Green Bay Packers' Youthful Defensive Talent, Depth Already Paying Dividends

The Green Bay Packers defense held the New England Patriots to one touchdown and a field goal Thursday night at Gillette Stadium in a 22-11 win as the two clubs opened their respective preseasons, but it wasn't entirely the work of Green Bay's first team. 

Perhaps the most promising development the matchup for the Packers, inasmuch as one weighs takeaways from preseason action, was the performance of their young defensive players.

With the likes of undrafted rookie LaDarius Gunter, second-round selection Quinten Rollins and second-year player Jayrone Elliott in tow, the Packers brass has a tough path ahead of it in terms of cutting down the roster to 75 and then 53 players. 

Bill Sikes/Associated Press

New England had only two drives that lasted more than three minutes, both in the third quarter (5:37 and 3:21). Six of its 11 drives ended in punts, another a turnover on downs and still another in an interception. 

Now, it's important to note that the personnel the Packers used on defense—as defensive coordinator Dom Capers and head coach Mike McCarthy tried out different combinations—is not representative of the players who will take the field Week 1 on Sept. 13 in Chicago.

To begin with, starters Clay Matthews and Mike Daniels did not even make the trip to Foxborough, Massachusetts, as ESPN.com's Jason Wilde reported. Other players who received snaps Thursday night will be gone by the final cuts. 

But there was a lot of talent on the field defensively for the Packers in New England, and it seemed to be particularly concentrated in the second- and third-string defenses, as Jay Sorgi of WISports.com and 620 WTMJ noted:

Early in the second quarter, there were outside linebackers Andy Mulumba and Jayrone Elliott, both roster-bubble players, joining forces to bring down Patriots backup quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo for a loss of 11 yards. 

Elliott was a preseason sack machine last year when he led all NFL players (not rookies—players) in sacks with five. He was at it again Thursday, and that half-sack likely won't be the last he has this preseason as he once again tries to prove to the Packers that he can be the future in the pass rush. 

After all, it's an important time for the team to develop its young edge-rushers. Though an initial glance indicates the Packers are more than set at that position, with Matthews and veteran Julius Peppers, it could be an entirely different story come March. 

Peppers' cap hit will be $10.5 million in 2016, per Spotrac.com, a number at which general manager Ted Thompson might balk. And Matthews will be spending half his snaps playing inside on rushing downs.

Nick Perry, a first-round draft selection in 2012, has entered a contract year after the team declined his fifth-year option.

Mike Neal, along with Perry, spent the first part of training camp on the physically unable to perform list. Neal will also become a free agent in 2016. 

So this preseason is a fine time for young players such as Elliott and Mulumba to demonstrate that they can get after the quarterback. The position may be theirs to lead in just a year or two. 

Meanwhile, in the secondary, Rollins and Gunter were making the Packers' defensive staff think, "Tramon Williams and Davon House who?"—both of whom are now gone from the team.

On the first drive of the third quarter, Gunter, an undrafted free agent out of Miami, snatched a Garoppolo pass intended for receiver Josh Boyce and returned it 28 yards. The interception set up an Alonzo Harris touchdown two plays later, and the Packers took a lead they would not relinquish. 

Aron Yohannes of SB Nation's Acme Packing Company blog provided a Vine of the splashy play:

Teams were scared away from Gunter in the 2015 NFL draft by his 4.69-second 40-yard dash at the combine. NFL.com draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote that he has "marginal play speed and appears to lack a second gear on tape."

But the Packers saw an athletic playmaker, and they had to have been pleased with what they saw from Gunter against New England. Gunter may not have blazing speed, but he can certainly make plays on the field. 

Gunter also had four total tackles and a pass defensed, making Thursday night's outing a solid first showing for the rookie. It will be tough, but it's very hard to believe the Packers won't find a spot for him on the 53-man roster, based on his entire body of work this preseason. 

Rookie cornerback Rollins also had a nice showing, with four total tackles and two passes defensed. First-round selection Damarious Randall didn't make the trip to Foxborough due to a groin injury, as Wilde reported. That meant Rollins got more opportunities in the Packers' dime package as the sixth defensive back on the field.

Rollins made the most of the snaps. While his roster spot is not in question, he could earn himself more playing time this season in defensive sub-packages with continued preseason success.  

McCarthy was generous with his praise of the team's young defensive corps, per the Packers' Twitter account: 

There's no question that with Aaron Rodgers, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb, Eddie Lacy and their offensive line, the Packers have one of the best offenses in football.

The defense, however, has been a question mark this season, especially given the turnover in the secondary, the porous run defense in 2014 and the suspensions on the defensive line.

While Thursday night's opening action is not a definitive statement on the state of Green Bay's defense by any means, it was certainly a promising beginning for a unit that needs to be stout in 2015 so this team can reach its goal of playing through January and into February.