The Green Bay Packers made a huge splash last summer with the acquisition of Micah Parsons. This spring, Pro Football Focus’ Bradley Locker would love to see another big move for Green Bay’s edge rusher room.
While choosing one free agent for the Packers to target in free agency, Locker named 3-time first-team All-Pro Khalil Mack as his top free agent Green Bay should sign.
“The Packers will receive some automatic addition this offseason as they await the returns of Micah Parsons and Tucker Kraft from season-ending torn ACLs. But even with Parsons back in the fold, Green Bay will need to boost an edge rushing room that owned the 21st-ranked PFF pass-rush grade after its superstar got hurt,” wrote Locker.
“Whether or not Mack returns for another season is still up in the air, but his productivity isn’t in question. The former Charger produced a 79.2 overall PFF grade last season with a 77.2 PFF run-defense grade and a 13.2% pass-rush win rate. The soon-to-be 35-year-old could bolster Green Bay’s pass-rushing rotation, which may or may not include Rashan Gary in 2026.”
Khalil last made first-team All-Pro with the Chicago Bears in 2018. He was a second-team All-Pro player in 2020.
But over the last four seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, he has remained a very steady player.
From 2022-24, he made three consecutive Pro Bowls. In 2023, he posted 17 sacks, 21 tackles for loss and 22 quarterback hits.
This past season, Mack had 5.5 sacks with six tackles for loss. He also had 11 quarterback hits and four pass defenses in 12 contests.
How Khalil Mack Could Fit With the Packers
Parsons turned in another strong season as a pass rusher in 2025. Despite missing the final three regular season games, Parsons ended 2025 with 12.5 sacks on his way to first-team All-Pro honors.
But the Packers finished tied for 20th in sacks. Rashan Gary was second in Green Bay after Parsons with 7.5 sacks.
Gary is under contract for two more years. But pundits are discussing the 28-year-old as a cut candidate because of his $28 million cap hit.
At the end of the season, Gary failed to make up for the loss of Parsons. That doesn’t help Gary’s case to stay with the Packers.
“Despite playing all 17 games, Gary never recorded another sack after the seventh game of the season,” wrote ESPN’s Rob Demovsky. “He played only 58.3% of the defensive snaps, something Packers coach Matt LaFleur explained as normal because he has ‘never been a huge snap-count guy.’
“Gary has had seven seasons to prove he is a major impact player, so what could possibly change in Year 8?”
If Gary is a cut candidate, the Packers will have to add some other edge rusher to pair with Parsons. Because of his ACL injury, Parsons is also likely to miss the beginning of the season. That makes Gary staying or another edge rusher replacing Gary even more important.
Mack isn’t the same dominant player from his Bears tenure. But he could be a quality edge rusher, especially down the stretch next year paired with Parsons.
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