Run-Stuffing Ohio State Defensive Tackle Has NFL Draft Visit with Packers

Is this Green Bay, Wisconsin or Columbus, Ohio?

You’ll have to forgive anyone if they’re confused, because the Green Bay Packers have hosted at least three Ohio State players for predraft visits. The latest, according to Jordan Schultz, was defensive tackle Tyleik Williams. He follows meetings with offensive tackle Josh Simmons and wide receiver Emeka Egbuka meeting with the team earlier this week.

The Packers, who lost two-year starter TJ Slaton in free agency, could also be entering a stage of transition as soon as 2026.

Kenny Clark got a contract extension last offseason. He responded by having the least productive season of his career.

Devonte Wyatt has some flashes, but he’s been inconsistent and could be a free agent next offseason, depending on whether the team triggers his fifth-year option.

Colby Wooden, a fourth-round pick in 2023, failed to make the opening roster coming out of training camp last year. Karl Brooks, a sixth-round pick in 2023, didn’t take a significant step forward in 2024.

The elephant in the room, or out of the room in this case, is Slaton. The 340-pound Slaton was the only defensive lineman on the roster with a definitive role in mind. Slaton was on the field to stop the run. He was the only defensive lineman on the team to tip the scales at more than 330 pounds.

When Slaton was on the field, Green Bay’s run defense was significantly better as opposed to when he was not.

The Packers did not appear to have much interest in bringing their former fifth-round pick back to play that role, so he signed a two-year contract with the Bengals.

Perhaps that’s due to this deep defensive line class, and the Packers are always looking to get younger if they can.

So, what does Tyleik Williams bring to the table?

Well, for one, the Packers are probably looking to continue a trend that finally went in the right direction a season ago.

The Packers had been a horrendous defense against the run since Matt LaFleur took over as the coach in 2019. He had two different defensive coordinators, a plethora of players, more first-round picks, none of it mattered. The Packers from 2019 through 2023 were last in the NFL in yards allowed per carry.

Tyleik Williams is a massive DT who dominated against the run at Ohio State.

Not a particularly productive pass rusher, but absolutely has the traits to develop in a way similar to what we saw with Alim McNeill’s rise to stardom in both phases of the game.

Day 2 pick, easily. pic.twitter.com/jrQMzuQyKS
— NFL Draft Files (@NFL_DF) April 9, 2025

That changed in 2024 with the hiring of Jeff Hafley as defensive coordinator. The Packers worked their way into the top-10 against the run. They did not shut down Saquon Barkley in the team’s 22-10 loss to the eventual world champion Philadelphia Eagles, but they did slow him down.

There was one play when it looked like Barkley was going to break into the open field. It was his final carry of the game where he wisely slid to allow the Eagles to drain the rest of the clock. Barkley finished the day with 119 yards on 25 carries. All of those yards were earned the hard way.

Slaton was a big part of the team’s success against the erun, so his departure is something the Packers have to replace.

Enter Williams.

Williams was the anchor of Ohio State’s run defense under defensive coordinator Jim Knowles.

The Buckeyes’ defense stifled opponents, holding them to less than 88 rushing yards per game, which was good for third in the Big Ten. Williams was the leader of that run defense, with 23 run stops, including a whopping four against Oregon’s powerful run game in the Rose Bowl, according to Pro Football Focus. He finished the season with a high-quality run defense grade of 88.6, according to PFF.

He’s Dane Brugler’s fifth ranked defensive tackle according to his draft guide, and 40th in his top-100.

Brugler wrote, in part: “With his initial quickness, Williams can cross the face of blockers or create knockback with his ability to stack, find the football and detach…. Overall, Williams needs further development as a pass rusher, but he is one of the best run-defending linemen in the draft class because of his recognition skills and disciplined execution at deconstructing blocks. He has the type of skill set that will be appreciated by NFL coaches.”

That quickness and knockbacks will help the Packers keep Williams on the field for all three downs if he were to be drafted by them. With today’s NFL being the way that it is, it is difficult to keep a one-dimensional defender on the field.

That was likely one of the reasons the Packers did not show much interest in bringing Slaton back.

Williams is not just a run defender. He had 18 tackles for losses and 5.5 sacks the last two seasons.

The upside of Williams in the pass-rush game could give Green Bay the boost it needs on the interior.

Williams would be a potential replacement for Slaton in his first season. He’s a ready-made run defender. That alone gets him on the field as a rookie.

As a potential impact player, which is what the Packers would be looking for in the top-50 of the draft, where he’s likely to be selected, they’ll need him to develop as a pass rusher as well.

If he can, he becomes a potential replacement for Clark as soon as 2026.

At minimum, Green Bay’s interested enough to bring him in. Are they interested enough to take him in the first round?

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