in both upper and lower body to be a slippery target,” and “plays with eyes beyond initial block and into backfield.” The weaknesses include a lack of strength at the point of attack and that he “doesn’t always play with aggressive demeanor teams look for.”
Nonetheless, the profile indicates exactly what the Packers need from him. Hollins doesn’t need to be a prolific every-down pass rusher. His role is a rotational edge piece that allows Joe Barry and his staff to save Smith and Enagbare for more important downs. If Hollins is competent against the run and able to generate pressure when he is on the field, he’ll have made enough of an impact to be ahead of Jonathan Garvin and LaDarius Hamilton.
Moreover, Hollins has an inexpensive contract. The deal the Packers claimed from the Rams costs Green Bay only $375,277. Hollins will be an unrestricted free agent next March, but there is a good chance the Packers will be able to re-sign him for the veteran minimum. Therefore, he will have the opportunity to be part of the rotation moving forward.
Gutekunst masterpiece
While Brian Gutekunst’s roster-building philosophy is questionable sometimes, his best quality is the willingness and efficiency to find good contributors in the margins without spending significant capital. This year, the Packers have added Rudy Ford and Keisean Nixon as street free agents and Eric Wilson from the New Orleans Saints’ practice squad.
Since Gutekunst became the general manager in 2018, finding good pieces for free has been a hallmark of the franchise. The list of players signed from other teams’ practice squads, claimed off waivers, or signed from the street includes Allen Lazard, Chandon Sullivan, Tyler Ervin, Jared Veldheer, Rick Wagner, De’Vondre Campbell, and Rasul Douglas. Those are not necessarily game-changers, but they all had important roles and significantly elevated the quality of the 53-man roster.
