Packers Have Emerging Problem With DL Devonte Wyatt

There was a point last season when it finally looked like Devonte Wyatt had figured it out. Through the first three games of 2025, the former first-round pick had already established himself as one of the most disruptive players on Green Bay’s defensive interior, recording 2 sacks, 5 QB hits and 13 total pressures while earning a 77.8 PFF pass-rushing grade.

He continued that momentum deep into the season, starting all 10 games he played and finishing with 27 tackles, 4 sacks, 6 tackles for loss, and 7 quarterback hits. The best stretch came late, when Wyatt was described by Matt LaFleur as playing “the best ball of his career” before suffering a season-ending ankle injury against Detroit on Thanksgiving.

His 4 sacks still ranked 3rd on the team despite missing 7 games, and his 6 tackles for loss tied for 4th. The injury was particularly frustrating because Wyatt had finally begun looking like the explosive interior disruptor Green Bay envisioned drafting him 28th overall in 2022. The Packers clearly believed that version of Wyatt was real enough to invest heavily in, giving him a 3 year $57 million extension in July.

Wyatt Hasn’t Returned To Form As Of Yet This Season

Through 3 games of 2026, however, that disruptive version of Wyatt has been difficult to find. Through the losses to Minnesota and Atlanta, and the overtime win over the Jets, Wyatt has accumulated just 8 tackles. Only 5 of those being solo and 3 assisted. He has put up 0 sacks, 0 tackles for loss, 0 quarterback hits and 0 passes defended. His 111 defensive snaps represent 53 % of Green Bay’s defensive workload, but those snaps have produced only 2 total pressures. Both classified as hurries, according to PFF.

That translates to a 47.8 overall PFF grade, including a 54.2 pass-rush grade and a 43.4 run-defense grade. For comparison, Wyatt already had 13 pressures through 3 games last year. That is the glaring difference.

Last September, opposing quarterbacks were regularly feeling Wyatt’s presence, but through 3 games this year, he has not consistently altered the pocket. I myself spent a lot of time this offseason touting his return as somethig to watch for and how he and Javon Hargrave would be a wrecking crew. Still waiting for that crew to punch in.

Surprisingly, while Wyatt has been relatively quiet, Lukas Van Ness has been making the kind of noise Packers fans have been waiting to hear from the former first-rounder. While everyone was worried about the edge heading into the season, Green Bay now needs production from its interior rushers to complement the pressure coming from the edges. Right now Wyatt is not providing enough of it.

Looking Ahead For Packers DL Devonte Wyatt In 2026

The next few weeks should tell us whether this is simply a player still working his way back to his pre-injury form or the beginning of a more concerning trend. Wyatt does not need to suddenly become a double digit-sack player, but Green Bay needs him to win enough of his 1×1 opportunities inside to collapse pockets, force quarterbacks off their spots and make life easier for the edge rushers.

The encouraging part is that he is still playing significant snaps and has remained healthy enough to start all three games, meaning the opportunity is there. The concerning part is that 111 snaps have produced only 2 pressures, and his run-defense grade currently sits at 43.4. That simply is not enough from a player the Packers just committed $57 million to beyond this season.

Wyatt has already shown Green Bay what he can look like when everything is clicking. The question now is whether the player who emerged during the first half of 2025 is still in there somewhere, and whether he can find that version of himself before the Packers need him most.