Smith, noun (plural smiths) – A craftsperson who works metal into desired forms using a hammer and other tools, sometimes heating the metal to make it more workable, especially a blacksmith.
Edge rushers are the new rock stars of the NFL. While our prima donna wide receivers usually have to score a touchdown before going into their dance, any time a pass rusher gets a sack, or even a tackle for a loss of yardage, it calls for some choreography.
Edge rushers are even pushing quarterbacks in terms of fame, name familiarity, and salary. J.J. Watt was one of the first such celebrities, followed by Vic Beasley, Von Miller, and Khalil Mack. And even before J.J, there was a guy named Clay.
While most Packers fans, myself included, were chanting sack-sack-sack, the team’s leadership had something else in mind. I imagine that the chief architect of the Packers outside linebacker plans was the dour one, Mike Pettine. Green Bay went out and signed up two complete players, not just a couple one-dimensional sack specialists – imagine that!
What’s particularly remarkable about obtaining the two smiths is how similar they are. They are both big and both tall: Preston goes 6’5” and 265 pounds; Z is just a bit stouter, at 6’4”, 272 pounds.
Playing for Mississippi State, Preston was named first-team All-SEC in 2014. Za’Darius spent two years at East Mississippi Community College, then transferred to the University of Kentucky for his final two years. Z made one expert’s list as third-team All-SEC. Both are small-town Southerners: Z hails from Alabama and Preston from Georgia.
The two 26-year-olds were born just a couple months apart. Each was drafted in 2015; Preston went early in the second round by the Redskins, 38th overall, while Z went in Round 4 to the Ravens. Each has played with just one NFL team to date.
Preston played little in his first year, but has been a starter the last three years. Z got more action as a rookie, but has been slower to crack the lineup. Each is coming off of his best year.
Za’Darius, a starter in eight of the Ravens’ games last season, tallied these numbers: 45 tackles, 8.5 sacks, 25 QB hits, two passes defended, and one forced fumble. He led his team in sacks, and was sixth in tackles. Preston recorded 53 tackles, four sacks, 16 QB hits, three passes defended, and one fumble recovery.
For his career Preston has 24.5 sacks, including two eight-sack seasons in 2015 and 2017. Za’Darius has 18.5 sacks, including 8.5 in 2018.
Each has been in one playoff game. Last season Z’s Ravens lost 23-17 to the Chargers. Preston and the Skins lost 35-18 in 2015 – to the Packers. Preston dragged down Aaron Rodgers for a safety in that contest.
The Smiths are two behemoths who have managed to stay healthy both in college and the pros. Neither missed a game in 2018, and Preston has never missed a game in his four years with the Skins.
I haven’t heard anything negative about either player have “character issues”.
Pay-wise, the two had some separation. Za’Darius commanded $16M per year, while Preston settled for $12M. That probably means the Packers see a bit more potential in Z, though it could also indicate that he had the tougher negotiator.
Bottom Line
McCarthy always preached that the starting point of a good defense was stopping the run — while Pettine likes to point out that most yardage gained against a defense comes from the passing game, so that’s his focus.
Regardless, whoever the key people were in securing these two promising guys, we should expect them to be both strong against the run and supplying lots of pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
Let’s not be too quick to rate this twosome simply by counting sacks. It might well be that the defense’s biggest improvement in 2019 will be at stifling opposing rushers.
If so, that should lead to more third-down-and-long situations, which in turn should result in fewer long scoring drives by opponents, and more favorable field position increased time of possession for the Pack.