One week into training camp, the Packers are already living with the kind of problem Micah Parsons can create when he’s not on the field.
Green Bay’s defense is still finding ways to heat up the quarterback under new defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, but the answers have come in the form of cornerback blitzes at Ray Nitschke Field. That’s usually a sign a staff is reaching deeper into the playbook than it wants to this early. The edge rushers, meanwhile, haven’t seized the moment.
That’s the concern hanging over camp: no one at the position has taken firm control of the job. The pressure has been inconsistent, and that has made the pass rush one of the biggest issues for the Packers.
“The early returns during camp haven't been especially encouraging when it is starters vs. starters,” Bill Huber of Packers On SI wrote on Monday. “It's a huge problem that could tank the season.”
There are caveats, of course. Javon Hargrave still isn’t out there yet, and Devonte Wyatt is working back from injury.
Both should help collapse pockets from the inside. Parsons, when he returns, will change the picture too.
But Green Bay still needs an edge defender to step forward now, not later.
Lukas Van Ness has shown flashes and increased his pressure rate last season even while dealing with injuries. At camp, he’s been the Packers’ best pass-rusher.
Still, the production hasn’t been overwhelming. On Tuesday, Ryan Wood of the Green Bay Press-Gazette reported that Van Ness went 0-for-3 in one-on-ones against left tackle Jordan Morgan.
Those drills don’t tell the whole story, but they also don’t suggest Van Ness is running away with the job.
There have been other moments worth noting. Dennis-Sutton stood out once the pads came on, a positive sign even if he’s only a fourth-round rookie.
Sorrell turned in his best practice on Tuesday and added a pick-six. Brenton Cox Jr. has looked solid.
Collin Oliver drew attention from reporters on Sunday when he handled his matchup against backup tackle Dalton Cooper with ease.
Those are encouraging snippets. They are not yet a solution.
The larger issue is that the pass rush has largely gone quiet when the Packers go starters against starters. Unless Gannon brings extra pressure, the rush isn’t consistently getting home.
That puts a lot on the coordinator. He’s already leaning on cornerback blitzes, and that may become more common than Green Bay would prefer.
Up front, the burden falls on a group effort. Hargrave and Wyatt need to lead once they’re fully healthy.
Van Ness has to function as the de facto No. 1 edge rusher until Parsons is back. And one of Sorrell, Dennis-Sutton, Cox, or Oliver has to provide a weekly spark.
The best-case scenario is obvious: Parsons returns, commands attention, and opens things up for everyone else. That’s when Gannon’s disguised looks and blitz packages should really start to bite.
Until then, the Packers are in survival mode.
It’s the same trap Jeff Hafley ran into after Parsons’ ACL tear last winter. When Parsons was healthy, Hafley didn’t have to blitz much and could keep things in front of his defensive backs.
Parsons handled the pressure on his own. Once he was gone, the defense had to take more risks.
Gannon may be headed down that same road. There’s still time for someone on the edge to emerge, but one week into camp, Green Bay is already feeling the Parsons-sized void.
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