Jonathan Garvin has to adapt to Packers 3-4 after 7th round pick

Miami Hurricanes defensive end Jonathan Garvin will likely begin his career with the Green Bay Packers as a project and situational pass rusher .Garvin needs more consistency on every play to become a starter.

Miami Hurricanes defensive end Jonathan Garvin had a breakout sophomore season in 2018 before regressing as a junior in 2019. Garvin needs to show more consistency in the NFL to become a full-time player. After being a seventh-round draftee by the Green Bay Packers Garvin is a project as a rookie.

The Packers play a 3-4 defense where Jonathan Garvin projects as either a DE or outside linebacker and edge rusher. The knock on Garvin gave inconsistent effort during his collegiate career. Garvin finished his Miami career with 106 tackles, 29 tackles for loss,12.5 sacks, five pass breakups and four fumble recoveries.

During a breakout 2018 sophomore season, Jonathan Garvin had 60 tackles,17.0 TFLs, 5.5 sacks and all five of his pass breakups. If Garvin is going to be a quality pass rusher in the NFL he needs to increase his sack total. The decrease in production from Garvin in 2019 made his draft stock plummet.

Garvin had 37 tackles, nine TFLs and five sacks in 2019. Lance Zierlein of NFL.Com stated in his scouting report that for Garvin to become more productive at the next level and accumulate more sacks. A high percentage of Garvin’s production in 2019 came in his final game in a Miami uniform.

In the last game of the regular season against Duke. Garvin had by far his best game of 2019 against the Blue Devils. The junior was dominant with 10 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and two sacks. The question has to be is where was that kind of consistent performance throughout the season.

Garvin obviously was not going to reach those numbers every week, but it shows the dominance he is capable of. Zierlein and many other draft analysts have questioned the effort Garvin provides. If Garvin is going to become a defensive lineman in the NFL. He needs to prove he can be more consistent.

"Garvin’s strong 2018 was followed up with inconsistent effort and an inability to stamp his presence on games with much consistency. He gains depth upfield quickly and is fairly natural at defeating the punch and flipping the corner.Pressures are nice, but sack-makers get paid and that won’t happen unless he cranks up the effort and plays to his traits and potential. Garvin has Day 2 talent, but may not go until Day 3. However, there might be gold to mine if a coach can get it out of him."

Garvin heads to Green Bay where the Packers start 2016 fourth-round pick, Dean Lowry, as their starting left DE and former undrafted free agent Tyler Lancaster in his third season in the NFL as the right DE. Montravius Adams who was a third-round pick in 2017 and Kingsley Keke who was a Firth round pick in 2019 are the DE backups.

Both Adams and Keke can play end and tackle. That versatility is essential. The other DT on the Packers depth chart is former Garvin’s former Miami teammate Gerald Willis. it is going to be critical for Garvin to show he can be an OLB and edge rusher in the 3-4 defense. It will be an adjustment going from a 4-3.

Six-year veterans Preston Smith and Za’Darius Smith are the staring OLBs for Green Bay. Greg Roberts who was an undrafted free agent from Baylor in 2019, Rashan Gary who was the Packers’ first-round pick from Michigan in 2019 and former UFA Randy Ramsey are the backup OLBs for Green Bay.

Garvin faces an uphill battle. Getting labeled for a lack of consistent effort is an identity that Garvin will have to prove on the field is false. Less than two out of five seventh-round picks make an NFL roster. Garvin could project as a practice squad player with a chance to develop or become a situational pass rusher as a rookie