One position that the Green Bay Packers are going to look vastly different at in 2023 is along the defensive line. Veterans Dean Lowry and Jarran Reed both departed in free agency, taking over 1,000 snaps played in 2022 along with them.
Luckily for the Packers, they still have Kenny Clark as the anchor in the trenches. Clark, who only turns 28, is ready to assume the mentor role this season that he remembers veterans playing for him when he was a rookie.
It is something that Clark is looking forward to, as he wants to pay it forward similarly to how it was done for him. One player that he will assuredly be taking under his wing during the 2023 season is TJ Slaton.
Slaton, a fifth-round pick of the Packers in the 2021 NFL Draft, has played in all 24 games his first two seasons in the NFL, making two starts last season. He saw his snaps percentage go from 24 to 32 percent last season and he is in line for an even bigger jump this year.
During training camp it has been Slaton, not Devonte Wyatt, staying on the field along with Clark when the Packers switch to their nickel defense, according to Paul Bretl of Packers Wire. Slaton’s main purpose along the defensive line is to be a space-eater in the run game.
Alas, the Packers’ coaching staff certainly isn’t going to limit what he does on the field. He has showcased some pass-rushing ability, breaking into the backfield throughout training camp. His performance is one that has stood out enough to impress head coach Matt LaFleur.
“I think TJ has really been working hard,” said Matt LaFleur after Tuesday’s practice. “I think by and large, our effort, quite frankly, particularly with that position, our guys’ ability to put the foot in the ground and retrace, has been outstanding. It’s probably been the best we’ve seen it, and TJ’s done a nice job and continues to take those steps and is becoming a better and better player. Obviously, we need that, you can never have enough big guys, and he’s doing a great job.”
If Slaton can make the kind of impact in the running game that the Packers believe that he can, he will find himself playing a lot. Run defense was a major issue for the team last season as they ranked 26th in rushing yards allowed and 28th in yards per carry. Per Packers Wire, they were second worst in DVOA.
If the Packers want to find team success in 2023, their run defense has to improve. The defense is going to be what this team leans on in the early going and becoming a well-rounded unit is imperative to reaching the heights they believe they are capable of.
