Ranking Every Player on Packers’ Roster, Part 18: Not Enough Bang for Bucks

The Green Bay Packers will take a 90-player roster to the field for their first practice of training camp on July 23.

In a Packers On SI tradition, we are ranking every player on the roster. This isn’t just a list of the best players. Rather, we take talent, contract, draft history, importance of the position and depth at the position into consideration.

More than the ranking, we hope you learn a little something about every player on the roster.

No. 7: RT Zach Tom

Zach Tom might have to settle for being the second-best right tackle in the NFC North for many, many years.

The Lions’ Penei Sewell was the first-team All-Pro at the position each of the last two seasons. He’s only 24 and under contract through the 2029 season.

Tom is a big-time player and perhaps will go down as the steal of the 2022 draft. Not only was Tom a fourth-round pick, he was a fourth-round compensatory pick. At No. 140 overall, he was the fourth-to-last selection of the round. There’s no such thing as being a third-team All-Pro, but Tom finished behind only Sewell and longtime Eagles standout Lane Johnson in All-Pro voting at the position.

That came on the heels of missing most of the offseason program and the start of training camp with a torn pectoral.

How did he do it?

“It’s a credit to the training staff,” Tom said during OTAs. “They were able to get me back healthy within like four months from the injury, and I was able to practice during camp for a couple weeks. So, it’s not like I just went out there Week 1 and was just playing. That’s, again, credit to the training staff, strength staff, everybody. And credit to me, not to toot my own horn, but (shoot) …”

Informed it was OK to toot his own horn, he continued, “Honestly, once I came back, I mean, it wasn’t perfect, but you’re just playing football. You’re trying to, at least. I try not to think about injuries because everybody’s going through something.”

The next step, Tom said, is to be “a guy that can set the tone” and “block those elite edge rushers.” That’s critical at right tackle. Of the top 25 edge rushers in total pressures last season, 15 rushed most often from the defense left (or against the right tackle), including 11 at least 60 percent of the time, according to PFF. That includes studs such as Micah Parsons, T.J. Watt and Maxx Crosby.

Last season, PFF charged Tom with three sacks. While not boasting elite height, length or bulk, he’s become one of the top run-blocking tackles in the game.

While the coaches said Tom will have to compete for his job, he’s competing to start at right tackle as much as Xavier McKinney is competing to start at safety.

Following two strong seasons, a huge contract extension awaits. It will recognize he’s one of the best in the business, even if it’s never reflected in the All-Pro vote.

“Absolutely” recognition matters, he said. “It’s not like I set a goal to be the 10th-best tackle in the league. Obviously, I want to be the best so, yeah, absolutely. It’s nice to get recognition out there but, at this position, you’re not always going to get recognized. So, I don’t really take what people on the outside are saying too seriously. I’m more so worried about what people on the inside are saying. I just want to win at this point.”

No. 6: DE Rashan Gary

With a four-year, $96 million contract, Rashan Gary ranks eighth among edge defenders in annual salary.

Great money means great expectations. From a dollars-and-sacks perspective, Gary hasn’t lived up to them.

While he was a key part of one of the team’s best run defenses, the pass-rush production just hasn’t been there. Here were last year’s sack numbers for the top 10 edge defenders in average salary: Cleveland’s Myles Garrett, $40.0 million, 14.0 sacks, 82 pressures; Houston’s Danielle Hunter, $35.6 million, 12.0 sacks, 66 pressures; Las Vegas’ Maxx Crosby, $35.5 million, 7.5 sacks, 54 pressures in 12 games (14.5 sacks in 2023); San Francisco’s Nick Bosa, $34.0 million, 9.0 sacks, 69 pressures (NFL-high 18.5 sacks in 2022); Jacksonville’s Josh Hines-Allen, $28.35 million, 8.0 sacks, 63 pressures (17.5 sacks in 2023); Giants’ Brian Burns, $28.2 million, 8.5 sacks, 61 pressures; Pittsburgh’s T.J. Watt, $28.0 million, 11.5 sacks, 52 pressures (three-time NFL sacks champ); Chicago’s Montez Sweat, $24.5 million, 5.5 sacks, 49 pressures (12.5 sacks in 2023); Gary, $24.0 million, 7.5 sacks, 47 pressures; Minnesota’s Andrew Van Ginkel, $23.0 million, 11.5 sacks, 49 pressures; Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson, $21.0 million, league-high 17.5 sacks, 83 pressures.

