NFL Combine Preview: Defensive Line
GREEN BAY, Wis -
Kenny Clark has been in Green Bay for nearly a decade. The defensive line around him has changed, but Clark has been as good as it gets during his time in Green Bay.
Clark's teammates have changed, but recently the Packers have built a young, talented group around him.
Devonte Wyatt has shown flashes of dominance, if he can finish a few more plays, there is Pro Bowl potential in the young defensive lineman.
Karl Brooks was one of the brightest spots of 2023's draft class. He finished the year with 25 pressures and four sacks according to PFF in limited action.
TJ Slaton had some nice moments as a role player and is probably the team's best defender against the run.
Colby Wooden had the usual ups and downs of a rookie, but the team liked him enough to select him in the fourth round a year ago.
Looking forward, however, there is potential for the Packers to take a look toward the future.
Slaton will be entering a contract year. Clark is also in a contract year, though he seems to be a prime candidate to have his contract adjusted.
The Packers typically like to address needs a year early, instead of a year late.
Here are some of the guys that could help the team, with a full list of workouts here.
DeWayne Carter, Duke
Resume: 70.0 overall grade; 67.2 pass rush; 69.2 run defense grade; Carter had two sacks and 18 hurries in 2023 at Duke to go with his 19 run stops. He was only penalized once during his final season and is the only player in the history of Duke's football program history.
How He Fits:
Carter would add a little more beef to the Packers' front, weighing in at 305 pounds. The Packers' run defense has been abysmal for the entire tenure of Brian Gutekunst as the General Manager.
If Gutekunst wanted to work toward changing that, Carter. could enter into a defensive line rotation that is pretty strong with the Packers likely to return all five of their primary players from a year ago.
Carter would likely have to work his way up from the back of the defensive line rotation and establish himself as a potential replacement for TJ Slaton, should the Packers decide to move on after this season.
Brugler Ranking: Unranked
Jaden Crumedy, Mississippi State
Resume: 68.3 overall grade; 62.4 pass rush grade; 72.8 run defense grade. Crumedy racked up three sacks on 22 pressures in 2023 to go with 17 run stops. Crumedy was only penalized once in 2023. He missed 12.1% of tackles, with four missed tackles.
How He Fits:
Crumedy could add more interior pass rush, which the Packers are always looking for more of. Devonte Wyatt is entering his third season and has to become an impact player in 2024. Karl Brooks was a nice bright spot in 2023, and Colby Wooden needs to make more plays.
Crumedy could enter a rotation for the back of the defensive line room and potentially earn more snaps if one of the aforementioned defensive linemen does not improve in 2024.
Brugler Ranking: Unranked
Tyler Davis, Clemson
Resume: 85.5 overall grade; 90.8 run defense grade; 69.3 pass rush grade; Davis missed one tackle in 472 snaps on the defensive line in 2023, and only missed seven percent of tackle attempts in five seasons at Clemson.
How He Fits:
As far as run stuffers, there will not be many in this draft class that were more productive than Davis was at Clemson.
The Packers have struggled mightily against the run, having given up more than 200 yards rushing in four games a season ago.
Davis' 87 run stops in five seasons speak to his prowess in the ground game, and the Packers could certainly use some help slowing down opponent run games.
Brugler Ranking: Unranked
Brandon Dorius, Oregon
Resume: 76.9 overall grade; 76.8 pass rush grade; 73.2 run defense grade; Dorius had 46 pressures and four sacks to go with 16 run stops in 2023. Dorius had 11 sacks and 22 quarterback hits in his career for the Ducks in 2,229 snaps.
How He Fits:
Dorius' versatility is something that teams are likely to value in the NFL. His weight will be something worth monitoring. PFF lists him at 290 pounds, but Dane Brugler's Top 100 list had him at 272.
If he's on the lighter side, he'd be more in the mold of someone like Karl Brooks or Colby Wooden whose hallmark is their penetrating ability to make splash plays in the backfield.
