Packers’ Needs on Defense and First-Round Options

With the 2022 NFL Draft set to start on April 28, here is a look at the state of the Green Bay Packers on defense with first-round options at each position.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – With the first two weeks of NFL free agency complete and few move-the-needle players remaining, the best way for the Green Bay Packers to improve their roster will be through next month’s NFL Draft.

Here is a position-by-position look at the Packers’ defense and some options with their two first-round picks.

Defensive Line

Strength: Adding Jarran Reed to the unit was a strong move by general manager Brian Gutekunst. Despite the presence of Kenny Clark, the defensive line had been an overall weakness for years, a fact exacerbated by the January release of promising Kingsley Keke. With Clark, Reed, Dean Lowry and the potential of a Year 2 leap from TJ Slaton, this could be a quality unit.

Question: Depth is a concern. With Tyler Lancaster unsigned, Green Bay has only five players under contract. That fifth player, Jack Heflin, barely played as an undrafted rookie. Five might be enough for the 53-man roster but it’s not even close enough to get through training camp and deal with any injuries.

First-round pick: With the assumption that Georgia’s standouts are long gone, the best of the rest is Connecticut’s Travis Jones. At 6-foot-4 and 325 pounds, he is a big-time athlete (4.92 in the 40, 4.58 in the shuttle) with production to match. He had 4.5 sacks and 7.5 tackles for losses in 2021.

Outside Linebacker

Strength: With Preston Smith and Rashan Gary, the Packers have a high-quality tandem on the edges. Gary is everything that Gutekunst forecast coming out of Michigan in 2019, and Smith turned a bounce-back season into a contract extension.

Question: There is no depth. Jonathan Garvin (395 snaps), Tipa Galeai (152) and La’Darius Hamilton (64) combined to play more than 600 snaps and collected 2.5 sacks. The Packers badly need a reliable third option.

First-round pick: In 2019, Gutekunst opened the vault for Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith, then drafted Gary. So, clearly, this is a position he values. It’s a strong draft class that includes four Big Ten players who posted outstanding Relative Athletic Scores.

Minnesota’s Boye Mafe had seven sacks and 10 tackles for losses as a senior, then crushed the Senior Bowl. At 6-foot-4 and 261 pounds, he ran his 40 in 4.53 with a 38-inch vertical.

Purdue’s George Karlaftis had 7.5 sacks and 17 tackles for losses in 2019, missed most of 2020 due to injury and COVID, and returned with 4.5 sacks and 10 TFLs in 2021. His combination of size (6-4, 275) and athleticism (38-inch vertical) would be appealing.

Penn State’s Arnold Ebiketie (6-2, 250) is a bit smaller but athletic (38-inch vertical). He spent his first three seasons at Temple, then dominated with 9.5 sacks and 18 tackles for losses in 2021.

Michigan’s David Ojabo, who suffered an Achilles injury at pro day, could be a value addition so long as the team is convinced he’ll return as good as new. A one-year wonder with 11 sacks in 2021, he was always going to be in the mold of Gary as a traits-based prospect. At 6-foot-4 and 250 pounds, he ran his 40 in 4.55.

Inside Linebacker

Strength: The Packers re-signed All-Pro De’Vondre Campbell. What more needs to be said?

Question: Krys Barnes has outplayed his undrafted status. He was a good find in 2020. Playing about half the defensive snaps last season, he had 79 tackles, four tackles for losses and four passes defensed. Had he played every snap, he would have been around 160 tackles with eight TFLs and eight PBUs. Campbell had 145 tackles, six tackles for losses and five breakups. So, while Barnes has been good, could Gutekunst go after a top prospect to form a dominating duo? If nothing else, the depth is a question mark with the departure of Oren Burks and last year’s draft pick, Isaiah McDuffie, not playing a single snap on defense.

First-round pick: Utah’s Devin Lloyd probably will be off the board. Georgia’s Nakobe Dean has top-20 talent but is merely 5-foot-11 1/4 and 229 pounds. The Packers have had little interest in short players historically so he might not be an option. His six sacks, 10.5 tackles for losses, two interceptions and two forced fumbles could be appealing, though.

Georgia’s Quay Walker is in the Campbell mold at 6-foot-4 and 241 pounds. He ran his 40 in 4.52. With that size and speed, he can cover a lot of ground in a hurry. Alabama’s Christian Harris is a bit closer to Dean on the size spectrum (6-0 1/2, 226). He’s got blinding 4.44 speed but some coverage issues.

Cornerback

Strength: With the re-signing of Rasul Douglas, the Packers have a potential no-fly zone of Jaire Alexander, Douglas and Eric Stokes at cornerback Alexander was perhaps the best cornerback in the NFL in 2020. When Alexander went down with a shoulder injury, the Packers grabbed Douglas and were rewarded with five interceptions. And Stokes might have received all-rookie recognition if not for one poor showing at Minnesota.

Question: Who plays if there’s an injury? With Chandon Sullivan relocating to Minnesota and little interest in bringing back Kevin King at this point, the Packers’ “experience” consists of 2021 fifth-round pick Shemar Jean-Charles and the weekend addition of Keisean Nixon. Jean-Charles played 37 snaps on defense as a rookie. Nixon logged 273 snaps and two starts in three seasons.

First-round pick: Betting on injured players comes with peril, as the Packers learned with King. LSU’s Derek Stingley is a top-10 talent but played only 10 games the past two seasons due to injuries. It’s easy to sees him tumbling into Green Bay’s range at No. 22. He had six interceptions as a freshman in 2019 but didn’t even break up a pass in three games in 2021.

Clemson’s Andrew Booth didn’t test at the Combine because of a hamstring injury, and announced a couple weeks ago that he’s going to have core-muscle surgery. That shouldn’t be a major issue but it could raise some eyebrows. He had five picks the last two seasons.

Auburn’s Roger McCreary didn’t test well at all (4.50 in the 40, 31.5-inch vertical) but was highly productive with three interceptions and seven tackles for losses in 2020 and two interceptions and 14 passes defensed in 2021. If the Packers want a slot, he could be an option.

Safety

Strength: With Adrian Amos and Darnell Savage, Green Bay has one of the top safety tandems in the NFL.

Question: There is no depth whatsoever. Last year’s third safety was Henry Black. The Packers didn’t give him an exclusive-rights tender, perhaps due to his role in the killer blocked punt in the playoff loss to San Francisco. Moreover, Amos and Savage are entering their final season under contract. Will Amos be given a contract extension or are the Packers tapped out on big-money contracts? And will the team trigger Savage’s fifth-year option?

First-round pick: Selecting Michigan’s Daxton Hill would kill two birds with one stone. Hill played in the slot at Michigan, so would give the Packers another option inside. That could be his role as a rookie before moving into a larger role at safety in 2023. He’s an elite athlete with some ball skills and better physicality than his build suggests.

Georgia’s Lewis Cine is more of a traditional safety. He’s a superb athlete with excellent recognition skills and physicality.

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