NFL Draft: Super Six Packers Prospects on Defensive Line

The Green Bay Packers have a huge (and somewhat overlooked) need on the defensive line. Get to know the top six prospects through stats, scouting and stories.

GREEN BAY, Wis. – Last season, the Green Bay Packers carried six defensive linemen on their roster for most of the season.

With the 2023 NFL Draft about two weeks away, they have only five under contract. Only three have played in a regular-season game. Only two have started a game.

So, for all the focus on getting receivers and tight ends to catch Jordan Love’s passes, the Packers also have a major need on the defensive line. And if that player can strengthen Green Bay’s chronically poor run defense, that would be nice, too.

Our next installment of the Super Six series focuses on the top prospects in this year’s defensive line class. As usual, it’s a group short on real difference-makers and depth.

A little draft history: Since moving to the 3-4 scheme in 2009, the slowest defensive lineman drafted by Green Bay was Josh Boyd at 5.14 seconds – just 0.03 slower than the Combine average. Last year’s seventh-round pick, Jonathan Ford, ran his in 5.49.

Green Bay’s history suggests athleticism and measureables matter at the top of the draft but not so much in the latter rounds. So, you won’t find Baylor’s Siaki Ika (5.39 40, 2.75 Relative Athletic Score), a Day 2 prospect, in this story. Nor will you find Georgia’s Jalen Carter, who has some legal issues and might not be available, anyway.

Bryan Bresee, Clemson

Bryan Bresee (USA Today Sports Images)

Measureables: 6-5 1/2, 298 pounds, 32 1/2 arms. 4.86 40, 4.38 shuttle, 9.61 RAS

Stats and accolades: Bresee was the No. 1 recruit in America when he landed at Clemson in 2020. He was a Freshman All-American but never quite put it all together. He played in four games in 2021 before a torn ACL – even then, he was third-team all-ACC – and a kidney problem and the death of his sister limited him to 10 games in 2022. He had 3.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles for losses in 2022.

Analytical stats: Of 88 interior defenders in this draft class with at least 180 pass-rushing opportunities, he ranked ninth in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap. His pressure rate on pure dropbacks was 11 percent. On runs designed to attack his gap, the play bounced elsewhere 43 percent of the time, ninth-best in the class. His average tackle limited the run to 1.6 yards. He drew two holding penalties. He missed five tackles (26 percent).

How he fits: Easy. The Packers like big, athletic defensive linemen – who doesn’t? – and Bresee is big, he’s athletic and he stops the run. In fact, he’s got a chance to be one of the best run-stoppers in the draft and has the potential to be a three-down performer.

“My athletic ability, my competitiveness, my pass rush ability, just a bunch of things for a big guy that are very uncommon,” he said at the Scouting Combine.

The 33rd Team says: Breese shows burst off the snap to get into blocks right away or suddenly cross face offensive linemen. He owns active hands to fight, and packs a punch. He can club his way through blocks. High pads hinder his ability to push blockers who anchor and sit. Bresee is most effective working edges to slip and surge through the line to create chaos. Strength shows in the run game where he is able to strike and sit against single blockers easily eating them.

Personal touch: Coming off a torn ACL, Bresee was hoping for a bounce-back season in 2022. Instead, it was his most difficult. In September, his 15-year-old sister died from brain cancer. He missed one game due to that tragedy, then missed two more following a kidney infection and one more due to strep throat.

“My beautiful sister Ella you amazed me every single day with the fight that you put up and how joyful you were constantly through this battle," he wrote on Instagram. "Never did I think I would be sitting here today saying bye to you. I want to thank you for bringing happiness to not only me but so many people."

“You are the best sister a brother could ask for and I know for a fact heaven has gained a beautiful angel today, Love you forever and always Ella bear,” he added.

Bresee missed the Louisiana Tech game following the death of his sister. After the game, Tech’s coach, Sonny Cumbie, handed Clemson coach Dabo Swinney a box full of hand-written letters from his players.

"I know it's hard losing a family member," Tech receiver Julien Lewis told The News Star. " I can just only imagine what he's going though. Basically, we were just letting him know we were here for them – that's all we can do, that's the least we can do."

At the Combine, Bresee said he’s driven by her memory.

“Knowing what she went through motivates me every day,” he said. “The fight that she put up and how much she loved watching me play and you know, that's something that definitely just motivates me to continue to work and do right by her.”

Calijah Kancey, Pittsburgh

Calijah Kancey (USA Today Sports Images)

Measureables: 6-1, 283 pounds, 30 5/8 arms. 4.67 40, 4.36 shuttle, 9.60 RAS.

