With defensive concerns on the edge, the Green Bay Packers should explore veteran options. Could Jadeveon Clowney's proven edge-rushing ability revitalize Green Bay's pass rush?
The Green Bay Packers still need help on the edges of their defense.
Yes, Micah Parsons is a superstar pass-rusher, and Lukas Van Ness is the No. 13 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. Hypothetically, a pass-rushing duo of honest-to-goodness superstar and former first-rounder should be able to get the job done for the Packers.
The problem is that Parsons suffered a torn ACL in December of 2025, so there's no guarantee he'll be ready for the first few games of the 2026 season. In fact, it's unlikely.
Then there's Van Ness, who has notched just 8.5 sacks in three NFL seasons. He was drafted to be the next great thing. This is the 6-foot-5, 272-pounder they nicknamed "Hercules" at Iowa.
Yes, he played in only nine games last season due to injury, but 1.5 sacks on the season from the No. 13 overall pick is pathetic. That's just not going to get the job done.
So yes, the Packers need help on the edge. Right now, with Parsons coming back from injury, they're going into 2026 with Van Ness across from either Brenton Cox Jr. (undrafted free agent) or Barryn Sorrell (an unproven fourth-rounder).
The Pack could fill this need in the 2026 draft, of course, but there are more pressing needs there. Pick No. 52 (their first in this draft) should be a player who can be a starting cornerback. Heck, it wouldn't be a bad idea to take multiple cornerbacks in this draft.
As such, the Packers could and should look towards the "second wave" of free agency to pick up a veteran who can still get the job done on the edges.
In this writer's opinion, the veteran pickup should be former No. 1 overall pick Jadeveon Clowney.
Clowney, 33, is not the player he once was. In fact, you can make the case that he never lived up to his potential coming out of South Carolina. He was selected No. 1 overall by the Houston Texans in the 2014 NFL Draft. He was a three-time Pro Bowler, but never got over 9.5 sacks in a single season, which is disappointing because he looked like a generational prospect with the Gamecocks.
Clowney has been a journeyman since 2019 and has played for the Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers and Dallas Cowboys after five seasons in Houston.
He's an EDGE for hire at this point in his career, but he can still get after it as a complementary piece to a pass-rush. In fact, Clowney notched 8.5 sacks last season for the Cowboys. According to Daniel Popper of The Athletic, Clowney had a 19.1% pressure rate last season, which was fourth amongst all players with at least 200 pass-rush snaps.
This is a guy who can still get after it. Now imagine what he could do playing across from a healthy Micah Parsons. It's enticing, isn't it?
Popper projects that Clowney should get a one-year, $12 million deal as a free agent. The Packers currently have around $22 million in cap space. Yes, they'll need some money to sign draft picks, but they have the money to bring Clowney in.
And they should do it. Immediately.
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