Aaron Kampman

Kampman has been brought in as the "great sacking hope" for a team that only had 14 sacks as a team last year. The Jags' pass rush is putrid, so Kampman will be given every opportunity to rush the passer, provided he's fully healthy.

Kampman saw his sack total drop for the third consecutive year in 2008 and now the Packers are switching to a 3-4 defense. That means that Kampman will need to learn a new position in which he may not see the field as much as in past seasons. There's also a chance he can produce more sacks out of this defense, but he's not a typical 3-4 end.

Kampman offers a compelling mix of tackles and sacks. He slipped a bit in 2007, recording his lowest tackle total since 2003, but still turned in 64 tackles and 12 sacks. At a position where tackles are a premium, Kampman is a solid option. He brings a strong track record, proving his 15.5-sack 2006 campaign wasn't a fluke. Even though the 28-year-old might have already peaked, he is still close to top form. Kampman is one of those guys who earns his stats through sheer effort, because he isn't quick and doesn’t possess above-average strength.

Kampman pulled off quite a feat last year. The last two years he's been in on 80 tackles each year. That alone puts him in the year-end linemen Top 20. His usual smattering of five or six sacks was just a nice little bit of frippery to confirm that Kampman is in fact a defensive end. But last year, Kampman hauled off and led all linemen with 15.5 sacks, nearly 10 more than his previous career high. Whuh? It made for a fantasy year that, in terms of total fantasy points, most linebackers and defensive backs would drool over. Kampman was long the dirty little secret of the IDP lineman world: an all-tackle, no-sack mainstay who won't quicken your pulse, but fills the stat sheets every week—the heir to Kelly Gregg and Pat Williams. Adding the sacks made him a phenom. Can he do it again? Kampman isn’t fast or quick, doesn't really have the brute strength to take on offensive linemen and isn't the most versatile athlete. What he lacks in gifts he makes up for in desire, motor, technique and intelligence. While we can’t imagine he'll match last year's sack output, it's clear he's developed his game enough to beat his previous career high of 6.5 sacks in the coming season. With the tackle base near 80, just eight or nine sacks gets Kampman into elite company.

Kampman singed a long-term contract in the offseason and will start at right defensive end. He's more of a run stopper than a sacks guy.

Kampman will start at right DE this season. He's not flashy but he's strong and doesn't get pushed around. Don't expect many sacks from him.