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USA Today Sports Media Group
USA Today Sports Media Group
Sport
Zach Kruse

Packers OLB Za’Darius Smith led NFL in total pressures in 2019

No player had more total pressures during the 2019 NFL season than Green Bay Packers outside linebacker Za’Darius Smith.

According to Pro Football Focus, Smith led the NFL with 93 total pressures this season. He was also the only player to produce 90 or more pressures and finish with a pressure rate above 18 percent in 2019.

Smith finished sixth in the NFL with 13.5 sacks but was tied for the league lead with 37 quarterback hits, the most from a Packers player since the NFL started tracking the stat in 2006.

Smith became just the fourth player to tally at least 37 quarterback hits in a single season, joining J.J. Watt, Aaron Donald and Shaquil Barrett.

Next Gen Stats credited Smith with 84 disruptions, the most in the NFL, including the most hurries (60) and the second-most turnover-causing pressures.

ESPN Stats and Information credited Smith with 61 pressures, also the most in the NFL, per Rob Demovsky of ESPN.

Both Pro Football Focus and Next Gen Stats included Smith, a free-agent addition of the Packers this offseason, on their 2019 All-Pro teams.

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