2011 Draft Prep: Green Bay Packers Needs by Position – Defensive Line

In this next installment of our 2011 Draft Prep series looking at the Green Bay Packers’ needs by position, we are going to analyze how the defensive line currently stands. Strengths, weaknesses, depth, and uncertainties will all be examined to determine the urgency of need in regards to next season.

This series is meant to help us figure out the needs of the team and how the draft could be used to improve the weaker areas. While Ted Thompson largely uses the “best player available” (BPA) approach, his decision to trade up or down the board is affected by what position players he would prefer to have. Additionally, the picking up of players in the later rounds and in undrafted free agency is often based on need, since the talent is less defined.

CURRENT PLAYERS:

#90 B.J. Raji [NT]
24 yrs. old / 2 yrs. exp.
Signed through 2013

#79 Ryan Pickett [DE/NT]
31 yrs. old / 10 yrs. exp.
Signed through 2013

#95 Howard Green [DE]
32 yrs. old / 6 yrs. exp.
Signed through 2011

#91 Justin Harrell [DE]
27 yrs. old / 4 yrs. exp.
Signed through 2012

#94 Jarius Wynn [DE]
24 yrs. old / 2 yrs. exp.
Signed through 2012

#96 Mike Neal [DE]
23 yrs. old / 1 yrs. exp.
Signed through 2013

#98 C.J. Wilson [DE]
24 yrs. old / 1 yrs. exp.
Signed through 2013

#68 Jay Ross [NT]
23 yrs. old / 1 yrs. exp.
Signed to reserve/future contract

#60 Curtis Young [LB/DE]
24 yrs. old / 1 yrs. exp.
Signed to reserve/future contract

#77 Cullen Jenkins [DE]
30 yrs. old / 7 yrs. exp.
Free Agent

#97 Johnny Jolly [DE]
28 yrs. old / 4 yrs. exp.
(Currently suspended from the NFL)

* Contract information acquired from RotoWorld.com

POSITION STRENGTHS:

If there is one player I would have to call the foundation of the Green Bay Packers defense, it would undoubtedly be B.J. “The Freezer” Raji.

Throughout the season, Raji was a constant force to be reckoned with. He excelled in his role as the anchor of the defensive line, eating up blockers and pushing the pocket when needed. Plus, it’s hard not to be impressed with a nose tackle that amassed 34 solo tackles, 7.5 sacks, and a pick-six all in one year. To top it off, he played over 85% of the snaps during the season. I don’t think it’s too much to expect more of the same in 2011 from such a young, motivated player.

Ryan Pickett seemed to be somewhat of a specter last season, but that, by itself, is nothing to be concerned about with a 3-4 defensive end. Pickett is a big-bodied veteran who excels against the running game and helps open pass-rush lanes for the linebackers behind him. He also serves as the back-up nose tackle when needed.

In addition to these two, the Packers have a few younger players who seem ready to take on increased roles next season. Mike Neal currently has the inside track to a starting job in 2011, as his (limited) opportunities had coaches and fans alike giddy about his performance.

C.J. Wilson is another young player that will probably see some increased playing time, since he had some bright flashes while filling in for Cullen Jenkins last year.

Overall, the defensive line was incredibly solid in 2010. The depth at this position really proved its worth with Johnny Jolly gone, Mike Neal on IR for most of the season with a shoulder injury, Ryan Pickett missing two games, and Cullen Jenkins also out for five weeks due to injury. Howard Green was an important, if unspectacular, mid-season signing in this regard, and he could fill a similar role next season.

POSITION WEAKNESSES:

Make no mistake about it, the (probable) absence of Cullen Jenkins will be felt on the line. Without him, the Packers will be missing an elite pass rusher who can give opposing offenses something to really worry about besides Clay “Bloodline” Matthews.

Sure, Mike Neal is the heir apparent to Cullen Jenkin’s position and C.J. Wilson showed some bright flashes during the season; however, Neal still carries some uncertainties with him and Wilson is more of a run stopper than a quarterback mauler.

The departure of Jenkins also reduces the veteran presence on the line.

Next year’s group will be a lot of young bucks who haven’t had a lot of practice in the system. Neal missed a lot of experience time due to his shoulder injury, and Wilson and Wynn both saw limited snaps throughout the season. These three, in addition to next year’s rookies, will also see their progress reduced due to the labor dispute and lack of offseason programs, such as OTA’s.

