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Green Bay Packers' run defense is National Football League's best

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Perhaps the Green Bay Packers‘ biggest offseason needs were defensive tackle and inside linebacker.

After ranking 21st in run defense in 2015, the team needed physical run-stoppers up front. Though the pass defense also struggled, promising youngsters like Damarious Randall and Quinten Rollins made the secondary an issue of lesser concern.

This need only magnified following the unexpected retirement of B.J. Raji. The team took Kenny Clark with their first-round pick, but that was about all they did.

Blake Martinez was drafted in the fourth round, but his strength is in pass coverage rather than run defense. Thumper Sam Barrington was unable to make an effective return from injury and was cut at the end of camp, and mammoth defensive lineman Mike Pennell is still serving a four-game suspension for drug use.

So, just what is going on that the Packers lead the entire NFL in run defense?

Let’s take a closer look …

The Packers the best at stopping the run

Packers defensive end Mike Daniels was brought back to Green Bay on a team-friendly deal before the start of free agency. Brace Hemmelgarn-USA TODAY Sports

It is downright shocking, that the Packers rank first against the run in the NFL after two weeks with a paltry 78 yards on the ground given up.

There’s no obvious reason for this improvement, other than that the defensive front seven has played, and been coached extremely well.

Mike Daniels is the most significant contributor to this success. He’s been an absolute force in both the pass game and the run game, and he was especially disruptive against the Vikings.

Letroy Guion, meanwhile, has been the other key cog. He was playing surprisingly well through the first two games before spraining his MCL against the Vikings.

That injury will put the onus on the rest of the Packers’ defensive linemen until Week 5, when Mike Pennell is eligible to return from suspension.

Kenny Clark took Guion’s place for much of the game against the Vikings. Though the first-round rookie hadn’t shown much in training camp, he made a few impact plays and held up well overall. That’s a promising development for the team as it tries to sustain the absences of Guion and Pennell.

Nick Perry and Clay Matthews, meanwhile, have been stalwarts at outside linebacker.

The fact that Perry is receiving more snaps than Julius Peppers is indicative of the team’s focus on stopping the run.

He’s a powerful edge defender and is making an excellent argument for a long-term extension after this season.

Remember when inside linebacker was such a big need?

That’s hardly a concern these days as Jake Ryan and Blake Martinez man the starting spots, and a bigger and stronger Joe Thomas also receive snaps.

All three linebackers have done an admirable job of filling gaps, staying true to their assignments, and making sure tackles.

Morgan Burnett spent the majority of the Vikings game in the box to help stop Adrian Peterson. Though that left Damarious Randall and the secondary vulnerable to damage from Stefon Diggs, it was an effective strategy for shutting down perhaps the league’s most potent runner.

It will be a challenge for the Packers to sustain such excellence over the coming weeks.

They are very thin on the defensive line (Brian Price was elevated from the practice squad Thursday), and Kenny Clark is going to need to mature quickly as he’ll be almost a full time starter.

If the front seven can hold up against the run on their own, though, that will allow Burnett to play in coverage and help protect the young secondary while Sam Shields recovers from concussion.

The big story of the 2016 season is obviously the struggles of Aaron Rodgers and the passing game.

But if the run defense can continue to excel, the Packers will have excellent opportunities to win games.

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