If you are talking about the Green Bay Packers pass rush, the conversation quickly turns to two players. Outside linebackers Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith have led the way for the Packers this season, combining for 25 1/2 sacks. Both players were free-agent pickups and both have been worth every dime that general manager Brian Gutekunst gave them. But there is another player that has contributed to the Packers pass rush. One that has created pressure from the interior of the Packers defensive line. Nose tackle Kenny Clark has been a standout this December for the Packers.
Kenny Clark Finishing December Strong
Former Packers general manager Ted Thompson selected a lot of players during his 12 years running the Packers. Of course, his best selection was taking quarterback Aaron Rodgers in the first round in the 2005 draft. While the selection of Rodgers will be the most remembered, the selection of Kenny Clark will also be another feather in Thompson’s hat.
In the 2016 NFL draft, Thompson and the Packers selected Kenny Clark with 27th overall pick. Clark spent three seasons at UCLA. In his final season as a Bruin, he posted 47 solo tackles, 10.5 of them for a loss, and five and a half sacks.
The Packers were in need of a young nose tackle at the time he was drafted. He entered his rookie season just 20 years old. Since then, Clark has improved in each season as a professional. He enters Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions with a chance to top his best sack total in a season. As a nose tackle, his six sacks for a season is quite impressive.
Saving His Best for the Stretch Run
Kenny Clark started this season strong with 1.5 sacks against the division rival Chicago Bears and Minnesota Vikings. But unfortunately for Clark and the Packers, he started to deal with some nagging injuries. Those injuries would hamper his production throughout the heart of the season. But then December rolled around.
This past month, Clark has posted four and a half sacks. Against the Bears in week 15, he chalked up two sacks. The numbers he has posted this season are impressive. But what makes it even more impressive is that he is doing it without defensive tackle Mike Daniels playing next to him. Daniels was released before this season.
Clark isn’t just doing it as a pass rusher either. Since Clark started getting healthy, the Packers run defense has improved as well. In the past three games, the Packers run defense has held the opposing team’s top rusher to under a 100 yards.
Clark’s superb run defense was on display this past Monday against the Vikings. As this play illustrates, Clark was disruptive against the Vikings rushing attack.
Defensive coordinator Mike Pettine likes to use a lot of different looks for his defense. Kenny Clark can lineup over the center, but in certain packages, he can be kicked out to defensive tackle. That is where he was lined up at when he registered his one sack of Kirk Cousins on Monday night.
Young, interchangeable, and now healthy, it appears that the Packers have themselves a standout in Kenny Clark. Gutekunst and the Packers will need to work quickly to lock up Clark’s services for the future.
A Big Pay Raise on the Horizon
Kenny Clark is still playing under his rookie contract. That contract’s last year will be after the 2020 season. When the deal runs out, he will be only 25 years old.
For a player so young and playing so well, it would seem a foregone conclusion that the Packers will lock Clark up to a long term deal after this season. The Smiths have shown they are worth the deals they signed. But Clark has also shown he should be paid top dollar at the position he plays.
Until that is done, Kenny Clark and the Packers defense will be focused on helping lead the Packers back to the Super Bowl. It appears that Clark is hitting his stride and it couldn’t come at a better time.
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