If the Packers were to select him, it'd be interesting to see whether they'd want him to play on the edge, or add some weight to stay inside.
Brugler Ranking: 83
Justin Eboigbe, Alabama
Resume: 78.7 overall grade; 63.2 pass rush grade; 86.4 run defense grade. Named First-Team All-SEC in 2023 with career highs of seven sacks, 11.5 tackles for losses and and 64 tackles after coming off a season-ending injury from 2022. Of 120 edge defenders with at least 200 pass-rushing opportunities, he ranked 92nd in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity.
How He Fits: Eboigbe has positional versatility. Eboigbe is big, weighing in at 292 pounds, and spent time at defensive end and defensive tackle for the Crimson Tide. Nick Saban's multiple scheme should have him pro-ready from a knowledge standpoint.
Eboigbe's size could be something the Packers value as they transition to a 4-3 defense under new defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley. Eboigbe has experience as a good run defender, as well, which has been Green Bay's Achilles heel on defense for the last three years under Joe Barry.
Brugler Ranking: Unranked
Braden Fiske, Florida State
Resume: 73.9 overall grade; 73.7 pass rush grade; 69.4 run defense grade; Fiske spent time at Western Michigan before making the jump to the ACC where he had sdix sacks and 28 total pressures in 442 snaps.
How He Fits:
Fiske is described as an old-school brawler, which is something the Packers could use on their defensive line. Matt LaFleur said that he wants the defense to be fast and physical.
Physicality on defense starts in the trenches. Fiske's violent hands and ability to hold the point of attack could be useful as the Packers attempt to improve their defense from the bottom of the league against the run.
Brugler Ranking: 90
Michael Hall Jr. Ohio State
Resume: 77.2 overall grade; 84.8 pass rush grade; 69.5 run defense grade. Hall had two sacks, but that was misleading as his pass rush win rate was more than 18 percent and the second-best in this draft class.
How He Fits:
Hall's lack of box score production might remind some fans of Mike Daniels. Daniels often won his matchup, but rarely had the big production that comes with winning as often as he did.
According to Dane Brugler, Hall had the highest pass rush win rate (18.3 percent) behind only Texas' Byron Murphy II.
Hall would give the Packers another interior pass rusher to attempt to disrupt opposing quarterbacks.
Brugler Ranking: 79
Marcus Harris, Auburn
Resume: 82.4 overall grade; 87.4 run defense grade; 64.0 pass rush grade; Harris had 30 run stops for a stout Auburn defense in 2023. He's one of the better run defenders in this class with 83 run stops in his five year college career.
How He Fits:
Harris might be a one-dimensional run-stuffer early in his NFL career as he tries to develop more of a pass rush. The Packers' needs on the defensive line center more around the run game than the pass rush. Between Kenny Clark, Devnote Wyatt, and Karl Brooks, there is plenty of pass rush to go around if they play to their potential.
Green Bay's biggest issues have been in the run game. That's where Harris and his 88 run stops could help the Packers there.
Brugler Ranking: Unranked
McKinnley Jackson, Texas A&M
Resume: 76.8 overall grade; 76.9 run defense grade; 70.0 pass rush grade; Jackson had 15 run stops in 430 snaps a season ago. Jackson is not just a one-dimensional player, as he was able to get 14 pressures and four sacks in just 228 pass rush opportunities in 2023.
How He Fits: Jackson's size is something the Packers do not have in their defensive line room at the moment.
Jackson tips the scale at 325 pounds. The heaviest player on Green Bay's defensive line who played any significant snaps last year is TJ Slaton, who is listed at 330 pounds.
The next heaviest defensive lineman on the Packers is Kenny Clark, listed at 313.
Jackson could add another run-stuffing presence on the Packers' defense as a potential long-term replacement for TJ Slaton as well.
