Green Bay Packers Draft: Defensive Line Discussion

Q: What changes are happening in the Green Bay Packers' defensive line for 2025?

The Packers are experiencing a defensive coordinator change that is expected to influence their defensive line strategy significantly.

Q: How did the Packers' defense perform in the 2025 season?

The Packers had an elite defense in the first quarter of the 2025 season but struggled in the subsequent quarters, ranking among the worst in the league.

Q: What issues has the Packers' nose tackle position faced in recent seasons?

The nose tackle position has been inconsistent for the Packers, described as a revolving door over the past couple of seasons.

Q: Will the Packers address their defensive line needs in the upcoming draft?

There is speculation about whether the Packers will finally secure a stable nose tackle in the draft or if they already have a solution on their current roster.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - DECEMBER 6: Christen Miller #52 of the Georgia Bulldogs reacts in the 2025 SEC Championship against the Alabama Crimson Tide at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 6, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) | Getty Images

The Green Bay Packers are going through a defensive coordinator change this offseason, and it might be felt the most at the defensive line position when it’s all said and done. Hopefully, that means good things for the Packers, who had an elite first-quarter defense in 2025 but were one of the worst in the league from quarters two through four.

On top of that, the nose tackle position has been a revolving door for Green Bay for the past couple of seasons. Will this be the draft where they finally lock down the position? Do they already have their answer on the roster? Let’s take a look at where the Packers’ defensive line room stands today and what the draft could bring Green Bay.

Packers Defensive Line Depth Chart

Devonte Wyatt (should be back on the field by June)
Javon Hargrave
Karl Brooks
Warren Brinson
Nazir Stackhouse
Jonathan Ford
Jordon Riley (likely to miss at least most of 2026 with an Achilles tendon tear)
James Ester
Anthony Campbell
Jaden Crumedy
Dante Barnett (international player)

With the Packers transitioning to a 3-4 defense quarters-based system under defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon, the team is going to look to be run-first on the line of scrimmage. For perspective, it’s not uncommon for Gannon to play a 280-pound edge rusher on the field, which is why we have Lukas Van Ness counted as an edge rusher, not a defensive lineman, in the depth chart above.

This offseason, the Packers moved on from 2025 starting nose tackle Colby Wooden in their trade for linebacker Zaire Franklin. Green Bay lost two other nose tackles, Kenny Clark and T.J. Slaton, before the 2025 season.

The big questions that linger right now are:

Is Javon Hargrave going to be a nose tackle, like he was last year in Minnesota, or a three-technique, like he was previously for Gannon?
Has Nazir Stackhouse done enough to warrant a roster spot for 2026?

These questions will likely be answered on draft day by the Packers’ actions, as Green Bay will need to add talent somewhere on the line. There’s potential for them to double-dip at the position, depending on what they think of Stackhouse.

Defensive Line Consensus Draft Board Rankings

#29: Peter Woods, Clemson
#31: Kayden McDonald, Ohio State
#38: Caleb Banks, Florida
#46: Christen Miller, Georgia (pre-draft visitor)
#49: Lee Hunter, Texas Tech
#67: Domonique Orange, Iowa State
#72: Gracen Halton, Oklahoma
#80: Darrell Jackson Jr., Florida State
#112: Kaleb Proctor, Southeast Louisiana (pre-draft visitor)
#114: Chris McClellan, Missouri
#118: Zxavian Harris, Mississippi
#125: Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati
#129: Zane Durant, Penn State
#132: Rayshaun Benny, Michigan
#136: DeMonte Capehart, Clemson
#143: Tim Keenan III, Alabama
#156: Tyler Onyedim, Texas A&M
#167: Nick Barrett, South Carolina
#179: Landon Robinson, Navy
#195: Albert Regis, Texas A&M
#215: Cameron Ball, Arkansas
#229: Brandon Cleveland, NC State
#231: Bryson Eason, Tennessee
#239: Jordan van den Berg, Georgia Tech (pre-draft visitor)
#248: David Gusta, Kentucky
#250: Rene Konga, Louisville
#251: Deven Eastern, Minnesota

The Packers have brought in an interesting mix of players at the position as pre-draft visitors. Christen Miller of Georgia split time between three-technique and nose tackle at the college level, while Southeast Louisiana’s Kaleb Proctor is a true three-tech-only type of penetrating player and Georgia Tech’s Jordan van den Berg is an athletic nose tackle. It doesn’t seem like the team is looking for just one specific type of player at the position.

Green Bay is also reportedly bringing in Anterio Thompson of Washington on a visit, who previously had stints at Iowa Western C.C. (a JuCo powerhouse), Iowa and Western Michigan. He’s from Madison, Wisconsin, so it’s uncertain right now whether he was brought in for the Packers’ local pro day (which would not count against their 30 visits) or if he was a legitimate solo visitor. Last year, Thompson was a part-time starter for the Huskies.

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Is there a player you want the Packers to target at the position? Some of my favorites, at least for how they’re ranked on the consensus board, are Iowa State’s Domonique Orange, Oklahoma’s Gracen Halton and Clemson’s DeMonte Capehart. It’s also worth noting that Green Bay was one of the few teams that made it out to Orange’s private workout, as he essentially held his own pro day last week after missing workouts at both the draft and Iowa State’s pro day due to a quad injury he was working through.