The Green Bay Packers wanted to open the door to more opportunities for the team’s young edge rushers, so general manager Brian Gutekunst sent soon-to-be 32-year-old defensive end Preston Smith to the Pittsburgh Steelers at Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline.
Kingsley Enagbare, a 2022 fifth-round pick, and Lukas Van Ness, a 2023 first-round pick, were both playing more snaps than Smith at defensive end in recent games. They will continue as the primary players opposite Rashan Gary and may see an uptick in snaps overall. Without a doubt, the Packers will need more disruptive production out of Enagbare and Van Ness over the second half of the season.