At the Dallas Cowboys’ press conference after the trade of Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers, one of the first, and most repeated points by Jerry Jones in defense of the move was that in acquiring Kenny Clark, Dallas could achieve a primary goal of improving its run defense.
Whether that was a genuine driver of the Cowboys moving on from Parsons, or just the line they have decided to go with, there is no doubt that the trade of Clark should help Dallas against the run, and opens up questions as to how Green Bay’s interior will fare without him.
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Clark was not only the leader of the Packers’ defensive interior, he was the most natural and accomplished run defender within the group.
After nose tackle T.J. Slaton left in free agency and it became clear Clark would be the new nose, there was some concern over who would fill in if the 29-year-old missed time, with the rest of Green Bay’s defensive tackles more pass rushers than run stuffers.
Now he is off the team entirely, it is fair to question whether the Packers will be as strong in run defense as 2024, when the team allowed just 4 yards per carry to opposing running backs, the third-best mark in the NFL.
The numbers from 2024 support the idea that Clark is a plus run defender. He ranked in the 83rd percentile in average depth of tackle (AVDT) and the 66th percentile in stop rate (tackles resulting in a failure for the offense). He was above average in tackles per snap and missed tackle rate.
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This was all while ranking in the 72nd percentile for snaps played per game against the run. He has been a mainstay for the Packers for almost a decade, soaking up an incredible amount of snaps each year.
It is worth noting though, more for the Cowboys’ benefit, that in the previous two seasons, Clark was not as strong against the run, ranking in the 24th percentile in stops rate in 2023 and just the 12th in 2022. His run defense statistics were worse almost across the board than in 2024. His workload in run defense has also lessened with each passing year, going from the 90th percentile in snaps per game against the run in 2022, to the 86th in 2023 and as mentioned, the 72nd in 2024.
So while Clark is indeed a good run defender on the whole, he is not a one-man wrecking crew on the interior.
Still, he will be missed, and the Packers must figure out how to replace his impact in the run game. The answer is currently unclear, and Green Bay will be relying on a group of young players to form a competent unit against the run. There are reasons for optimism though.
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In admittedly limited snaps in run defense a year ago, Devonte Wyatt, now the most senior member of the defensive tackle group, had some impressive per-snap numbers. He was 5th out of 153 qualified players in AVDT, 6th in stop rate and 17th in tackles per snap.
However, “limited snaps” was really an understatement. Wyatt was 142nd in run snaps played per game. Whatever the reason for his limited snap count against the run, down from an above average number the year before, Wyatt is about to take on a much bigger role in that phase.
Karl Brooks is not a natural run defender, but improved in every metric against the run between his first and second season. His AVDT went from the 10th to 79th percentile from 2023 to 2024. He is trending towards being a league average run defender, which would be fine for Green Bay.
Likewise, Brooks’ draftmate Colby Wooden, who has put on weight every year after being drafted as a 273lb defensive tackle in 2023, was a better run defender in his second season than he was as a rookie, although he did not see the field much last year.
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Having bulked up again this offseason, Wooden looked like a different, more powerful player, impressing in training camp and in preseason games. The Packers moving on from Clark could be a vote of confidence in Wooden.
Green Bay also has two rookies to compete for snaps in former Georgia teammates Warren Brinson and Nazir Stackhouse, with the latter more naturally suited to a nose tackle role. Both players have flashed during preseason, but how much they contribute as rookies remains to be seen.
If the front is more leaky against the run, the Packers will have optimism that Edgerrin Cooper in his second year, Quay Walker, who improved in the back half of 2024, and perhaps even Parsons lined up as a linebacker on early downs, can do their part to make up the difference.
Rashan Gary also enjoyed arguably his best season in run defense a year ago, finishing 5th of 129 qualified edge defenders in stop rate, 6th in tackles per snap, 20th in missed tackle rate and 44th in AVDT.
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There is certainly potential that losing Clark in exchange for Parsons has an adverse impact on Green Bay’s ability to defend the run in 2025, but it should not be a backbreaking problem by any means.
This article originally appeared on Packers Wire: Can Packers stop the run after trading Kenny Clark for Micah Parsons?
