[tps_title]2. Defensive Line[/tps_title]
Free agents: B.J. Raji, Ryan Pickett, Johnny Jolly, C.J. Wilson
Entering final contract year: None
The Green Bay Packers defensive line was a major weakness in 2013. The group faded horribly after a strong start to the season and was the primary reason the Packers couldn’t stop any opposing running back.
Their 125 rushing yards per game allowed was 25th in the NFL.
Now, word from 1265 is the Green Bay Packers are looking to get quicker and more athletic up front. That doesn’t bode well for wide bodies like B.J. Raji and Ryan Pickett returning. Of course, the Packers will need one big boy to play the nose and anchor the line.
There’s no reason it has to be Pickett or Raji, though. Of the free agents, only Johnny Jolly had a decent season in 2013.
Raji was awful and has proven himself to be no more than a warm body, Pickett underachieved and for the most part, C.J. Wilson was a non-factor.
So who do the Packers currently have under contract? A couple underachievers and a couple overachievers. Datone Jones, the Packers 2013 first-round pick, and Jerel Worthy, a 2012 second-round pick, fall into the former category.
Jones was never the every-down player the Packers projected him as when they drafted him. In fact, his playing time decreased as the 2013 season went on. Worthy has been a disappointment in both of his pro seasons. In 2013, he barely got on the field after returning from the physically unable to perform list.
It’s tough not to get playing time on a defensive line that is as bad as the Packers’ was in 2013.
The bright spot of the defensive line was Mike Daniels, who registered 6.5 sacks last year. The other overachiever was Josh Boyd, a 2013 fifth-round pick. Boyd was the guy who started taking snaps away from Jones at the end of the season.
Even if the Packers want to give their young guys room to develop, they’ll still need to sign and/or draft at least three defensive linemen. Hopefully, at least two of those guys come from outside the organization.
The defensive line is No. 2 on this list because the Packers need better players, but they also need bodies.