Rookie the NFL forgot to draft makes the most of his chance and proves worthy of a spot on the Packers 53-man roster

Why Nazir Stackhouse made the team

The Packers lost TJ Slaton in free agency, and they didn't have a real nose tackle on the roster at this point beyond Kenny Clark, who's now expected to play more as a 1-tech. During the offseason program, Green Bay even used Colby Wooden there, but he doesn't have the usual physical profile to play nose. Stackhouse offers exactly that, which made him the undrafted rookie with the highest chances of making the 53-man roster.

Stackhouse racked up 96 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and three sacks during his college career at Georgia, along with a blocked field goal.

While it might sound weird to keep six interior defensive linemen, that's exactly what the Packers are doing. Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, Colby Wooden, Karl Brooks, and Warren Brinson are on it as well.

General manager Brian Gutekunst is making sure that he is loaded at the position. But more importantly, he's playing the waiver wire game. A player with Stackhouse's physical profile and college production wouldn't go unclaimed, so the Packers are protecting him.

Performance

A 6-3, 320-pound nose tackle, Nazir Stackhouse appeared in all three preseason games, with a total of 87 defensive snaps—27 in the A-gap, 58 in the B-gap, and two over the tackle, according to Pro Football Focus. He generated three pressures and had one stop and two tackles.

Maybe this will still be a developmental season for Stackhouse, but the path is there for the rookie to prove it was a mistake by 32 NFL teams not to select him in the draft.