The Green Bay Packers went into the offseason knowing the defense needed help, and they attacked that problem on the front end. After late-season struggles to rush the passer and hold up against the run, Green Bay added bodies and talent up front, with Javon Hargrave standing out as one of the biggest moves.
Hargrave came over as a two-time Pro Bowl interior defensive lineman, leaving the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC North and reuniting with Jonathan Gannon, who was the defensive coordinator of the Philadelphia Eagles for most of Hargrave’s time there. And after 10 NFL seasons, Hargrave has seen enough quality pass rushers to know what he’s looking at when he sees it.
That’s why his comments Tuesday about Brenton Cox matter.
Speaking after practice, Hargrave was asked about the young edge rushers around him while Micah Parsons remains out to start the season as he continues recovering from a torn ACL. Hargrave praised several teammates, but he singled out Cox with especially strong words.
“Man, he’s got every move in the book,” Hargrave said. “Especially pass rush.
He went outside, inside, power. I feel like he’s got no weaknesses when it comes to that.
There’s not many that can do that, honestly. You’ve either got a power, or sometimes you’ve got a speed guy, but I feel like he shows everything with power and speed.
That just makes him so much more dangerous.”
Cox entered the league as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and has appeared in 15 career games. Injuries and the players ahead of him on the depth chart have limited his chances, but he’s still produced 5.0 career sacks in that span.
His best stretch came in 2024, when he got on the field for seven late-season games after Green Bay’s defensive line was hit hard by injuries. During that run, he finished with 12 total tackles, 4.0 sacks, and a forced fumble.
With Parsons expected to miss at least the first five games of 2026, the Packers will need that kind of production from players like Cox. If Hargrave’s assessment is any indication, Green Bay may have found a pass rusher worth watching closely in the meantime.
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Packers Face A Josh Jacobs Worry That Could Hit Before Week 1
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ESPNs Adam Schefter reported that the NFL is looking into the matter and that discipline could come before the season begins, leaving Jacobs and the Packers in a holding pattern as Week 1 approaches. Jacobs has denied any wrongdoing and was released from jail, while the case remains under investigation, creating a murky situation for a backfield that was hoping for a clean start. [Read more 🡒]
Packers New Alternate Look Has Fans Debating What History It Honors
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For now, the club has only offered a teasing video and a few hints from president Ed Policy that the design will draw from a distinctive slice of Packers history. That has left fans doing what they do best anytime Green Bay puts out a cryptic reveal, debating which era, color scheme or tradition the team is trying to honor, and waiting for Tuesday to settle the argument. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Fans Still Dont Talk Enough About This Lombardi Era Defender
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Gremmingers value showed up in the way the Packers trusted him over time, from the ball production to the leadership. He finished his 10-year run in Green Bay with 28 interceptions and served as a defensive captain in 1964 and 1965, the kind of details that remind you how much of a title team is built on reliable, underappreciated defenders. For fans looking back at the Lombardi years, he is one of those players who helps explain why those teams stayed so tough for so long. [Read more 🡒]