Matt Johnson
The Green Bay Packers defense heading into training camp is one of the biggest uncertainties standing in the way of the club emerging as a top Super Bowl contender. While the Packers front office and coaching staff seem comfortable with the current group of players, one ESPN NFL expert believes there’s a free agent out there who would be perfect for Green Bay.
ESPN NFL analyst suggested the Packers should tap into NFL free agency to sign edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney, adding some pass-rushing depth to counterbalance the Micah Parsons injury.
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“The Packers are counting on Lukas Van Ness to finally live up to his potential as the starting edge across from Micah Parsons. But because Parsons (ACL) isn’t expected to come back until at least mid-October, which pass rusher are they going to play? Brenton Cox Jr.? Barryn Sorrell? The Packers need another veteran who can help fill in for Parsons and then provide depth once he returns.”
Aaron Schatz on why the Green Bay Packers should sign Jadeveon Clowney
- Jadeveon Clowney stats (2025): 8.5 sacks, 10 QB hits, 12 tackles for loss, 22 pressures in 13 games
Clowney, who will be entering his age-33 season, played very well last year for the Dallas Cowboys. The 6-foot-5 edge rusher recorded 8.5 sacks, his highest total since 2023, with his highest total in tackles for loss (12) since he earned a Pro Bowl selection with the Houston Texans in 2018.
While Clowney has never played under Packers defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, it’s easy to see why this would be a potential fit. Green Bay is still looking to fill the void at edge rusher created by the Rashan Gary trade, and, statistically, Clowney outperformed Gary this past season.
There’s also another potential incentive for the Packers. While it was expected that Parsons would miss at least the first four games this season, that timeline has now been extended, coming just a few weeks after the All-Pro edge rusher said a clean-up procedure on his meniscus would prevent a return until mid-October. More recently, his brother stated that he doesn’t think Micah practices until October.
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Based on that timeline, Green Bay’s defense could potentially be relying on Karl Brooks and Lukas Van Ness as its two primary edge rushers for the first month of the season. There’s also a lot of unproven talent behind them, and Barryn Sorrell and Dani Dennis-Sutton are iffy to make a real impact in 2026. If the Packers can’t pull off a Montez Sweat trade this summer, signing Clowney might be the best option to improve the depth at edge rusher.
