On what was a vastly improved defense in 2025, under first year NFL defensive coordinator, Jeff Hafley, there stood out one clear weakness for the Green Bay Packers:
The pass rush.
Although the Packers ranked joint 11th in the league with 45 team sacks last season, the pass rush did not consistently produce.
Over half of Green Bay’s sacks (24) came in just four games against the Seahawks, Dolphins, Texans and Titans, all of whom had offensive line issues throughout the year.
After those four games, the team did not manage to produce a game with more than three sacks. despite sporting four former first round picks; Devonte Wyatt, Kenny Clark, Rashan Gary and Lukas Van Ness; on the defensive line.
Despite this uneven production from an area that, in theory, should be a strength of the team; production that resulted in defensive line coach, Jason Rebrovich, being fired at the end of last season; general manager, Brian Gutekunst remains optimistic.
Speaking at the league owners’ meeting on Monday, Gutekunst seemed happy about the team’s transition from 3-4 to 4-3 base defense: a switch that has a disproportionally strong impact on the roles of the team’s edge rushers, Gary and Van Ness, who both enter 2025 with a point to prove.
Brian Gutekunst doesnât feel need to âgo chaseâ pass rushers:
âWe can do everything we need to do from the players we have on our roster right now. Because I think thereâs a significant amount of improvement from those guys, not only Year 2 in the scheme, but individually.â pic.twitter.com/oxewjV5N0y
â Ryan Wood (@ByRyanWood) March 31, 2025
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Packers GM Pleased At The Direction Defense Is Moving In
“I thought they took a big jump during the season”, Gutekunst said to reporters on Monday, “I thought by the end of the year we were playing some really good football on defense, so I’m excited to see what year 2 [in a 4-3 base defense] brings….I’m excited to see what we can do.”
With regards the pass rush, “Gutey” was similarly bullish on the team’s prospects this upcoming season, noting that the team is not set on definitively adding another player on the edge rusher in next month’s draft.
“I think we can do everything we need to through the players we have on our roster right now”, Gutekunst said, “Because I think there is a significant amount of improvement from those guys. Not only in year 2 of the scheme, but individually as well. We’ve invested in that quite a bit already and I’m excited to see the growth those guys will have.”
Although the Packers GM, who is going into his eighth year in the role, did not rule out taking a player on the defensive line if one falls to the team over the course of the draft, he noted that he did not feel the need to “chase” one during the three-day selection process.
Data Gives Encouragement To Third Year Edge Rusher
Much of Gutekunst’s validation within his defensive line optimism will live and die by the performances of third year edge rusher, Lukas Van Ness, who has shown promising ability but has yet to develop into a full time starter.
A role, incidentally, he did not even take on during his time at Iowa, despite being selected with the 13th overall pick in the 2023 draft by the Packers.
However, data from his first two years in the NFL seems to very much parallel that of his Pro Bowl teammate, Rashan Gary, who was selected with the 12th overall pick back in 2019.
Rashan Gary pass rush grades in his first two seasons in the NFL:
59.5
65.9Lukas Van Ness:
58.5
64.7Weâre all supposed to be panicking about Van Ness though.
â Mark Oldacres (@MarkOldacres) March 30, 2025
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With both having very similar pass rush grades in year 1 & 2 – especially given their similar profiles as raw, highly athletic talents at the position – many believe that this bodes well for Van Ness coming into a crucial year 3, where he will be the expected starter for the first time since high school.
Gary has had his ups and downs in his career, and this data cannot predict the future in and of itself, but perhaps it highlights a trend within the 23 year old’s trajectory. Packers fans will certainly be hoping that he can reach Gary’s heights and more.
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