Here’s Why Packers Made Big Bet on Third-Round Pick Chris McClellan

GREEN BAY – How much did the Green Bay Packers like Missouri defensive tackle Chris McClellan?

General manager Brian Gutekunst considered drafting him in the second round before ultimately trading up from No. 84 to No. 77 to select him in the third round.

“We really had a few players with that first pick at 52 that we liked, and it was kind of a tough decision there,” Gutekunst said at the end of Day 2 on Friday that included cornerback Brandon Cisse in the second round. “And then a couple of them hung around and we tried to get one, and we did.”

How Chris McClellan Fits the Packers

The Packers’ move to a new defensive scheme meant filling a new position. Green Bay needed a big, tough defensive lineman to man the nose tackle position in defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s 3-4 scheme.

The Packers are betting that McClellan, a naturally big man at 6-foot-3 7/8 and 313 pounds with 34-inch arms, can be that player to anchor the run defense.

“He certainly can,” director of football operations Milt Hendrickson said. “The thing I like most about Chris is the versatility. He can play the nose, he can play the three, in some of our base (with) some of our big-end stuff, he can do that, as well. He’s just one of those guys that I think, even though he’s four years in college, he’s still scratching the surface a little bit.”

McClellan agreed.

“I can play anywhere across the line, and that’s what I’m willing to do,” he said. “Wherever they need me to go, I’ll go and play and contribute and just help the team in whatever way I can. I don’t care if I have to be a zero, nose or a five technique. Wherever I can go to play and help the team is where I want to be.”

There were other defensive tackle prospects on the board that Gutekunst could have drafted without sacrificing a fifth-round pick. It was McClellan’s ability to rush the passer – he had six sacks as a senior – that “set him apart a little bit for us,” the GM said.

“I think as the third round wore on,” Gutekunst added, “he was kind of sticking out there like a sore thumb. You know what I mean? He was like, ‘That’s the highest guy. Let’s go get him.’”

Potential Concerns?

For what it’s worth – and it might be worth nothing at all – the media pundits didn’t agree with the assessment. Only NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, who had McClellan ranked as the No. 77 prospect, had him ranked anywhere near where he was drafted.

The media scouts pointed to inconsistent play. Pad level. His inability at times to get off blocks.

However, McClellan is a young player in terms of age (22) and experience. He didn’t start playing defensive tackle until he arrived at Florida in 2022. So, there are lessons to be learned through experience.

After trading away Colby Wooden, the Packers had a major need for a run-stopping defensive tackle. Can McClellan contribute immediately?

“He’s a big man,” Hendrickson said. “You’ll see him, he’s broad shoulders, long arms. He certainly can do that.”

What Else Could They Have Done?

The Packers traded up to No. 77 to get a defensive tackle. And they could have taken a different one with Iowa State’s Domonique Orange. Was that the right decision? Well, they’re going to find out twice a year when they face the Vikings, who drafted Orange at No. 82.

What about the long-term need at receiver? Two players who the Packers hosted on “30” visits, Tennessee’s Chris Brazzell II and Georgia State’s Ted Hurst, went at No. 83 to the Panthers and No. 84 to the Buccaneers.

Green Bay needs depth on the offensive line and bypassed Florida’s Austin Barber (No. 86 to the Browns), Texas A&M’s Trey Zuhn (No. 91 to the Raiders), Iowa’s Gennings Dunker (No. 96 to the Steelers) and Northwestern’s Caleb Tiernan (No. 97 to the Vikings).

McClellan is excited to get started.

“Honestly, I know just a little bit” about Green Bay, he said. “I know it’s one of the most legendary franchises in the league, and I know the expectation is to win games year in and year out. That’s pretty much what I know. I know they’ve had great success with defensive linemen in the past with guys like – I know he’s not there anymore, but Kenny Clark and things like that. Just wanting to go in there and learn from all the guys there and try to soak up as much knowledge as I can.”

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