Za'Darius Smith An Elite Pass-Rusher
5 years agoGreen Bay Packers outside linebacker Za'Darius Smith provided immediate returns after the Packers signed him to a lucrative free-agent deal before the 2019 season. He pressured the quarterback on 19.4 percent of pass rushes when lined up on the interior, which was the highest rate among all defenders rushing from the interior with a minimum of 100 interior pass rushes. Smith finished second overall in pressure percentage at 14.8 percent, trailing only Myles Garrett. Smith and defensive tackle Kenny Clark combined for 120 QB pressures in 2019, the most by any pass-rushing duo in the league. He had a career-high 13.5 sacks last year and 8.5 the year before, but he leaves a lot to be desired from an IDP standpoint because he's not as strong against the run and doesn't rack up many tackles.
Source: NFL.com - Nick Shook
Source: NFL.com - Nick Shook