The Green Bay Packers have a number of voids to fill on their roster this offseason. Fortunately, head coach Matt LaFleur is optimistic about the state of his pass-rush.
Green Bay managed to shore up some depth this offseason with the addition of edge rushers Za'Darius Smith and Preston Smith. Lafleur expects both players to become an integral part of the Packers defense for years to come, via the team's official website:
“The one thing that is so unique about those guys is they're still pretty young in their careers,” LaFleur said. “Their best football is front of them. When you got two guys taking care of the edges, it presents a lot of problems on the defense. Not only from a pass-rush perspective, I think those guys bring it in the run game as well.”
There is good reason for Lafleur to be optimistic about his new additions. Both players have shown plenty of promise early on in their careers. LaFleur is optimistic that they will be players to build around moving forward.
Smith is coming off a breakout 2018 campaign with the Baltimore Ravens. He finished the season with 45 tackles and a team-high 8.5 sacks. Meanwhile, the other Smith is coming off another solid year of his own. He has recorded 95 tackles 12.0 sacks and three interceptions over the last two seasons with the Washington Redskins.
Aside from their recent production, both players are members of the 2015 NFL Draft. The 26-year-olds are undoubtedly in the prime of their playing careers. LaFleur is hoping the Packers can capitalize off of it.
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