Kenny Clark

Clark's numbers don't jump off the page, but don't let that distract from the fact that he's one of the top interior defensive linemen in the league. After playing in the Pro Bowl as an alternate in 2020, he was voted onto the squad for the first time in 2021. Clark racked up four sacks last season, but he also finished with fewer than 50 stops for the second year in a row. His lack of output in the box score puts a damper on his stock in leagues that use individual defensive players, but his presence in the middle is a big reason why the Packers defense is being mentioned as a sleeper.

One of the top nose tackles in the league, Clark offers the Packers a lot of high-quality reps at one of the most difficult positions, and he makes a reliable IDP impact at a spot where most can only hope to soak up double teams. A groin injury pretty much wiped out the first month of his 2020 season and might have affected him for a time after that, a detail that limited him to 42 tackles and two sacks on 597 snaps. The 2019 season is a better example of Clark’s abilities, as he generated 62 tackles and six sacks on 879 snaps.

Heading into his fifth NFL season, Clark won't even be 25 years old until October. It's possible that the interior lineman has more developmental upside yet, but if not he'll still be an annual Pro Bowl-level presence on the Green Bay defensive line. A career high in snaps (879) offset a decline in his per-snap production last year, making his 16-game production from 2019 look more or less the same as his 13-game production from 2018, but perhaps both his snap count and his per-snap production will tilt forward at the same time this year. So long as he's playing 800 or more snaps, last year's total of 62 tackles and six sacks would be a fair baseline expectation for Clark.

Clark appears on the verge of breaking out as an uncommon pass-rushing threat for a 3-4 nose tackle, boasting consecutive seasons of 55 tackles while totaling 10 sacks the last two years - and he doesn't even turn 24 until October. Clark posted solid DL2 numbers last year despite missing three games and playing only 721 snaps due to an elbow injury. The elbow is believed to be healthy this season, and an All-Pro campaign could happen if Clark pushes for 850 snaps as a 16-game starter.

Despite being a first-round pick in 2016, Clark provided only minimal contributions in his rookie season. However, he made a big jump in Year 2, tallying 4.5 sacks and 55 tackles - a number that tied him for 13th among defensive linemen. Even bigger things could be in store for Clark in 2018, as he will turn just 23 in October and could see fewer blockers in front of him if offseason acquisition Muhammad Wilkerson proves ample attention should be directed his way.

After being the Packers’ first-round pick in 2016, Clark held his own during his rookie season and appeared in every game. He was steady but unspectacular a year ago, and given his pedigree, the team will be hoping for more out of him in 2017. He is set to start at one of two end spots on the defensive line.

Hailing from UCLA and entering his first season in the league at the age of 20, Clark seems poised to man one of Green Bay's two defensive end positions in advance of the regular season. However, Mike Pennel will return from suspension in Week 5, while Datone Jones and Dean Lowry will surely vulture snaps from Clark from the onset of the campaign. Ultimately, Clark doesn't project to be an IDP option in 2016, but his long-term outlook preserves plenty of upside.