Defense, Defense, Defense for Packers in Four-Round NFL.com Mock Draft

The Green Bay Packers need to fortify their defensive line with the change to a 3-4 defense. That position was the starting point in Chad Reuter’s four-round mock draft at NFL.com.

Was it the right defensive tackle, though?

Green Bay’s second-round choice at No. 52 overall was Oklahoma defensive tackle Gracen Halton. He’s only 6-foot-3 and 293 pounds, so lacks the heft to beef up the nose tackle position. However, with 4.82 speed in the 40, he could become a playmaker.

Halton started 10 games in his college career. In 2025, he played in 13 games with seven starts and had 3.5 sacks and a career-high seven tackles for losses to earn second-team all-conference.

“On the field, they’re getting a physical, relentless, humble, good, hard man,” he said at the Scouting Combine. “A guy that’s enthusiastic, that likes to make plays, that’s got to make plays. Off the field, they’re getting a guy with a good heart who loves to make friends. When it’s time to work, it’s time to work. When it’s time to have fun, it’s time to have fun.”

NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein projects Halton to be an above-average backup.

“He’s an energetic, gap-to-gap rusher who can threaten guards on their edges or play his role as an effective twister,” he wrote in part. “Finding the right scheme fit will be critical for Halton in the NFL.”

Halton is the No. 70 prospect at Pro Football Focus; his analytical numbers are excellent.

Halton is No. 156 at Sports Info Solutions.

“Halton is a traditional penetrating 3-technique that can win at the snap with quickness and hand use, overwhelming his opponent on the way to the passer, but his lack of bulk, play recognition, and a secondary pass rush will prevent him from becoming more than a rotational depth piece,” SIS scout Ben Hrkach wrote.

Georgia’s Christen Miller, who is 321 pounds, was available and perhaps a better fit.

After signing 6-foot-3 cornerback Benjamin St-Juste in free agency, the third-round pick was Washington’s Tacario Davis, a 6-foot-4 prospect with excellent athleticism.

Washington defensive back Tacario Davis during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

During his final season, PFF charged Davis with a 53.6 percent catch rate with one touchdown allowed and two interceptions. The 15 completions gave up just 146 yards. Sports Info Solutions charged him with a 43 percent catch rate, with the 12 completions giving up 123 yards.

“Tacario Davis projects as a No. 4 cornerback who will exclusively play on the outside in a press-man or zone scheme,” is the start of Nathan Cooper’s scouting report at SIS. “He has a very long, lanky frame that allows him to disrupt receivers, but it also hinders his ability to move fluidly.”

In the fourth round, the pick was Auburn’s Keyron Crawford, who would give the Packers a crowded edge room with Micah Parsons, Lukas Van Ness, Barryn Sorrell, Collin Oliver and Brenton Cox. However, Parsons won’t be ready to start the season, Van Ness could be entering his final season under contract and Oliver couldn’t get on the field due to injuries.

After two seasons at Arkansas State, Crawford (6-4, 253_ wrapped up his career with two seasons at Auburn. After a quiet 2024 season, he had five sacks and 9.5 tackles for losses in 2025.

While Halton and Davis were not in Dane Brugler’s top-100 list for The Athletic, Crawford was No. 67.

“Crawford feels undersized at times on tape, especially once bigger bodies latch him, but he explodes off the ball,” Brugler wrote. “His effort consistently pops as a pass rusher, run defender and when dropping in coverage.”

“He’s twitchy and rushes with ideal energy as a hungry quarterback-hunter,” Zierlein wrote in part. “However, he might benefit from dialing back his constant acceleration and becoming more intentional with his rush. Crawford has special teams and situational rush value now, but his best football is still to come.”

He played only one year of football in high school.

“I wanted to go into the SEC as a freshman, but schools were scared because I didn’t have the experience to come in at a Power 5 and compete,” Crawford told AL.com in 2024. “My level of confidence has always been there. My work ethic has always been there.”

His position coach at Auburn called him an “elite” pass rusher.

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