Green Bay Packers Named No. 9 Defense Despite Better Metrics, Analyst Suspects Regression Could Be Coming 3 Sep 22, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Green Bay Packers defensive end Rashan Gary (52) celebrates the sack against the Tennessee Titans during the second half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Packers Veteran Lobbies for Expanded Pass Rush Role

Originally posted on WI Sports Heroics | By Matt Lombardo | Last updated Aug 6, 2025 9:19 PM ET

The Packers are desperately looking for and hoping someone steps up as a disruptive force up front.

Whether it is Lukas Van Ness finally figuring it out and reaching his top-15 pick potential, or Edgerrin Cooper contributing even more on blitz packages than he did as a rookie, or Rashan Gary pushing for a career-year, there aren’t a lot of known commodities off the edge for Green Bay.

Packers’ Rashan Gary Throws Down a Gauntlet

Gary believes he can be coordinator Jeff Hafley’s heat-seeking missile aimed and deployed at opposing quarterbacks.

“Like I tell coach Matt, if he’s going to leave me free, ‘I’m the wrong person to leave free,'” Gary said, via ESPN. “So if I’m free to the quarterback free to a play, I’ve got to feel a way to impact it or make it. If I’m running to the quarterback and they’re trying to do a dish out to the screen, one thing as a defensive lineman, what’ve you got to do? Get your hands up. So I got my hands up and got a tipped pass.”

Packers' Defensive Line Has Long Way to Go in 2025 2 Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Kenny Clark (97) celebrates sacking Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa with defensive end Rashan Gary (52) and linebacker Quay Walker (7) during their football game Thursday, November 28, 2024, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisconsin.Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin.

The Packers’ pass rush win rate ranked 29th in the league last season, and if Green Bay is going to take a big step towards legitimately contending in 2025, the pass rush is going to need to take strides.

Gary might be the best suited and most likely to emerge, after posting 7.5 sacks last season, and 22.5 dating back to the 2022 campaign. If the 27-year-old can build on last season’s 47 pressures, he may just be the defensive playmaker the Packers are waiting to see emerge.