Green Bay Packers: 5 players who must improve

3. Clay Matthews

Matthews led the Packers in sacks again (though narrowly) last year, with 7.5, and Pro Football Focus thought highly of him. But he has been increasingly banged up in recent years, as evidenced by just 11.5 sacks in 28 games over the 2015 and 2016 seasons and a general downward trend in tackle production. Matthews has now not reached eight sacks in four of the last five seasons, with an ill-conceived and injury-forced move to inside linebacker amid that stretch in 2015.

It would nice if Green Bay had better balance in their rush from the edge. Nick Perry has provided a solid complementary threat over the last two seasons, but he still has a long way to go if he is ever going to reach another level. Kyler Fackrell, a third-round pick in 2016, has just five sacks in two seasons, and 2017 draft pick Vince Biegel had his rookie season delayed by a foot injury before playing nine games with zero sacks.

So as Matthews goes, more than likely, so goes the Packers’ pass rush again this year. At 32 years old he’s not what he was, and durability will be an ongoing concern. But Matthews will have to make a push back toward double-digit sacks this year for Green Bay’s defense to reach its collective ceiling.