Grading the 2023 Packers: Kenny Clark and Defensive Line

Part 6 of our season-ending report card focuses on the Green Bay Packers’ defensive line, which surrounded Kenny Clark with a bunch of youngsters.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers were historically young at receiver and tight end in 2023. They weren’t quite that young on the defensive line, though they surrounded veteran Kenny Clark with a third-year player, second-year player and a pair of rookies.

That group, for the most part, was up to the task. Incredibly, all five players participated in all 17 games. In Part 6 of our annual season-ending grades, we focus on the defensive line. As always, our grades are done relative to their impact on the salary cap. Analytical stats are from Pro Football Focus and Sports Info Solutions.

Kenny Clark

2023 cap: $12,905,000. Position rank: 10th, according to OverTheCap.com.

Clark was a late addition to the Pro Bowl team after just another ho-hum, easy-to-take-for-granted type of season. He’ll never be mentioned alongside the likes of Aaron Donald or Chris Jones or Fletcher Cox, but you can just assume Clark’s going to make a bunch of impact plays every season.

Clark, who turned 28 in October, recorded 44 tackles and set career highs with 7.5 sacks and 16 quarterback hits. He added another half-sack in the playoff loss against San Francisco.

He averaged one tackle for every 18.4 snaps. With TJ Slaton manning the nose and Clark lining up either left or right, it was easier than normal to run away from him. Of 137 interior defensive linemen to get at least 100 pass-rushing opportunities, Clark ranked 10th in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap. His 61 pressures were one off his career high. His average tackle limited the gain to 1.5 yards, by far the best of his career, and the run defense was 0.18 yards per attempt better with Clark on the field. He missed seven tackles (13.7 percent).

Grade: B-plus.

Devonte Wyatt

2023 cap: $2,922,996. Position rank: 58th, according to OverTheCap.com.

A first-round pick in 2022, Wyatt took advantage of the free-agent defections of Dean Lowry and Jarran Reed to improve from 15 tackles, 1.5 sacks, three quarterback hits and zero tackles for losses in 2022 to 36 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 11 quarterback hits and six tackles for losses in 2023. He averaged one tackle for every 15.3 snaps and his average tackle came 1.7 yards downfield.

The Packers drafted Wyatt to impact the passer. And that’s what he did. Of 137 interior defensive linemen to get at least 100 pass-rushing opportunities, Wyatt ranked third in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity. He had 45 total pressures,

There is one glaring, enormous weakness in his game: tackling. He missed 11 tackles for a missed-tackle rate of 23.9 percent that was the worst among all NFL interior defenders with at least 20 tackles. He might have had 10 sacks had he not allowed so many quarterbacks to escape his grasp. The run defense was 0.19 yards worse when he was on the field. In 42 snaps against San Francisco, he had one tackle, zero pressures and two missed tackles.

Grade: C-plus.

TJ Slaton

2023 cap: $1,010,130. Position rank: 117th, according to OverTheCap.com.

If Wyatt is being paid to sack the quarterback, Slaton is being paid to stop running backs. A fifth-round pick in 2021, Slaton’s production this season was about the same as his combined totals from 2021 and 2022. He had a unit-high 49 tackles. Stationed at nose tackle, he averaged 12.8 snaps per tackle – by far the best rate on the unit.

The run defense was 0.32 yards per carry better when Slaton was on the field. His average tackle came 2.3 yards downfield. He missed too many, though; with eight misses leading to a missed-tackle rate of 13.6 percent.

Slaton just needs to play more consistently. When he did everything right, like he did in must-win games against Minnesota and Chicago, he was a blocker-eating, running-back-tackling menace. When his pad level got out of whack or he messed up his footwork, he was just 330 pounds of invisibility. That he ranked 105th in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity and had only 14 pressures is irrelevant.

Grade: B-minus.

Colby Wooden

2023 cap: $941,982. Position rank: 129th, according to OverTheCap.com.

A fourth-round pick, Wooden was the last man in a five-man rotation. He had 17 tackles, a half-sack, two quarterback hits and one tackle for loss. Of the 137 interior defenders with at least 100 pass-rushing opportunities, Wooden ranked 36th in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity with 11 total pressures in 105 chances.

Wooden averaged 15.0 snaps per tackle and missed one tackle (5.6 percent). While his average tackle was 3.0 yards downfield, the run defense was 0.57 yards better when he was on the field – the best mark for any of Green Bay’s front-seven defenders, according to league data.

Grade: C.

Karl Brooks

2023 cap: $803,007. Position rank: 152nd, according to OverTheCap.com.

A sixth-round pick, Brooks wasted no time in surging past Wooden to become the top backup. Brooks had 30 tackles, four sacks, five quarterback hits and six tackles for losses. He added four passes defensed, which was one less than Jaire Alexander and as many as safeties Jonathan Owens (three) and Darnell Savage (one) combined.

Brooks played mostly on the edge at Bowling Green. How would he acclimate to a new position against much better competition? Incredibly well. Brooks finished 30th in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity and had 25 total pressures. The run defense was 0.04 yards better when he was on the field. He averaged 19.0 snaps per tackle, his average tackle came 1.8 yards downfield and he didn’t miss a tackle.

Brooks finished sixth among rookie interior defenders in pressures. The players ahead of him? Three first-round picks, two second-round picks and one third-round choice.

Grade: B.

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