Traditionally, the Packers keep four outside linebackers on the 53-man roster. It makes sense, since there really aren’t enough snaps to go around in a traditional 3-4 defense that typically only utilizes two edge rushers at a time in the base defense. 

That said, the current edge unit heading into training camp has already received some high praise from defensive coordinator Mike Pettine.

Pettine praised both seventh-round draft pick Jonathan Garvin and practice squad holdover Tim Williams directly, including them in the mix behind Za’Darius Smith, Preston Smith, and Rashan Gary. 

“This is as deep an outside linebackers room as I've been a part of in a long time. It’s a great problem to have,” he said during his most recent media availability. 

Williams, a former third-round draft pick in the 2017 Draft, is a still-developing rusher who’s shown flashes. In college at Alabama, Williams posted 57 total tackles with 30 for a loss, 20 sacks, three passes defensed, and two forced fumbles. With Baltimore, Williams added two sacks and five quarterback hits to his resume. 

Garvin, the team’s final draft selection in the 2020 Draft, brings length and speed to the defense. In his three years at Miami, Garvin totaled 106 tackles with 29 for a loss and 12.5 sacks with five passes defensed and three forced fumbles. He’s also only 20 years old and per Pro Football Focus had a pass rush grade of 88.2, second highest among all ACC defenders (min. 200 snaps). 

Beyond the trio of Za’Darius, Preston, and Gary, solidified at the top of the roster without budging, that would normally only leave one spot left. And going into the 2020 season, I’m not sure that’s the case anymore.  

When Pettine last spoke to the media, he had mentioned wanting to take some of the load off Za’Darius and Preston’s shoulders this season, as they’d played an exceptional amount of snaps in 2019. For context, Za’Darius played a career-high 84% of defensive snaps last season after playing only 67% of snaps in 2018 with Baltimore. Preston also played 84% of snaps in 2019, though he was used to that type of snap count after playing 81% of snaps with Washington in 2018.

While Gary should see a significantly increased share of the load in 2020 after playing only 24% of snaps last season, there are still going to be snaps available with the departure of Kyler Fackrell in free agency (Fackrell played 40% of snaps in 2019). 

What’s more, Pettine discussed the idea of using both Za’Darius and Gary along his defensive line in addition to their traditional edge rushing duties, saying both players are capable of rushing from a tackle spot. 

The versatility that both men bring to the defense could help improve one of the team’s biggest deficiencies. Just, for argument’s sake, let’s imagine Za’Darius, Kenny Clark, and Gary rushing from the interior with Preston and Garvin on the outside. That’s a lot of pressure bearing down on the quarterback, and it adds another layer to Pettine’s defense, with opposing quarterbacks never knowing where the rush is coming from. 

While Za’Darius and Gary will still see a bulk of their snaps on the outside, their ability to move inside or rush with a hand in the dirt benefits the defensive line. Defensive tackle Kenny Clark also played 84% of snaps in 2019, far surpassing his 68% total in 2018. Pettine acknowledged that that was a little high for Clark, too. 

But, the depth chart beyond Clark remains a work in progress, and that’s part of why keeping five outside linebackers make sense. This last season, Pettine mentioned that some of the snaps that traditionally would’ve gone to the defensive linemen stayed with the edge rushers because of the depth in that room. He knew his edge rushers could handle the increased load, and if the edge rushers are a position of strength on the roster, you build around that. 

While young defensive linemen like Kingsley Keke continue to develop, Pettine can work them into the rotation slowly by creating exotic blitz packages that showcase somebody like Gary rushing from over center. 

Per PFF, Za’Darius and Preston combined for 167 total pressures in 2019, with Za’Darius leading the NFL with 93. The Packers need that production to stay on the field, but adding a fifth body to the rotation to keep guys fresh not only helps the edge unit, but also frees up someone like Za’Darius to occasionally rotate inside. 

Many of us expected the Packers to bolster the defensive line either by drafting a player high or by signing a veteran free agent to pair opposite Clark. Perhap the Packers knew what it had in the edge unit already and will use an extra outside linebacker to address the problem that way, instead.