The Green Bay Packers are set to open training camp later this month. This is the next in a series of articles previewing the Packers position by position, analyzing the talent on the roster and discussing key questions that are facing the team as they begin preparation for the 2024 season. Today we will examine defensive end. We will examine another position each day until the start of training camp.
To see our preview of the quarterbacks, click here and for defensive tackles, click here, click here for running backs, here for linebackers and here for tight end.
Packers 2024 Training Camp Position Preview Defensive End, Projected Starters: Rashan Gary
The Packers are hoping for a big season from Rashan Gary as he is now almost two years removed from his serious knee injury that cut short his 2022 campaign.
Gary should do well as a defensive end which he is transitioning to from outside linebacker. The new four-man front Jeff Hafley is installing will be a good fit for Gary who played with his hand on the ground at Michigan.
Gary is the team’s best pass rusher and has an excellent work ethic. If he can reach double digit sacks for the first time in his career, he could also earn Pro Bowl honors for the first time.
Preston Smith
Preston Smith may not be a Pro Bowl player, but he’s very consistent and adds veteran leadership to the defense.
Last season, Smith finished second on the team with eight sacks and 21 quarterback hits. He played in all 17 games last season. One of his strengths is his availability.
Smith gives the Packers a consistent performer who can get to the quarterback and has a high football IQ. He will need a strong season to be back with the team in 2025.
Packers 2024 Training Camp Position Preview Defensive End, Projected Backups: Lukas Van Ness
The Packers brough Lukas Van Ness along slowly in his rookie year. The 2023 first-round pick played in all 17 games and showed flashes of ability while being fourth on the depth chart at edge rusher. He played 33 percent of the team’s defensive snaps and recorded four sacks and 10 quarterback hits.
Like Gary, Van Ness played defensive line in college so the transition to defensive end should not be a problem for him.
The Packers expect the Iowa alum to make a second-year leap. While he may not start, expect Van Ness to take on a bigger role this season on defense.
Kingsley Enagbare
Kingsley Enagbare surprised a lot of people by being a full participant in OTAs. He had suffered a knee injury in the team’s playoff win against Dallas last week and it was thought he’d be facing a lengthy rehab that would force him to start the season on the PUP list.
Instead, the third-year man out of South Carolina will likely be a key part of the rotation at defensive end. Enagbare hopes to build on last year’s two sacks and six quarterback hits. He started four games and played in all 17.
If Enagbare can be more consistent, he can carve out a bigger role for himself this year and beyond. He has shown flashes of pass rush ability in each of his first two seasons.
Brenton Cox, Jr.
The Packers kept Brenton Cox on the roster last season for his potential. The undrafted free agent has the talent to succeed in the NFL but off the field issues kept teams from using a draft choice on him.
Cox played four total snaps on defense and nine on special teams in four regular season games. Last year, he kept himself clean off the field. Now, he needs to show he can play well enough to get more reps at defensive end and be successful on the field.
Keshawn Banks
Keshawn Banks spent 2023 on the Packers practice squad. The team signed him as an undrafted free agent last May.
The San Diego State product will fight for a depth spot on the roster or the practice squad. Playing well on special teams in training camp could help him in that regard.
Deslin Alexandre
Deslin Alexandre spent last season on the Bears practice squad after failing to catch on with the New York Jets in training camp.
The former Pitt star recorded 16.5 sacks in college and hopes to find a way onto the roster or at least the practice squad. He is a long shot to make the roster.
Arron Mosby
Unlike most of the other players fighting for depth roster spot, Arron Mosby has played three regular season NFL games. They came with the Carolina Panthers in 2022. The Packers claimed him off waivers last August and he spent the season on the practice squad.
Mosby showed he could be a playmaker in college, making 15.5 tackles for loss in his final season at Fresno State. Now, he needs to show he can get that done at the NFL level.
Kenneth Odumegwu
Kenneth Odumegwu joined the Packers last summer as part of the NFLs International Player Pathway program. The native of Nigeria spent the season on the practice squad learning about life in the NFL. He did not appear in a regular season game.
He hopes to show what he’s learned and to earn another spot on the practice squad this season.
Three Key Questions for the Packers Defensive End
Packers 2024 Training Camp Position Preview Defensive End: Question One, How Long Will the Adjustment Take?
The Packers transition to a four-man front will require adjustments from the defensive ends. Last year, these players lined up as outside linebackers.
There will almost certainly be a learning curve here, but how long will it take? The sooner the players are comfortable with the new, more aggressive system, the better the defense should play this season.
Question Two: Will Van Ness Make a Jump in Year Two?
Like Gary before him, the Packers are bringing Van Ness along slowly. He is not expected to start this season but should see a larger role in the defensive end rotation.
If Van Ness takes a step forward, he could earn more playing time and show he’s ready to assume a starting spot. Will this happen during the season, after the season or not at all?
Packers 2024 Training Camp Position Preview Defensive End: Is This the Year Rashan Gary Makes the Pro Bowl?
Gary has made some great plays and has one of the best pass rush win rates in the league according to Pro Football Focus. Yet, he has never recorded 10 or more sacks in a season.
Converting a few of those pressures to sacks and playing a little more consistently against the run would make Gary a prime Pro Bowl candidate in 2024.
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