Packers rookie evaluate: OLB Kingsley Enagbare
The Inexperienced Bay Packers made 11 picks in the course of the 2022 NFL draft: six offensive gamers and 5 defensive gamers. Over the following few weeks, we’ll be going by means of and reviewing the 2022 season for all the Packers’ rookies.
Subsequent up: outdoors linebacker Kingsley Enagbare, the Packers’ fifth-round choice taken 179th general.
Snap counts
Enagbare was on the sector for 465 defensive snaps (45%) over 17 video games and 7 begins. He began the yr as a rotational participant till a season-ending ACL harm sidelined Rashan Gary in Week 9. The next week, Enagbare performed a season-high 62 snaps in an extra time win over the Dallas Cowboys. He went on to start out in six of the seven remaining video games and performed over half of the defensive snaps in every recreation besides the common season finale. Enagbare additionally performed 86 snaps on particular groups (20%).
Season stats
Enagbare completed the season with 31 complete tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks, and eight quarterback hits.
Regardless of Enagbare’s less-than-stellar sack numbers, he was nonetheless a disruptive go rusher. In keeping with Professional Soccer Focus, he was first in go rush win fee amongst rookies with a minimum of 150 defensive snaps, and his 25 QB pressures positioned him sixth amongst rookie edge rushers. From Weeks 10-18, Enagbare had extra pressures than any Packers participant with 18. PFF ranked him seventh amongst rookie edge rushers with 18 “stops”, which is a metric they use to trace tackles constituting a failure by the offense. As a run defender, his common deal with got here 1.4 yards downfield, which was Eleventh-best within the league, per SI.com’s Bill Huber.
Enagbare additionally dropped again in protection 13 occasions in 2022, permitting two receptions for under two yards.
PFF grade
61.4. Enagbare’s grade ranked twelfth in comparison with the 26 rookie outdoors linebackers in his class with a minimum of 50 snaps. Amongst all edge rushers with a minimum of 450 snaps, he completed 59th out of 80. His run protection grade ranked 67th, whereas his tackling and go rush grades had been forty fourth and 53rd, respectively. Though, he did have the very best protection grade.
Finest recreation
It’s laborious to differentiate only one as a result of Enagbare put collectively some stable performances. He logged 4 pressures in Weeks 12 and 17, and his greatest PFF grade got here in Week 6 in opposition to the New York Jets when he recorded his first profession sack. Nevertheless, he solely performed 11 snaps within the Jets recreation, so I’ll go along with his Week 11 efficiency in opposition to the Tennessee Titans when he acquired his second-best grade in 36 snaps. Enagbare was Inexperienced Bay’s second highest-rated defensive participant because of a team-high three pressures. He additionally pressured three hurried throws and had two “stops” to warrant a detrimental play for the offense. The Packers ended up dropping, however Enagbare was the most effective defensive gamers on the sector that evening.
Season recap, future outlook
Enagbare had a poor exhibiting on the NFL mix, however Inexperienced Bay noticed potential in his tape at South Carolina and pulled the set off within the fifth spherical. Now, it seems to be like they might have gotten a steal. Enagbare was capable of choose up among the slack after Gary’s harm, because of his regular play over the ultimate eight video games. For essentially the most half, he appeared stable as each a run defender and a go rusher. He can get off blocks and set the sting whereas using a good arsenal of pass-rush strikes. That stated, I’m cautiously optimistic about his future. There’s an opportunity his lack of athleticism might restrict his general manufacturing within the league and make him nothing greater than a rotational participant. That’s to not say Enagbare isn’t a extremely good third edge rusher with an out of doors likelihood to develop right into a full-time starter.
Season grade
Shut followers of the draft, together with myself, had been enthusiastic about this choose. Enagbare confirmed lots of promise throughout his school profession, however I assumed it will take a while for him to make an influence. Nevertheless, his recreation truly translated higher than anticipated. Ideally, Enagbare wouldn’t have been thrust right into a beginning function in his first yr, however Gary’s harm gave them no selection. Total, I’d say he dealt with it fairly nicely. There’s clearly room to develop, however the instruments are there for Enagbare to have a protracted profession.
Grade: B