Grading the Packers: Outside Linebackers

Our grades are focused on performance relative to the salary cap. Rashan Gary’s breakout season helped the Green Bay Packers overcome the loss of Za’Darius Smith.

Bill Huber | Feb 4, 2022

In this story:

Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Player grades are a staple series of stories at the end of every NFL season. Ours are different, as we grade based on their impact relative to the salary cap. That’s because the cap is such a big part of building a roster. Not only must a team’s high-priced players deliver but it must have some of its less-expensive players outperform their contracts.

Generally, the Green Bay Packers got high marks from both groups in posting their third consecutive 13-win season, though too many fell flat in the playoffs.

This series continues with the outside linebackers. All salary data is from OverTheCap.com. Advanced stats are from Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions. Money and statistical rankings are among edge defenders (3-4 outside linebackers and 4-3 defensive ends).

Grading the Outside Linebackers

Za’Darius Smith ($14.62 million cap charge; ranking No. 7 among edge defenders)

As a Pro Bowler in 2019 and 2020, Smith piled up 26 sacks, 60 quarterback hits and five forced fumbles. He was a driving force behind defenses that reached back-to-back NFC Championship Games. This season was a disaster, though. He showed up to training camp with a back injury and practiced only once. He gave it a go in Week 1 and played 18 snaps before being shut down and ultimately having surgery. He was back for the playoffs and recorded a sack on his first snap but did nothing else of note for his final 18 snaps.

So, that was it: 37 snaps, one sack.

Smith was one of numerous veterans who restructured his contract to help the team get beneath the salary cap, so his base salary in 2021 was the league-minimum $990,000. His cap number for 2022, his final season under contract, will soar to $27.66 million. There’s no way he’s going to play under that contract. Either the Packers will extend him and hope for a Preston Smith-style bounce-back or they’ll dump him and save $15.28 million against the cap. To keep him, GM Brian Gutekunst better be sure of his commitment.

Grade: F.

Preston Smith ($8.73 million cap charge; ranking No. 21 among edge defenders)

After a dismal 2020 season in which he collected only four sacks, Smith returned on an incentives-laden restructure and had a superb season with nine sacks and two forced fumbles. He was excellent in every way, from rushing the passer to run defense to leadership.

Of 80 edge defenders with at least 214 pass rushes, he tied for 15th in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap. He tied for ninth with a career-high 62 pressures and was 14th with a pass-rush win rate of 18.1 percent. Against the run, he had five stuffs (a tackle at or behind the line of scrimmage). The run defense was 0.40 yards per carry better when he was on the field. He had one tackle for every 17.7 snaps.

With a strong season, he’s probably in line for a contract extension. Last year’s restructure helped the team get beneath the salary cap. In 2022, his final year under contract, his cap number will soar to $19.72 million. The Packers can move on and save $12.47 million against the cap.

Grade: B.

Rashan Gary ($4.33 million cap charge; ranking No. 36 among edge defenders)

A traits-based first-round pick in 2019 who had only 3.5 sacks during his final season at Michigan, Gary backed up the belief of general manager Brian Gutekunst and outside linebackers coach Mike Smith with a fantastic third season. He led the team with 9.5 sacks and 28 quarterback hits, the latter figure almost doubling up Preston Smith’s second-ranked 15. Of the 80 edge defenders with at least 214 rushes, Gary ranked third in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity. He ranked second in the NFL in both pressures (81) and pass-rush win rate (26.0 percent). He's just so powerful and relentless.

He had one tackle for every 14.8 snaps. Against the run, he had eight stuffs – most on the unit and second on the team. However, he needs to be consistently better against the run. The team’s run defense was 0.15 yards per carry when he was not on the field, which is hard to believe given his ability to set an edge through brute force. On a critical third-and-7 on the season-ending series against San Francisco, Gary charged upfield and Deebo Samuel ran right past him for a gain of 9 to set up the final field goal.

Grade: A-minus.

Jonathan Garvin ($799,821 cap charge; ranking No. 137 among edge defenders)

A seventh-round pick in 2020, Za’Darius Smith’s prolonged absence put Garvin on the field for 395 snaps – 310 more than his rookie season. He collected 19 tackles, including 1.5 sacks, in 16 games. As a pass rusher, he tied for 46th in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity. His pass-rush win rate was 12.1 percent, which tied for 58th. He had one tackle for every 20.8 snaps.

However, he was inactive for the playoffs. That was partially due to Za’Darius Smith’s return but also because he wasn’t good enough as a run defender. The run defense was 0.22 yards per carry better when he was not on the field. His average tackle vs. the run came 3.5 yards downfield – far and away the worst mark on the unit.

Grade: D-plus.

Whitney Mercilus ($716,667 cap charge; ranking No. 146 among edge defenders)

The Texans dumped the veteran after Week 6 to focus on some of their younger players. The Packers were thrilled to get him, and the change of scenery did Mercilus some good. In six games in Houston, he had two sacks and five pressures in 110 opportunities. In his first four games in Green Bay, he had one sack and 10 pressures in 80 pass-rushing snaps. He suffered a torn biceps in Week 10 against Seattle. He was back for the playoffs but didn’t do much in limited action. It was a very small sample size – he mostly played on passing downs – but his run defense was not nearly good enough. With five tackles, his tackle rate was 21.4 snaps per tackle.

Mercilus will turn 32 just before the start of training camp. If one or both of The Smith Bros. doesn’t return, he’d be a wise addition for veteran depth.

Grade: C-minus.

Chauncey Rivers ($469,444 cap charge; ranking No. 173 among edge defenders)

A waiver-wire addition from the Ravens, Rivers started the season as a key backup and special-teams performer before suffering a torn ACL at practice. In four games, he played 54 snaps on defense and finished with two tackles (27.0 snaps per tackle). With just one pressure in 32 chances, he finished last among the team’s outside linebackers in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity and next-to-last with a pass-rush win rate of 9.4 percent. He played another 44 snaps on special teams but didn’t get in on the action. Position coach Mike Smith liked his physicality and demeanor.

Grade: F.

Tipa Galeai ($293,333 cap charge; ranking No. 182 among edge defenders)

Galeai went from the practice squad to key backup thanks to all the injuries. Playing off the bench for the final seven games, he averaged 21.7 snaps and contributed 12 tackles and one sack. He had one tackle for every 12.7 snaps. He was active ahead of Garvin for the playoff game.

All the Packers’ outside linebackers are big, physical guys. Not Galeai. He is undersized and quick, which gives him a chance to contribute as a change-of-pace rusher. That didn’t show up this season, though. Galeai had five pressures in 89 pass rushes. His pass-rush win rate was a unit-worst 9.0 percent. Moreover, the run defense was 0.40 yards per carry better when he was not on the field, though he did chip in three stuffs – only two fewer than Preston Smith. With his size and athleticism, he needed to deliver more than one tackle on special teams.

Grade: D.

La’Darius Hamilton ($128,534 cap charge; ranking No. 202 among edge defenders)

The Packers raided the Buccaneers’ practice squad to get Hamilton after Za’Darius Smith was shut down in mid-September. An undrafted free agent in 2020, he played 64 snaps on defense in six games and contributed three tackles (all against the Rams), two quarterback hits and three pressures in 36 rushes. His pass-rush win rate was 17.1 percent; the league median was 14.2 percent. He had one tackle for every 21.3 snaps.

The Packers released him on Nov. 13, re-signed him to the practice squad and wisely retained him with a futures deal. To make it, he’ll need to be a presence on special teams. He logged only six snaps in that phase this season, so clearly the coaches didn’t think he was good enough to even help that woeful unit.