Green Bay Packers Relying on Unproven Interior Defensive Lineman

The Green Bay Packers traded away Kenny Clark in their trade for All-Pro pass rusher Micah Parsons. Clark was the only proven interior defensive lineman on the roster. The Packers will be relying upon a handful of young, unproven players on the interior defensive line this upcoming season.

When the initial 53 man roster was announced on August 26th, it was a bit of surprise that the Packers kept 6 interior defensive lineman. Those players were Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, Karl Brooks, Colby Wooden, Warren Brinson, and Nazir Stackhouse. Wooden, Brinson, and Stackhouse were all perceived to be on the roster bubble during cutdowns, but they ultimately kept all of them. Clark was dealt a few days after roster cuts.

Heading into the 2025 NFL Draft, defensive line was seen as a position of need for the Packers. They let run stopping defensive tackle TJ Slaton walk in free agency. Kenny Clark was aging and had a down year while dealing with a season long injury. However, they didn’t draft a player on the interior defensive line until they took Warren Brinson out of Georgia in the 6th round of the NFL Draft. They added his college teammate, Nazir Stackhouse, as an undrafted free agent.

Devonte Wyatt

Devonte Wyatt is the player the Packers need to step up the most. A 1st round draft selection in 2022, he is entering his 4th season with Green Bay. The Packers picked up his 5th year option this offseason. Wyatt will be entering his prime at age 27.

Wyatt has shown promise as an interior pass rusher in his first 3 NFL seasons. He had 5.5 sacks in 2023 and 5 sacks in 2024. He needs to become a full time player for the Packers, however. In 2024, he only played 33.24% of defensive snaps while missing some time due to injury. In 2023, he played 49.68% of defensive snaps.

Karl Brooks

In the 2023 NFL Draft, the Packers selected Colby Wooden in the 4th round and Karl Brooks in the 6th round. Karl Brooks has been the more productive player so far in their careers. Brooks had 4 sacks in his rookie season and 3.5 sacks in his 2nd season. Brooks played 40.59% of defensive snaps in 2024. He will be starting next to Devonte Wyatt at the beginning of the 2025 season.

Colby Wooden

Wooden was only on the field for 21.49% of snaps a season ago, often a healthy scratch early in the season. He has yet to record a whole sack in his career. Wooden added 12-15 lbs this offseason, hoping the weight will help with his play strength. The biggest play he has made so far came on special teams, blocking a field goal attempt in the 2023 divisional round against the San Francisco 49ers.