The Green Bay Packers secured a 20-3 win over the LA Rams this past Sunday, but they also saw star defensive tackle Kenny Clark leave the game during the start of the second quarter with a shoulder injury. Clark would later head to the locker room on the cart, and the Packers would rule him out for the rest of the game. Luckily, Matt LaFleur noted that there wasn’t any long-term concern for Clark’s injury after the game. And Clark logged a limited participation in Green Bay’s Wednesday practice.
However, Clark may miss some time or need to scale back his snap count in the short term. If that’s the case, don’t be surprised to see T.J. Slaton anchor the defensive line in the run game. Slaton’s PFF grade on the season has consistently increased over the last three years from 52.8 in 2021 to 61.7 in 2022 to 68.3 in 2023. In layman’s terms, Slaton has gone from a below-average rotational player to a solid to above-average starter.
Slaton has put a lot more highlights on tape. Slaton had nine tackles against the Minnesota Vikings, including two tackles for loss. He also became the Packers’ first defensive lineman to register that many tackles since Ryan Pickett in 2010. Slaton may have had only one tackle in Green Bay’s recent win over the Rams. However, his immediate interior pressure on a botched snap by the Rams helped set up Jonathan Owens for a sack-fumble.
Beyond the splash plays, Slaton is uniquely positioned to help defend the run from the interior. Slaton’s movement ability at his size is impressive and was fully on display in the play below, where he pursues an outside run, expertly navigates traffic, and catches up to get the tackle.
When Slaton is at his best, he engages and easily sheds interior offensive linemen. He can also knife into the backfield and cause tackles for loss. You can see that in the highlight reel below from last year’s New York Giants game. He uses his strength to control offensive linemen and effectively reads when to move them into a position where he can pick up a tackle.
Beyond Slaton, the likes of Devonte Wyatt, Colby Wooden, and Karl Brooks will all also receive increased snaps if Clark is out. Like Slaton, Wyatt has had a quiet breakout season in 2023. He ranks fourth among all defensive linemen in PFF’s pass-rush productivity metric. Wyatt has amassed 23 pressures thus far this season while paying only 144 pass-rush snaps. Slaton brings more to the run defense from a traditional nose tackle position. However, Wyatt may help replace some of Clark’s ability to pressure from the interior and 3-technique positions across the defensive line.
Rookies Brooks and Wooden both could also see more time in the defensive line rotation. While neither rookie possesses Clark’s size, Wooden has started to perform a bit better in the run game. Earlier this year, Wooden was playing 30-plus snaps in the first two games with mixed results. But in the last two weeks, Wooden has posted 15 snaps with a 75.7 and 82.2 PFF grade with great marks in run defense. It could indicate that Wooden has been catching up more to NFL game speed and is ready for additional work.
Overall, the young players on the defensive line have increasingly stepped up this season. Kenny Clark highlighted the progress of his fellow linemen, “It’s awesome, man, anytime I see those guys ballin’ it’s good. It shows the work they’ve been putting in. It shows how they prepare. Nothing is too big for them. I went down and they knew all the calls, where to be, and they played at a high level.” Clark’s comments speak to the growing confidence in Slaton, Wyatt, Wooden, and Brooks. Regardless of Clark’s ability to go on Sunday, the standard should be held high for the defensive line against the Pittsburgh Steelers and running backs Jaylen Warren and Najee Harris.
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