Packers' Adams, Clark and Smith named to the Pro Bowl
GREEN BAY, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Three Green Bay Packers players have been named to the Pro Bowl roster. WR Davante Adams, DL Kenny Clark and LB Za’Darius Smith will replace players who are unable to participate due to injury.
.@tae15adams, @KCBoutThatLife & @TheRealZSmith have been named to the 2020 Pro Bowl ??
— Green Bay Packers (@packers) January 21, 2020
?: https://t.co/pD1cub336I #GoPackGo pic.twitter.com/Fe4FZxWACd
According to a news release, this marks Adams' third straight trip to the Pro Bowl (2017-19), making him the first Packer WR to make three consecutive Pro Bowls since Sterling Sharpe (1992-94). Despite missing four games due to injury, Adams registered his second career 80-plus-reception season (83 in 2019, 111 in 2018), which is tied for the fourth most in franchise history behind Jordy Nelson (three), Donald Driver (four) and Sharpe (four) according to pro-football-reference.com. He finished 2019 in the top five in the NFL in receptions per game (6.92, No. 4) and receiving yards per game (83.1, No. 5). It was the second straight year Adams finished No. 5 in the NFL in receiving yards per game (92.4 in 2018). The last Packer to finish in the top five in the NFL in that category in back-to-back seasons was Sharpe in 1992-93. He also joined Jones and Mike Evans as the only WRs in the league to finish in the top five both of the last two seasons.
This is Clark’s first trip to the Pro Bowl after being named an alternate in 2018. He tied his career high from last season with six sacks in 2019, with 4.5 sacks coming in the final four regular-season games. Clark finished second on the team with a career-best 89 tackles (52 solo). According to NFL Next Gen Stats, he ranked No. 2 in the NFL during the 2019 regular season with 49 QB pressures and 43 disruptions (combined total of hurries, pressures or sacks - one per play) among players that play at least 75 percent of their snaps on the interior defensive line. He joins Mike Daniels (2017), B.J. Raji (2011), Bob Brown (1972), Henry Jordan (1960-61, 1963, 1966) and Dave Hanner (1953-54) as the only Packers defensive tackles to make the Pro Bowl.
Smith is making his first career Pro Bowl in his first season with Green Bay. He registered 13.5 sacks, ranking No. 6 in the NFL and tying for the fifth most in a single season in franchise history (since 1982). He posted the most sacks by any player in his first season with the Packers (since 1982). According to Sportradar, Smith was tied for No. 1 among NFL linebackers in QB hits (37) and No. 2 in total pressures (50.0) during the regular season. He also led the league with 84 disruptions (combined total of hurries, pressures or sacks - one per play) in 2019. Smith is the first Green Bay linebacker to make the Pro Bowl since Clay Matthews and Julius Peppers in 2015.