Packers defender's injury can have negative impact now and in the future

The timing of the injury is unfortunate for multiple reasons. Besides missing the rest of the postseason, Enagbare might miss most or the entire of the 2024 regular season.

"My heart hurts right now for JJ," Packers head coach said of Enagbare on Sunday. "It doesn't look good for him."

Role

Kingsley Enagbare was a fifth-round pick in last year's draft. He was expected to be picked earlier, but fell in the process, and Green Bay took advantage of that. This year, he had been the third edge defender in the rotation, behind Rashan Gary and Preston Smith, but ahead of first-round rookie Lukas Van Ness.

Against the Cowboys on Sunday, Enagbare played 42% of the defensive snaps.

The second-year defender had a solid season, with 24 pressures, two sacks, and 37 tackles (eight for loss). According to PFF, he had a 64.5 overall grade, 63.4 run defense grade, and 65.5 pass rush grade — each of them marked improvements compared to his rookie season.

Depth

The Packers have four other edge defenders on the roster, so the situation is not glaring. Gary and Smith are still the starters, and rookie first-rounder Lukas Van Ness becomes the immediate backup — he's played well in limited snaps and had a sack against Dak Prescott and the Cowboys.

The fourth option, though, is still a developmental piece. Undrafted rookie Brenton Cox Jr. made the 53-man roster, but was active for only four games — the most recent one was against the Detroit Lions on November 23. He's had just four defensive snaps and nine special teams snaps.

The Packers also have three edge defenders on the practice squad: Keshawn Banks, Arron Mosby, and Nigerian Kenneth Odumegwu, a member of the NFL International Player Pathway Program.