Devonte Wyatt got off to a strong start this year. Through the first three games, he recorded 13 pressures and two sacks. For context, he didn’t reach 13 pressures until Week 12 last season.
However, Wyatt played only 13 snaps against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 4 before suffering a knee injury, and it was astonishing how much the defense was exposed after he left the game. The Green Bay Packers allowed a season-high 40 points and 319 passing yards in a tie with Dallas.
During the bye week, Matt LaFleur said that Wyatt’s issue would be “week to week.” With Wyatt out, they inserted undrafted rookie Nazir Stackhouse into the rotation against the Cowboys, and the results were less than ideal. The Packers could not get any pressure on Dak Prescott, who played out of his mind that Sunday night.
Through Week 5, no Packers defender other than Micah Parsons had recorded more quarterback pressures than Wyatt. The former first-rounder out of Georgia ranked eighth among 179 qualifying defensive linemen in pressures, according to PFF, and was 29th in overall grade.
After the game in Dallas, Micah Parsons was asked what changed for Green Bay’s defense in the second half. He immediately pointed to Wyatt’s absence:
We missing D-Wyatt. … That dominant player that he is. His energy is so contagious. I think he’s underlooked with his value on this team. He’s telling me he’s going to go get healthy, and hopefully we get him back soon. When you lose a great player like that, it stings.
Green Bay’s pass rush did a good job creating pressure on Joe Flacco in Week 6, but only Lukas Van Ness had a sack.
The Packers have two top-15 draft picks on the edge, paying them a combined $282 million and even giving up two first-round picks plus Kenny Clark for one of them. Against what is statistically the worst offensive line in pass-blocking efficiency, producing just a single sack is far below expectations. Much of the drop in production comes from Wyatt being out, as he was arguably the best interior pass rusher in the league to start the season.
Wyatt’s rise has been a significant factor in Green Bay’s confidence, including Clark in the blockbuster trade for Parsons. Over the past two years, Wyatt has made noticeable improvements, and his coaches have definitely taken notice.
“I think he’s done a nice job. He’s been pretty productive,” Matt LaFleur said after the 2024 season. “He’s always had the talent, and he’s finally putting it together, I’d say. That’s the expectation. You’ve got to continue to push and get better and better and better.”
Wyatt ranked second on the team in both quarterback hits with nine and sacks with five, trailing only Rashan Gary. In doing so, he became the first Packers defensive lineman in the 21st century to record at least five sacks, nine tackles for loss, and multiple fumble recoveries in a single season.
The depth behind Wyatt on Green Bay’s interior isn’t particularly inspiring. Karl Brooks filled in admirably against Dallas, recording five pressures — the second-most on the team — but he has mostly been a rotational player and has struggled against the run.
Rookies Stackhouse and Warren Brinson are still developing, while Colby Wooden has shown flashes as a run stopper at best. Wyatt is the heart and soul of the interior line, and the sooner he returns, the better Green Bay’s chances of making a deep playoff run.
