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Packers Add Rookie to Banged-Up Defensive Line

With Karl Brooks and Anthony Campbell not practicing, the Packers signed David Blay Jr. following a Tuesday workout.
Bill Huber|
Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle David Blay Jr. (64) in action against the Cincinnati Bengals during the preseason.
Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle David Blay Jr. (64) in action against the Cincinnati Bengals during the preseason. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Green Bay Packers

GREEN BAY, Wis. – With Warren Brinson coming off a calf injury and with stalwart Karl Brooks and young Anthony Campbell out due to injuries, the Packers have signed defensive tackle David Blay Jr. to the practice squad.

Blay worked out for the team on Tuesday. The transaction was not announced on Wednesday but he was on the field wearing No. 61.

The team had two openings on the practice squad – the other went to receiver Coleman Owen – so they didn’t have to make any other roster moves.

Blay had a tremendous 2024 season at Louisiana Tech with 6.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for losses. At Miami in 2025, he played in 13 games with nine starts. He tallied 28 tackles, with zero sacks and 2.5 TFLs. His best game was the rivalry game against Florida, when he had six tackles and one-half of a TFL. He added TFLs against Notre Dame and Stanford.

“Blay has a workable frame, with dense arms and a midsection to match, but mediocre length,” wrote The Athletic’s Dane Brugler in his Beast draft preview. “He stays light on his feet for a big man, with the short-area quicks and active hands to swipe/rip his way through gaps. He can burst through gaps in the run game, and although he leaves too many tackles on the field, he helps flush production to other defenders. He reads and reacts well to stay ahead, or on time, against run blocks. His snap anticipation must improve – he had five offside flags in 2025.”

He went undrafted this year but was given $60,000 to sign with the Patriots. He spent training camp with the Patriots and Eagles.

Before the draft, Blay measured 6-foot-2 3/8 and 292 pounds.

Small-School Roots for David Blay Jr.

Before playing at Louisiana Tech and Miami, Blay got his collegiate start at West Chester, a Division II program.

“For West Chester, time management, the process of doing things at certain times [at] the correct time, and doing the correct things,” Blay told The Philadelphia Inquirer about what he learned.

“And then for [Louisiana] Tech, they taught me the brotherhood aspect, because when I transferred into Louisiana Tech, about six or seven defensive linemen alone transferred in there at the same time. So, it was like everybody had the same vision, the same goal. So it was easy to play against somebody I can call my brother.

“[With Miami], having camaraderie with the team wasn’t that hard. They’re outgoing guys, so bringing me in wasn’t that hard. Me, I’m more of – I guess you could say a quiet guy.”

He played 412 snaps on Miami’s loaded defensive line.

“In terms of getting on the field and playing, I just really had to be real technically sound,” he said while at the East-West Shrine Game. “Like I feel as if going to Miami, the big thing there was [to be] technical, technical, technical. That’s the difference between the levels in my head.”

The Shrine Game gave him another chance to open scouts’ eyes.

“I would say it was very important in the aspect of, I knew I’m a great player at that, but I know there are holes in my game,” he told Steelers Depot. “I know I could get better, and coming here is really my opportunity to showcase the things that I didn’t showcase during the season in terms of pass rushing, getting on edges, and getting to the quarterback faster.”

With the Eagles in the preseason, he had six tackles and three pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

“Just the aspect that we’re getting better every day [motivates me],” he said. “You’re never at your best; in a sense you can always get better. And I also say to my mom, I’m trying to get her to understand the aspects of the game and how it could change your life.”

Packers Practice Squad

Here’s the updated practice squad. Players in bold were part of the training camp roster.

Offense (10): QB Kedon Slowis, RB Pierre Strong, OT Dalton Cooper, TE Drake Dabney, G Mekhi Becton, G Josh Gesky, G Dillon Wade, WR Isaiah Neyor, WR Quincy Skinner, WR Coleman Owen.

Defense (6): DT David Blay, edge Arron Mosby, edge Nyjalik Kelly, LB Kristian Welch, CB Domani Jackson, S Kahlef Hailassie.

Special teams: K Lenny Krieg (international).

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Bill Huber
BILL HUBER

Bill Huber, who has covered the Green Bay Packers since 2008, is the publisher of Packers On SI, a Sports Illustrated channel. E-mail: packwriter2002@yahoo.com History: Huber took over Packer Central in August 2019. Twitter: https://twitter.com/BillHuberNFL Background: Huber graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he played on the football team, in 1995. He worked in newspapers in Reedsburg, Wisconsin Dells and Shawano before working at The Green Bay News-Chronicle and Green Bay Press-Gazette from 1998 through 2008. With The News-Chronicle, he won several awards for his commentaries and page design. In 2008, he took over as editor of Packer Report Magazine, which was founded by Hall of Fame linebacker Ray Nitschke, and PackerReport.com. In 2019, he took over the new Sports Illustrated site Packer Central, which he has grown into one of the largest sites in the Sports Illustrated Media Group.