Brugler Ranking: Unranked
Kris Jenkins, Michigan
Resume: 80.7 overall grade; 66.8 pass rush grade; 83.7 run defense grade; Jenkins had a whopping 36 run stops during the 2023 season on the country's best defense. He totaled 77 for his career. He was a two-time All-Big 10 member, and a Second-Team All-American in 2023.
How He Fits:
Jenkins should be a familiar name to Packer fans as he's the son of former Carolina Panther star Kris Jenkins, but also former Packers' standout Cullen Jenkins.
Jenkins' height, length, and speed earned him the nickname, "The Mutant." during his time in Ann Arbor.
In a star-studded defense, Jenkins was one of the captains and was one of the team's best run defenders. Jenkins would fit in seamlessly in Green Bay's defense as a rotational defensive lineman. He has the potential to be a starter long-term as well.
Brugler Ranking: 65
Logan Lee, Iowa
Resume:78.3 overall grade; 80.3 run defense grade; 70.4 pass rush grade; Lee had 21 run stops and two sacks in 2023, providing a steady presence for a great Iowa defense. He would need to clean up his tackling, as he had eight missed tackles in 2023.
How He Fits:
Lee is a classic Iowa defensive lineman. He could be a steady presence as a development piece at the back of hte Packers' defensive line room.
Lee would need to improve his tackling, something he struggled mightily with in his final season at Iowa. He graded out below average there according to PFF, and missed 22 tackles in his college career.
Brugler Ranking: Unranked
Zion Logue, Georgia
Resume: 71.2 overall grade; 72.7 run defense grade; 63.8 pass rush grade; Logue had limited production in 2023 at Georgia, registering 12 pressures and eight run stops without a sack in 349 snaps.
How He Fits:
Logue would be a great unknown due to his limited snap count at Georgia in his final season.
That said, his size of 6-foot-5, 310 pounds is intriguing. As Ted Thompson used to say, the good Lord only made so many big men who can move. If Logue can prove his athletic mettle at the Scouting Combine.
Logue could be a lottery ticket that the Packers could swing big on later in the draft.
Brugler Ranking: Unranked
Fabien Lovett Sr, Florida State
Resume: 78.0 overall grade; 65.8 pass rush grade; 82.5 run defense grade; Lovett had 17 run stops and was only penalized once in 337 snaps in 2023. He finished his career with 57 stops and was only penalized three times in six seasons.
How He Fits:
Lovett's another big-bodied defensive lineman who would theoretically be targeted to help the Packers stop opposing run games.
The Packers have struggled mightily against the run, which would make Lovett a potential early-down run stuffer who would go to the bench when the Packers attempt to unleash their pass rushers.
Brugler Ranking: Unranked
Byron Murphy II Texas
Resume: 91.1 overall grade; 80.5 run defense grade; 91.5 pass rush grade; Murphy had the best pass rush win rate of any defensive lineman in this draft class, he had 45 pressures and six sacks in 2023. He piled up 76 pressures in three seasons for the Longhorns and was only penalized once in three years.
How He Fits:
Murphy is Dane Brugler's highest-rated defensive lineman in this year's draft class. He's one of the best players in the draft in general.
Murphy could be looked at as a potential long-term replacement for Kenny Clark. Clark is entering a contract year, and is likely to have his contract adjusted, but he has played a lot of football since being drafted following the 2015 season.
Murphy would likely be looked at as a preferred starter, or at minimum the first guy off the bench if the Packers were to use a first-round pick on the talented Texas big man.
Brugler Ranking: 15
Byron Murphy Celebrates
John David Mercer - USA Today
Myles Murphy, North Carolina
Resume: 68.0 overall grade; 71.5 run defense grade; 60.0 pass rush grade; Rice totaled 55 run stops in his 4-year career with 44 pressures and five sacks in four seasons for the Tar Heels. Murphy missed 15 tackles in four seasons for a missed percentage of 13.4 percent.