Finally, the depth along the line could be a factor next season. While the Packers were able to overcome the myriad injuries last season, they are going to be a little more shorthanded this season if they don’t add some more talent to the roster.

Besides, T.J. Lang probably would not prefer to see his number called again this year in goal line formations where more big linemen are needed.

POSITION UNCERTAINTIES:

Before we get into anything else, let me just state that resigning Cullen Jenkins is pretty much a pipe dream at this point. While the possibility remains that he could return, that chance is very slim. His skills at defensive end will come at a high price – a price higher than Green Bay would be willing to match. There is going to be some fierce competition from other teams to acquire him, and if I know Ted Thompson, he would rather have a compensatory draft pick in 2012 than spend a bunch of money on an aging veteran who’s seen his fair share of injuries.

Now that that’s out of the way, let’s move on to some bigger uncertainties:

1) How much longer is Ryan Pickett going to be around? Pickett was a major free agent acquisition by Thompson in 2006. (You know it’s serious when Thompson signs a free agent.) In fact, the franchise tag was placed on him after the 2009 season, after which the Packers signed him to a 3-year deal. He was important in fulfilling the role of nose tackle during the transition to Capers’ 3-4 scheme, but now his value seems to be diminishing.

In 2011, Pickett is slated to earn $2.7 million. That figure jumps up to $4.5 million in 2012 and $5.4 million in 2013, the last year of his contract. It’s not too crazy to think that his pay could be higher than his worth after this next season. He’s already 31, and if the Packers were willing to let Cullen Jenkins hit free agency this year, then there’s a good chance Pickett could be traded or even cut if they can find a younger, cheaper, more effective player to replace him.

(Actually, they probably already have this player in C.J. Wilson, in which case they would still be looking for added depth.)

2) Will Mike Neal be the answer at defensive end? The answer could very well be a resounding “yes,” but the uncertainty here is his susceptibility to injury. During college, he missed time with both a knee injury and turf toe. Neal also played through a torn labrum during the final games of his 2007 season. It was also a (same?) torn labrum that Neal had to have surgery on this past season with the Packers, landing him on injured reserve. This was after a rib injury caused him to miss the first couple games of the year.

Mike Neal is no Justin Harrell – or so we hope – but there are definitely some concerns with him. Add to this his limited time and experience in the system, and the uncertainties surrounding him are significant for next year.

3) Speaking of Harrell, what will the Packers do with him? And here you thought we had seen the last of Harrell after he left the Week 1 Eagles game with a torn ACL. No, the ill-fated 2007 first round draft pick is still a member of the team and could very well be competing for a spot on the roster next year. It’s not clear whether the front office and coaching staff is as frustrated with the situation as the fans are, but it will be something to monitor as we get closer to the season. Also, how they feel about Harrell could be a factor in how high the place their needs on the defensive line.

URGENCY OF NEEDS: Medium

After all the roster cuts were made, the Green Bay Packers kept six defensive linemen on the 53-man roster in 2010. This is also the same number they ended with, as Howard Green was signed and Jarius Wynn was elevated from the practice squad to replace both Harrell and Neal.

Without taking any potential rookies into consideration, the line-up for next year will probably be Pickett, Raji, Neal, and Wilson, with Wynn, Harrell, and/or Green filling in the final two slots. This being the case, there are no glaring holes that need to be filled immediately.

In the upcoming draft, Ted Thompson should be looking more for depth along the line than first-year starters. Though he’ll certainly nab any “value picks” to upgrade over players like Green and Wynn, he has the time to develop some of the later round prospects.

Despite the loss of Jenkins, the needs of the defensive line are moderate. Some greater talent would be welcome, but it’s not necessary, and the starting line-up is pretty much already set.

*** For further reading, check out “According to Hobbes: Packers Offseason Primer on the NFL Combine: Defensive Ends (Defensive Linemen)” by Thomas Hobbes. ***

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Chad Toporski, a Wisconsin native and current Pittsburgh resident, is a writer for AllGreenBayPackers.com. You can follow Chad on twitter at @ChadToporski

Follow @ChadToporski

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