Preston Smith has been one heck of a pass rusher in the NFL for quite some time.
Since being drafted by the Washington Commanders in the second round of the 2015 NFL Draft, Smith has totaled 66 career sacks and 151 quarterback hits — 41.5 and 92 of which have come in the past five seasons with the Green Bay Packers.
Smith is a veteran leader on Green Bay's defense and though he doesn't have the "juice" he once did as a pass-rusher, the 31-year-old is still a valued presence on the edge for the Packers.
He'll apparently be even more valued in 2024 under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley, though.
The old DC, Joe Barry, was fond of using Smith more as an edge setter in the run game and he even at times dropped him into the flats in zone coverage (which drove Packers fans crazy).
Under Hafley, it sounds like Smith is going to be able to get back to his pass-rushing roots.
Green Bay's defensive pressure up front will still largely be predicated on Rashan Gary and second-year defensive end Lukas Van Ness being able to rush the quarterback consistently, but don't count out Smith — who has averaged 8.3 sacks per season with the Packers.
If Hafley is going to use him more aggressively than Barry did, there's a chance Smith could be even more dangerous for the Packers than he has been for a long time.
