Green Bay Packers dealt their fans a deadline surprise when Brian Gutekunst not only didn’t buy an impact role player but sold one. The Packers sent Preston Smith to Pittsburgh in a deal he had requested weeks prior.
The return for the 31-year-old veteran on a relatively large contract was predictably minimal. Still, Smith explained he felt more comfortable in a 3-4 defensive scheme than a 4-3. He recorded at least eight sacks per game as an outside linebacker in Joe Barry’s 4-3 but has been less comfortable at the new position of defensive end under Jeff Hafley.
Smith will vacate just over half of Green Bay’s defensive snaps. That means more work for Kingsley Enagbare, a new face or two entering the rotation. Most importantly, it will be a brighter spotlight for 2023 first-round pick Lukas Van Ness. The Iowa product has been unspectacular this season. On many other teams, he would already be labeled a bust. However, the Packers have their unique way of doing things, including longer development plans for premium position prospects. In this case, you only have to point to Rashan Gary, who is lined up on the other side.
During Smith’s golden years in Green Bay, Gary was a rotational depth piece, playing behind Preston and breakout star Za’Darius Smith. The latter “Smith brother” has bounced around teams in recent years but has just found his way to Detroit as a de facto Aidan Hutchinson replacement. Gary didn’t begin to fully showcase the raw talent that made him a high-end first-round pick until the end of his rookie contract. Now, he is set to be a cornerstone of their defense for years to come.
Still, Van Ness has not had a good season. He has struggled to win his matchups and make impact plays, a hallmark of a valuable pass-rusher. He doesn’t have the luxury of figuring it out over a few more years. The Packers are firmly in the NFC mix. The Detroit Lions reaffirmed their juggernaut status, and it will be a massive challenge to topple them from the North. However, at 6’3″ and with room to run as Jordan Love gets healthier (and sharper), a playoff run is the bare minimum expectation for a young team that made it to the final minutes of the Divisional round a year prior.
In a presser earlier this week, Gutekunst noted, “We need more from that entire group as we move forward into the second half of the season. I think we’ll get that.”
He backed that statement with his actions, declining to backfill Smith’s roster spot with a veteran and fully clearing the way for the younger players, headlined by Van Ness.
The second-year defensive end has yet to showcase exactly why he was a first-round pick despite being ostensibly on the right track at the end of last season. He has not gotten to the quarterback this year, putting increased pressure on a secondary that has risen to the occasion, led by the elite safety duo of Xavier McKinney and rookie Evan Williams. It’s an issue the defense has weathered as a unit thus far, but one that will have to get sorted out before the Packers are again staring down the barrel of the San Francisco 49ers and the rest of the conference’s elite come playoff time.
A talking point around his draft status was his relatively limited role on his Iowa team, which was loaded with defensive line talent. Much like Gary (and Love), Gutekunst made a bet on raw physical traits with confidence that the team’s system and coaching would take care of the rest. That process has no choice but to accelerate, with the pass-rush already being mediocre and stretched thin. Hafley has had to develop creative blitzes and use them at a high rate to generate pressure. While he likes to blitz significantly more than Barry ever did, all things being equal, you want to be able to get to the quarterback from any call.
In some cases, the bye week can result in a “rookie bump” for young players who are an increasing part of the game plan as teams chart their path to contention. From a usage standpoint, it’s more applicable to running backs and receivers and discussed in a fantasy football context. But with Smith departing and a week off to sort out what the pass rush looks like without him, expect Van Ness to step into a featured role opposite Gary, for better or worse.