Stats and accolades: Kancey is coming off a decorated career. He was a Freshman All-American in 2020, a third-team All-American with seven sacks and 13 tackles for losses in 2021, and a unanimous All-American and ACC Defensive Player of the Year in 2022 with 7.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for losses in 2022.

Analytical stats: Of 88 interior defenders in this draft class with at least 180 pass-rushing opportunities, he ranked first in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap, and first in pass-rush win rate. His pressure rate on pure dropbacks was 15 percent, just 1 percent behind Jalen Carter’s class-leading mark. On runs designed to attack his gap, the play bounced elsewhere 30 percent of the time, slightly below average. His average tackle limited the run to 1.1 yards. Surprisingly, he drew only one hold. He missed five tackles (14 percent).

How he fits: Kancey, with that jaw-dropping 40-yard time and a mountain of production, is an electric player. The comparisons to All-Pro and future Hall of Famer Aaron Donald are ridiculous but, somehow, don’t seem totally out of bounds. He’s a big-time playmaker who almost certainly will go in the first round. The Packers, however, need to beef up their run defense and it’s hard to see how Kancey fits in that regard.

“I play to prove myself right. I don't play to prove anyone else wrong. I just prove myself right,” he said at the Combine. Of playing the run, he said: “I'm just playing with great leverage At defensive tackle, the lower man wins. You need to play with great leverage and great technique. Because I'm undersized, I can't afford to have bad technique."

NFL Draft Bible says: “Prospects who combine unteachable traits and technical refinement early in their college career are somewhat rare. Calijah Kancey fits that description, as the explosive and fluid athlete complements his excellent movement skills with a wide range of hand moves.”

Personal touch: Kancey played at high school powerhouse Miami Northwestern but was snubbed by his hometown Hurricanes during the recruiting process.

“There’s something they didn’t like, I guess,” he told The Pittsburgh Tribune. “Growing up everybody talks about the U. Great team. Everybody loves them. I’m glad I’m here at Pitt. I made the best decision.”

The better he played, the more attention he drew.

“I know I have to work on beating double teams more,” Kancey said in October. “I know I get more attention. That just frees up other guys on the [defensive] line. If someone gets a one-on-one, I know they’re going to win. If my teammates make a play, I’m happy for them. I’m happy to make a sacrifice for the team.”

Mazi Smith, Michigan

Mazi Smith (USA Today Sports Images)

Measureables: 6-3, 323, 33 3/4 arms. No testing (hamstring/groin).

Stats and accolades: Smith started each of his final two seasons. He was the big man in the middle of Michigan’s powerful defense with a career-high 48 tackles in 2022 to earn first-team all-Big Ten. However, he had just a half-sack and five tackles for losses in 2021 and 2022.

Analytical stats: Of 88 interior defenders in this draft class with at least 180 pass-rushing opportunities, he ranked 47 in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap. His pressure rate on pure dropbacks was 8 percent, one of the worst marks in the class. On runs designed to attack his gap, the play bounced elsewhere 25 percent of the time, also one of the lowest marks. While his average tackle limited the run to 2.6 yards, he ranked No. 1 in PFF’s run-stop percentage, a metric that essentially measures impact tackles. He drew one holding penalty. He missed three tackles (6 percent).

How he fits: Smith might only be a run-stopper but that would be OK for the Packers, whose run defense has been terrible for years. His strength could allow him to devour blocks and allow Quay Walker and De’Vondre Campbell to pile up the tackles.

NFL Draft Bible says: “His physical traits are among the best in the 2023 draft class. Smith’s athleticism allows him to operate as a two-gap lineman, carry momentum and speed on stunts, flatten his rush angle slightly, and display unique quickness and suddenness at his size. The senior’s motor runs hot. As a run defender, he holds the point of attack against double teams and displays the grip strength to pull linemen off balance.

Personal touch: Smith was No. 1 on Bruce Feldman’s annual Freaks List for The Athletic. “Mazi’s rotational strength is ridiculous,” Michigan strength coach Ben Herbert, who said Smith is the strongest defensive lineman he’d seen in 25 years in the profession, told Feldman. “He is an incredible combination of rare traits packaged into one player. He is just ridiculously strong and powerful.”

Sure enough, Smith won the bench press at the Scouting Combine with 34 reps of 225 pounds. He did not run a 40. “I’m good at football, man. I ain’t no 100-meter sprinter.”

Smith entered the draft process having to show he could be more than just a two-down run stopper. “These coaches gettin’ paid a lot of money to know and be able to see (my) traits. Really, I’m trying to listen to what they say, what they see — and what they tell me I need to work on,” he said at pro day. “We talk about showing my abilities that I know I got. They see flash – they talk about making that more consistent. Stuff like that.”

