Grade incomplete.
That’s where rookie defensive tackle Chris McClellan stands through five weeks, and the Packers are still waiting for him to justify the draft-day investment. It has been a shaky start, and there’s no sugarcoating that.
Still, he was a third-round rookie only five games into his NFL career. That part buys a little patience.
The patience may be running thinner now. Javon Hargrave’s season-ending Achilles injury against the Chicago Bears left Green Bay scrambling again, following the loss of star linebacker Edgerrin Cooper in Week 4. The defense has a hole to patch, and McClellan looks like the cleanest answer.
Hargrave wasn’t lighting up the box score, but he gave the Packers’ front a steady, reliable presence. Those snaps have to go somewhere now, and a big chunk of them should land on McClellan’s shoulders.
His rookie introduction is over. Now comes the test.
Through his first five games, McClellan has been used all over the defensive line, bouncing between three-technique and nose tackle. He’s logged 145 defensive snaps overall, including 30 against the Bears.
His best showing came in Week 4 at Tampa Bay, when he made three tackles despite playing a season-low 38 percent of the snaps. For the year, Pro Football Focus has him down for five tackles and two total pressures. If the Packers are going to lean on him more, that production needs to rise.
The numbers haven’t been kind so far. McClellan’s 41.2 overall PFF grade ranks 120th out of 132, and while he’s been a little more effective against the run, he hasn’t done enough as a pass rusher. With Hargrave gone, Green Bay needs more from him in both areas.
The depth chart doesn’t offer many easy alternatives. Warren Brinson is already on injured reserve, and undrafted rookie Anthony Campbell has been dealing with injuries of his own. Campbell has played in just one game this season.
That leaves a real opening, and a significant one. Hargrave’s absence removes more than 30 snaps a game from the mix, and the Packers need someone to absorb them.
If McClellan can hold up, his flexibility could matter. He has the body type to handle nose tackle duties and enough athleticism to work as a serviceable defensive end in a 3-4 front. Green Bay also needs occasional relief for starters Karl Brooks and Devonte Wyatt, along with a backup nose behind Jonathan Ford, who has struggled as well.
Campbell, who took reps at nose in the preseason, has been out since Week 3 with an ankle injury.
So the door is open. The Packers need McClellan to walk through it, and whether he can do that is now his responsibility.
In Other News...
Packers Linebacker Shuffle Just Opened A Huge Chance For Ty'Ron Hopper
Edgerrin Coopers Achilles tear in Week 4 forced the Packers to rethink the middle of their defense almost immediately, and the early ripple effect has already been felt by Isaiah McDuffie and TyRon Hopper. Green Bay has had to redistribute linebacker snaps on the fly, and Hopper has been one of the clearest beneficiaries as the coaching staff looks for answers after losing a key piece.
Hoppers heavier workload in Week 5 came with a moment that stood out even beyond the snap count, a sign that Green Bay may be finding a useful option at a position suddenly short on certainty. Matt LaFleur has also been encouraged by Hoppers progress, and with the Packers still sorting out how they want the rotation to look, the young linebacker appears to be pushing himself into a much bigger role. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Suddenly Have More Patience With A Key O-Line Decision
Kevin Zeitlers arrival gave the Packers another veteran option on the interior of the offensive line, but it has not created an immediate timetable for a return to action. After joining Green Bay on Sept. 30, Zeitler has been working to regain game shape, giving the coaching staff a little more reason to wait before plugging him into the lineup. In the meantime, the Packers have leaned on Travis Glover at right guard while Jacob Monk remains out, and the arrangement has been steady enough to buy the team some patience.
Glovers play has not been flashy, and the grading has reflected that, but he has done enough to keep the right side from becoming a weekly problem. For a Packers front that has already dealt with enough moving parts, simply avoiding a breakdown matters, and it has changed the feel of this spot from urgent to manageable. Now Green Bay can afford to let Zeitler catch up on the back end instead of forcing a decision before he is ready. [Read more 🡒]
Packers Finally Get Josh Jacobs Back In The Mix Soon
Josh Jacobs has spent the start of the season away from the Packers while sitting on the NFL Commissioners Exempt List, part of an ongoing investigation tied to his May arrest. Even so, there is finally a path back into the teams routine, with the league set to clear the way for him to rejoin practice as the situation keeps moving forward.
For Green Bay, the news matters because Jacobs has already missed six games and his immediate status for Week 7 remains up in the air. The investigation is not over, but his return to the facility would at least give the Packers a chance to start working him back into the mix after a long stretch of uncertainty. [Read more 🡒]