How He Fits:
Murphy would be an addition for the back of the Packers' defensive line room to play on run-downs or give breaks to the Packers' preferred pass rush unit. Murphy could provide value in that way, as the Packers have struggled to slow down opponent run games. All the great pass rushers in the world do not matter as much if the offense can run for nearly five yards per carry.
Brugler Ranking: Unranked
Jer'Zhan Newton, Illinois
Resume: 84.9 overall grade; 77.1 run defense grade; 84.0 pass rush grade; Newton had eight sacks on 43 pressures in 2023 and was named the Defensive Player of the Year in the Big Ten.
How He Fits:
Newton was one of the best defensive players in the Big Ten as a player that Bret Bilema built his defense around.
Newton, unfortunately, will not be working out at the Scouting Combine, as he is still recovering from an offseason surgery to repair a fracture in his foot.
If Newton were to be added to Green Bay, they'd likely have to use a first-round pick on him, which means the Packers likely look at him as a long-term replacement for Kenny Clark or Devonte Wyatt, who are entering big seasons in terms of contracts.
Brugler Ranking: 30
Ron Johnson - USA Today
Ruke Orhorhoro, Clemson
Resume: 75.8 overall grade; 78.6 run defense grade; 66.9 pass rush grade; Orhorhoro had 26 pressures and five sacks in 2023 to go with 17 run stops. He was not penalized once in 408 snaps.
How He Fits:
Orhorhoro is a talented pass rusher who could give the Packers more juice in the middle of their defense.
No team can ever have enough pass rushers in the middle of a defense, especially with today's emphasis on getting the ball out of the quarterback's hands quickly.
Orhorhoro would be able to play on all three downs, but he makes his money when its time to rush the passer. He'd have some competition in front of him with Clark, Wyatt, and Brooks ahead of him early, at minimum.
Brugler Ranking: 52
Keith Randolph Jr. Illinois
Resume: 66.2 overall grade; 62.3 run defense grade; 67.4 pass rush grade; Randolph had 13 pressures in 275 pass rush opportunities in 2023 with 19 run stops and was only penalized twice. He finished his career with 70 run stops and 11 sacks.
How He Fits:
Randolph would help provide competition to the back of the Packers' defensive line room. With Jeff Hafley on board as the defensive coordinator, it's unclear how many defensive linemen he will want to employ, but there is no such thing as too many talented big players on defense.
The Packers could take a look at Randolph as a developmental prospect with some expected attrition along their defensive line in the next calendar year.
Brugler Ranking: Unranked
Maason Smith, LSU
Resume: 65.3 overall grade; 55.6 run defense grade; 76.5 pass rush grade; Smith had 23 pressures and three sacks for the Bayou Bengals in 2023. He is a towering presence at 6-foot-6, 315 pounds. His career was interrupted by an injury in 2022, but he finished his career with 25 stops and only four missed tackles, and none since 2021.
How He Fits:
Smith is one of the better tackling defensive linemen in this draft. All four of his missed tackles took place in 2021. For comparison's sake, Devonte Wyatt had 13 missed tackles in 2023 by himself.
If Smith gets his arms on a ball carrier, they usually end up on the ground.
That could help the Packers in the run game early in Smith's career as he tries to develop as a pass rusher.
Brugler Ranking: Unranked
T'Vondre Sweat, Texas
Resume: 91.7 overall grade; 92.0 run defense grade; 85.3 pass rush grade; Sweat had 31 pressures and two sacks in 2023 with 26 run stops. Sweat was one of the best defenders against the run in college football and piled up 70 stops in his five-year career.
How He Fits:
Sweat is a massive, immovable force that helped spearhead one of the best run defenses in the country.
Sweat is listed as 362 pounds, but he is not just a big body in the middle of the defense. He can move and push the pocket.
TJ Slaton is entering a contract season, which could allow Sweat to get a year under his belt before becoming Slaton's long-term replacement.
Early in his career, he'd be a rotational run-down defender, with the opportunity to grow into more.
Brugler Ranking: 33