His grandfather and grandmother, Carl and June, were active in the civil-rights movement in Grand Rapids, Mich., and started a newspaper called The Organizer. Smith knows their stories and is filled with his own wisdom. His mom thought he should be on the debate team.

“Players from other teams want to talk to him and, you know, chop it up with him, as the young people like to say,” coach Jim Harbaugh said. “He’s just got a vibe about him, just this aura around him. I’m the same way: I want to hear what he says, hear what he thinks about things. He’s real deep and just a real cool guy.”

Smith pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor weapon charge in December.

Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin

Keeanu Benton (USA Today Sports Images)

Measureables: 6-3 3/4, 309, 33 7/8 arms. 5.08 40, 4.65 shuttle, 8.90 RAS

Stats and accolades: Benton started 36 games in four seasons, including all 25 as a junior, when he was second-team all-Big Ten, and senior, when he was third-team all-conference with career highs of 4.5 sacks, 10 tackles for losses and 35 tackles. He tallied nine sacks in four seasons.

Analytical stats: Of 88 interior defenders in this draft class with at least 180 pass-rushing opportunities, he ranked 10th in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap. Benton ranked No. 5 in PFF’s run-stop percentage, a metric that essentially measures impact tackles. His average tackle limited the run to 0.8 yards, eighth-best, and he missed four tackles (11 percent).

How he fits: Benton was a stud in Jim Leonhard’s NFL-style 3-4 defense, so he would be able to hit the ground running with the Packers. He played up and down the line for the Badgers. At this point, Benton is predominately a run-stopping lineman but he showed some pass-rushing juice at the Senior Bowl.

His improvement in that role will make him some money.

“Just my knowledge of pass sets in my toolbox,” he explained at the Combine. “I feel like over the years I've got more moves in my toolbox. Freshman year, I was a big guy, just a power rusher, now I'm feeling the leverage, push pulling guys, cross chopping, trying different moves on guys and knowing the slide protection, picking up on offensive linemen's communication, know what moves I can have before it even happens.”

NFL Draft Bible says: “Benton is physically imposing, with a really strong upper body. Benton has the size to take on double teams and be a really impactful player in the run game. With his natural upper body strength, Benton has an easy time getting off blocks. He can stack and shed offensive linemen with ease. He is never going to be a high-level pass rusher but Benton is able to walk offensive linemen back.”

Personal touch: Benton is from Janesville, Wis.

“I think that's awesome,” he said at the Combine. “Not a lot of people know, but I was the first person to go D-I from my school in like 30 years and I took honor in that. I didn't think I would be able to go because nobody was interested and I started getting looks later in my career – end of my junior year of high school, actually – and I was just blessed to be able to take that next step and go to college.”

Now, the next step is the NFL. He credits some of his success to his wrestling background. He was a state qualifier in the heavyweight division twice, including as a junior with his 48-2 record.

“My wrestling coach, he's a big part of my life,” he said at the Combine. “Not a lot of people know this, but he saved my sister's life. She had stopped breathing. Her heart failed in gym class and he shocked her back to life.”

He added, “I suggest all the kids to wrestle, everybody I talk to because, first of all, the grit, one-on-one, it's you and one other person you've got to go against in that ring. So, that's the grit factor and then with your hands, hips, leverage, feet, all that stuff, I feel like that translated phenomenally to the football field.”

Benton had his teammates on the Badgers’ wrestling mats during the offseason.

“The first day, I kind of showed them what a six-minute match feels like – just moving around, shooting and sprawling,” he told UWBadgers.com, “and they were dead (tired). Then I showed them how it (wrestling) correlates to football so well.”

Gervon Dexter, Florida

Gervon Dexter Sr. (USA Today Sports Images)

Measureables: 6-5 5/8, 310 pounds, 32 1/4 arms. 4.88 40, 4.70 shuttle, 9.52 RAS.

Stats and accolades: Dexter started 26 games in three seasons and finished with 5.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for losses. In 2022, he had two sacks, four TFLs and one interception. He didn’t earn all-SEC honors in any of his seasons.

Analytical stats: Of 88 interior defenders in this draft class with at least 180 pass-rushing opportunities, he ranked 36th in PFF’s pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap. His average tackle limited the run to 2.2 yards, a mediocre 50th out of 92. However, he ranked 20th out of 92 in PFF’s run-stop percentage, a metric that essentially measures impact tackles. He missed four tackles (7.3 percent).

How he fits: Dexter isn’t ready to be a star but the Packers – and many other teams – are willing to bet on a player’s physical skill-set and their coaches’ ability to maximize those tools. Dexter is how you’d draw up a defensive lineman, but nothing in the stats suggests he’s ready to beat up on NFL blockers.

