Packers Need Defensive Tackles; Which Might Not Be On the Board?

The Green Bay Packers entered the offseason needing to build upon their defensive line. And then they switched to a 3-4 defense and traded Colby Wooden.

Who will be of interest to the Packers in this week’s NFL Draft? Using history as a guide, here’s a closer look at who might fit better than others.

Height

General manager Brian Gutekunst has drafted eight defensive linemen during his tenure. The shortest was James Looney, a seventh-round pick during his first draft in 2018. At 6-foot-2 3/8, he was the shortest over the last decade.

Going back to the dawn of the Ted Thompson era in 2005, Christian Ringo at 6-foot 3/4 (2015) was the shortest. Going back further, Mike Daniels (2012) was 6-foot 1/2.

Over the combined Gutekunst-Thompson eras, last year’s sixth-round pick, Warren Brinson, was the tallest at 6-foot-5 1/4.

There seems to be a Goldilocks prospect for the Packers, especially under Gutekunst. Not too tall; not too short.

Who might be too short? Texas A&M’s Albert Regis (6-1 3/8), Penn State’s Zane Durant (6-1 1/8), Alabama’s Tim Keenan (6-1 1/8), UCA’s Gary Smith III (6-1), Texas Tech’s Skyler Gill-Howrd (6-foot 5/8), Cincinnati’s Dontay Corleone (6-foot 1/2) and Navy’s Landon Robinson (5-11 1/4),

Who might be too tall? Mississippi’s Zxavian Harris (6-7 3/4), Florida’s Caleb Banks (6-6 1/4), Florida State’s Darrell Jackson Jr. (6-5 1/2),

Weight

Of Gutekunst’s eight picks on the defensive line, five were more than 300 pounds. That includes 330-plus pounds of TJ Slaton in 2021 and Jonathan Ford in 2022. On the other hand, Colby Wooden slimmed down to 273 pounds for the 2023 Scouting Combine.

The presence of Wooden puts everyone in play.

Arm Length

Karl Brooks, a sixth-round pick in 2023 with 31 1/2-inch arms, is the only one of Gutekunst’s defensive tackles with arms shorter than 32 inches. Among those who hit 32 on the nose was B.J. Raji, who was drafted to be the nose tackle in the new 3-4.

Clemson’s Peter Woods, a potential first-round pick, has 31 1/4-inch arms. All of the Day 2 prospects have plenty of length. Moving into Day 3, Alabama’s Tim Keenan (30 1/2), Kentucky’s David Gusta (31 1/8), Texas Tech’s Gill-Howard (31 1/8), Oklahoma’s Gracen Halton (31 1/2), Navy’s Landon Robinson (31 3/4) and Penn State’s Zane Durant (31 7/8) fall short of 32 inches.

40-Yard Dash

Ford was the outlier of the group. A seventh-round pick in 2022, Ford ran his 40 in 5.49 seconds. Even the 330-pound Slaton ran his 40 in 5.09 seconds, tied with Brinson for the slowest of the defensive tackles picked by Gutekunst. A 5.09, for reference, is a 65th percentile time for a defensive tackle.

A lot of prospects did not run a 40. Of the draftable prospects, Alabama’s Keenan was the slowest at 5.31. But he’s a late-round prospect and a 327-pounder. So, much like Ford, the 40 time might be irrelevant.

Relative Athletic Score

Relative Athletic Score puts height, weight, 40-yard time and other measurables on a 0-to-10 spectrum to allow for comparisons within a position.

Ford once again was the outlier. Here are Gutekunst’s picks: Warren Brinson, sixth round in 2025, 9.10; Karl Brooks, sixth round in 2023, 5.87; Colby Wooden, fourth round in 2023, 9.25; Ford, seventh round in 2022, 3.55; Devonte Wyatt, first round in 2022, 9.59; TJ Slaton, fifth round in 2021, 7.96; Kingsley Keke, sixth round in 2019, 7.98; James Looney, seventh round in 2018, 9.75.

Players with a RAS of less than 6.0? It’s a short list: Texas Tech’s Gill-Howard, 5.62; Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter, 4.12; Alabama’s Keenan, 2.74.

Hunter is the big name there, obviously. Will he be on Green Bay’s board? Only Gutekunst knows, though it’s at least interesting to point out that Raji’s RAS was 4.33.

Who Are Best Fits for Packers at Defensive Tackle?

Looking at it purely from a size-speed perspective, these prospects might be the best fit for the Packers. They are listed in order of Relative Athletic Score.

Jordan van den Berg, Georgia Tech: Height and weight: 6-foot-3 1/4, 310 pounds. 40: 4.94. Arms: 32 1/8. RAS: 9.99.

DeMonte Capehart, Clemson: Height and weight: 6-foot-4 7/8, 313 pounds. 40: 4.85. Arms: 34 1/2. RAS: 9.96.

Rene Konga, Louisville: Height and weight: 6-foot-3 3/4, 298 pounds. 40: 4.79. Arms: 33 5/8. RAS: 9.78.

Anterio Thompson, Washington: Height and weight: 6-foot-1 7/8, 306 pounds. 40: 4.73. Arms: 33 1/2. RAS: 9.39.

Kaleb Proctor, Southeastern Louisiana: Height and weight: 6-foot-1 7/8, 291 pounds. 40: 4.79. Arms: 33. RAS: 9.15.

Tyler Onyedim, Texas A&M: Height and weight: 6-foot-3 1/2, 290 pounds. 40: 5.07. Arms: 34 1/4. RAS: 8.31.

Domonique Orange, Iowa State: Height and weight: 6-foot-2 3/8, 322 pounds. 40: DNP. Arms: 33 3/8. RAS: 7.84.

Nick Barrett, South Carolina: Height and weight: 6-foot-2 7/8, 312 pounds. 40: 5.10. Arms: 33 1/2. RAS: 7.68.

Cameron Ball, Arkansas: Height and weight: 6-foot-3 5/8, 308 pounds. 40: 5.10. Arms: 33 1/8. RAS: 7.53.

Bryson Eason, Tennessee: Height and weight: 6-foot-2 1/4, 323 pounds. 40: 5.09. Arms: 33 1/8. RAS: 6.94.

Chris McClellan, Missouri: Height and weight: 6-foot-3 7/8-, 313pounds. 40: 5.05. Arms: 34. RAS: 6.01.

Lee Hunter, Texas Tech: Height and weight: 6-foot-3 1/2, 318 pounds. 40: 5.18. Arms: 33 1/4. RAS: 4.12.

Christen Miller, Georgia: Height and weight: 6-foot-3 3/4, 321 pounds. 40: DNP. Arms: 33. RAS: None.

Darrell Jackson, Florida State: Height and weight: 6-foot-5 1/2, 315 pounds. 40: DNP. Arms: 35 1/4. RAS: None.

Rayshaun Benny, Michigan: Height and weight: 6-foot-3 1/4, 298 pounds. 40: DNP. Arms: 33 3/8. RAS: None.

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