Gary is entering Year 7. He still doesn’t have a 10-sack season. Every other player on that list has at least one. From that top-10 list, Gary had the fewest pressures last season.

Green Bay’s lackluster pass rush has to improve in order to be a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The Packers didn’t add a pass rusher in free agency, nor did they use a premium pick on one in the draft. It will be up to Gary and another first-round pick, Lukas Van Ness, to rise to the occasion.

Gary was picked for his first Pro Bowl last season, even though he went from 9.0 sacks and 60 pressures in 2023 to 7.5 sacks and 47 pressures in 2024. He is a good player and excellent leader. Now, can the 27-year-old find another gear and be that player who can beat a premier offensive tackle on a pivotal third down?

“It was an honor, privilege, man,” Gary said during OTAs of going to the Pro Bowl. “For sure a trip that I would love to take every year. I was able to take my family, my nephews, give them a different scenery, give them a different look.

“Just realize hard work pays off. I was able to sit back, pick a couple brains from top pass rushers across the league. Talk to offensive linemen. Got a couple tells on what they like seeing from me and what they don’t. It’s good, man. Being able to talk to the top guys around the league, bounce ideas off each other and also compete at a high level.”

No. 5: DT Kenny Clark

The Packers need this odd trend to continue: Kenny Clark was a Pro Bowler in 2019, 2021, 2023. Can they expect his odd-year dominance to continue in 2025?

With an annual salary of $21.3 million as part of last year’s contract extension, Clark ranks 13th among interior defensive linemen. The Packers need him to play to that level. And then some.

That wasn’t the case last year. He suffered an ankle injury on a Tush Push against the Eagles in Week 1 in Brazil and never quite recovered. He started all 17 games for the third consecutive year, but his production plunged from 7.5 sacks, nine tackles for losses, 16 quarterback hits and 60 total pressures in 2023 to one sack, four tackles for losses, five quarterback hits and 33 total pressures in 2024.

PFF’s pass-rush productivity measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap. Of 69 interior defensive linemen who played at least 250 pass-rushing snaps in 2023, Clark ranked eighth. Last year, he ranked 42nd.

“Every step,” Clark said he could feel the toe, “you know what I’m saying? You’re taking every step and the toe is busting. It’s something you’ve got to deal with, but it is what it is. That’s done. I got the surgery done and we’re moving forward.”

Defensively, Green Bay had a big-time debut season under coordinator Jeff Hafley. Moving forward, Clark began hosting evening get-togethers with teammates to learn and bond. That’s especially important for his unit, which lost TJ Slaton in free agency, meaning more will be demanded of Devonte Wyatt, Karl Brooks and Colby Wooden.

“We’ve been doing it pretty much this whole offseason,” Clark said. “We did it a little bit last year, get together and watch indy [individual drills] and all that kind of stuff. But we’ve been more consistent with it, just picking each other’s brain, talking about different formations, fronts.

“The main thing with them, I’m trying to get all the younger guys to understand formations and how to play the blocks. We’re going back to more playing technique [rather than jetting upfield], so it’s huge for them to understand formations and how people are going to try to block the front.”

Clark was the team’s nominee for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award last year.

“It’s awesome,” Clark said at the time. “It’s an honor to receive that award and be a nominee. It’s a testament to all the work that we’ve been putting in, me and my family. It’s awesome. I love giving back to my community, so to see that was real cool.”

At age 29, Clark is the oldest player on the defense. This will be his 10th season. Other than kicker Brandon McManus, no other player is beyond his seventh season.

How much longer does Clark want to keep playing?

“Honestly, I can’t see myself putting bad stuff on tape,” he said. “Until I feel like I can’t give that to the guys or I feel like I’m a step away from that, if I’m putting bad stuff on tape, then, yeah, get me out of here.”