The Green Bay Packers put up solid sack numbers in 2020, but edge rusher Za’Darius Smith suffered a major setback in his production. The Packers’ top pass rusher had a breakout year in 2019, but his noticeable regression last season raised a lot of eyebrows. For this defense to reach its full potential in 2021, Green Bay needs Smith to have a closer resemblance to his 2019 form.
During the 2019 offseason, Smith signed a four-year, $66 million contract and wasted no time showing why it was the right decision. The former Baltimore Raven experienced a career year in which he set career highs in tackles, tackles for loss, quarterback hits, and sacks.