“I spoke with a couple of coaches who believe,” he said at pro day. “I've done stuff on film that others can't do physically.”

NFL Draft Bible says: “Though technique and refined play are important pieces of an NFL player’s success, high-level athletic traits are irreplaceable. Dexter has clear NFL size and length, the versatility to play anywhere from the nose to five-tech, experience against SEC talent, and NFL-caliber athletic traits. He has impressive short-area lateral explosion and a quick first step to penetrate and shoot gaps.”

Personal touch: Like so many football players, Dexter thought his ticket in athletics would be basketball. He started as a freshman on the Lake Wales (Fla.) High School team. Heading into his junior year, the football coach, TaVaris Johnson, persuaded him to give football a shot.

“The helmet was crooked, the jersey was crooked and the pants looked as if he had rolled them up,” Johnson said told The Athletic. “It looked like a kindergartner in high school. So, I was like, ‘Yeah, maybe you’re right. I don’t know if this is going to work out.’ But, I tell you what, from Day 1 when he took that first rep, it was just like, ‘Wow.’”

A few months later, Dexter committed to the Gators.

“His size, his wingspan, right away, he reminds you of the Incredible Hulk,” Johnson said.

On May 9, his son, Gervon Dexter Jr., will turn 1.

“It’s been a huge motivation for me,” Dexter said to 247 Sports. “Before I was a dad, it was kind of like everything I was doing, it was kind of for me almost, like my goals. I’m sure some of you guys know if you have kids, it’s not about you anymore; it’s about him now.”

Adetomiwa Adebawore, Northwestern

Adetomiwa Adebawore (USA Today Sports Images)

Measureables: 6-1 5/8, 282 pounds, 33 7/8 arms. 4.49 40, 4.26 shuttle, 9.72 RAS.

Stats and accolades: Adebawore was a three-year starter for the Wildcats. He was an honorable mention on the all-Big Ten team in 2021 (4.5 sacks, 8.5 tackles for losses, 36 tackles) and 2022 (five sacks, nine tackles for losses, 38 tackles. His four-year totals were 12.5 sacks and 24.5 TFLs.

Analytical stats: If his PFF pass-rushing numbers are moved from the edge, where he lined up full-time in 2021, to the interior, where he played about half the time in 2022, Adebawore would have ranked 14th out of 88 interior defenders in this draft class with at least 180 pass-rushing opportunities in pass-rushing productivity, which measures sacks, hits and hurries per pass-rushing snap. His pressure rate on pure dropbacks was 14 percent, 13th-best in the class. On runs designed to attack his gap, the play bounced elsewhere 34 percent of the time, eighth-best. His average tackle limited the run to 2.3 yards. He drew zero holding penalties. He missed 11 tackles (21 percent).

How he fits: From outside linebacker to defensive tackle, Adebawore should be a contributor. In fact, I see a better fit with Adebawore in the second round than with Pitt’s Calijah Kancey in the first round, even though they have approximately the same height and weight. Adebawore’s arms are about 3 inches longer. That’s an enormous distance to help keep bigger offensive linemen off him.

“I think my combination of speed and strength allowed me to play multiple positions,” he told The Draft Network before the Senior Bowl. “I’ve been blessed with an opportunity to play both inside and outside. I’ve proven myself to be a versatile defender. I played inside, but I also have enough speed to play on the edge. Genetics and hard work go a long way (laughs). They’ve helped me develop some position versatility.”

Sports Info Solutions says: “He is an impressively-built athlete with a strong upper body and a quick-twitched lower half. His explosive athleticism is uncommon at his size, and adding more weight to his frame did not limit his athleticism at all. His high energy and motor are among his best traits; while he may not always make a play, he is always running to the ball.”

Personal touch: Check out our predraft feature on Adebawore.

He got some sound advice from former Packers defensive tackle and fellow Northwestern player Tyler Lancaster. “I remember Tyler Lancaster telling me, ‘If you’re not working now, you’re going to be just washed out of the league instantly,’” Adebawore said at the Scouting Combine. “You have to stay in shape. You have to make sure you’re being a pro, making sure you’re ready to go, your body’s ready to go.”

His parents were born in Nigeria, and his name translates to “a crown of one.” A grandfather is king of a village in Nigeria, making his dad, himself and his brothers princes. “My parents were born in Nigeria, so there wasn’t as many opportunities,” he said while at North Kansas City (Mo.) High School. “They taught me a lot of things early, like not to be influenced by other people. Don’t think because someone is doing this, you have to do it.”

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