At first, it was surprising that the Green Bay Packers didn't address the edge position throughout 11 picks in the draft. But the post-draft press conferences showed why that decision was made.
Head coach Matt LaFleur initially said that third-year player Kingsley Enagbare did not have a torn ACL in January as had been reported. Right after that, general manager Brian Gutekunst explained the details.
"We pleasantly got some good news and think we avoided a complete tear," Gutekunst said.
The partial tear does not require surgery, and the recovery process is simpler and shorter. Enagbare is still working to get fully healthy, but it looks like he has a real shot at being available by training camp.
Depth
If Kingsley Enagbare is healthy to play in week 1, the edge defender group is at a really solid spot. He is the fourth player in the rotation, behind Rashan Gary, Preston Smith, and Lukas Van Ness.
The roster is also full of players fighting for roster spots at defensive end: Brenton Cox, Keshawn Banks, Deslin Alexandre, Deandre Johnson, Arron Mosby, and Kenneth Odumegwu.
Performance
Kingsley Enagbare, a fifth-round pick in 2022, had a solid second season in the NFL, with a 64.5 PFF grade. He played 45% of the defensive snaps in 2022 and 41% in 2023 — as a rookie, he had to play more because Rashan Gary tore his ACL in the middle of the season, and the team hadn't drafted Van Ness yet.
Enagbare finished the 2023 season with 24 pressures, including 16 hurries and six hits. He also had 18 stops and forced a fumble.
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