Packers Sign Athletic Defensive Lineman Who Had Decorated Senior Season

The Green Bay Packers are signing defensive tackle Devonte O’Malley, a source told Packers On SI on Monday morning.

O’Malley was a three-year starter who finished sixth in Northern Illinois history with 22.5 sacks. He was an honorable mention All-American by Phil Steele in 2024, when he had a career-high eight sacks, which ranked fourth in the MAC. He added 11.5 tackles for losses.

O’Malley went undrafted and signed with the Tennessee Titans. He was released two weeks ago.

O’Malley will bring some juice to the field for the final week of training camp. At 6-foot-2 1/2 and 284 pounds, he ran his 40 in 4.95 seconds. With excellent all-around testing numbers, his Relative Athletic Score was 9.20.

In the big upset win over Notre Dame, he had three tackles for losses, forced a fumble, broke up a pass and had five pressures to be named the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week by the Football Writers Association of America.

“Going into that game, it was a lot of doubts,” he told Slim Sports. “People were saying we ain’t going to win. I like to know what other teams think. So, I looked at the scouting report. It was like I hadn’t shown up in big-time games in X amount of years that I’ve been here, spelled my name wrong like they didn’t care. Stuff like that – I’m undersized.

“The cherry on top, we watched the interview from the head coach after they played Texas A&M, and he said something along the lines, ‘You don’t prepare for next week. I don’t even know who we play next week.’ They played us, so that left a chip on my shoulder. You just don’t go out and trash-talk your opponent.”

He wasn’t intimidated by the formidable Fighting Irish.

“Honestly, it’s just another game,” he said before the game. “I don’t think any major Power Five team that we play is crazy … At the end of the day, we put our shoes on just the way that they do.”

For the Packers, he’ll add a fresh set of legs for the final week of training camp and a sign that starters Kenny Clark and Devonte Wyatt will have limited workloads.

At Bremen High School, the native of Midlothian, Ill., played receiver and linebacker. He caught 21 passes for 460 yards and four touchdowns as a junior.

“I didn’t always play defensive line. In high school, I played receiver actually, so putting the weight on, I still had my twitch,” he said on Slim Sports. “Being this big and twitchy and fast is an advantage I have against offensive linemen.”

With the Packers, he’ll join two former NIU teammates, undrafted guard J.J. Lippe and first-year defensive tackle James Ester, who was an undrafted free agent last year.

He should be at home in the cold if he makes a lasting impression.

“I’ve been here my whole life, so playing football in the cold ain’t nothing to me,” O’Malley said before Senior Day. “I’m going to be out there, short sleeves; no tights; no nothing.”

Along with Clark and Wyatt, the Packers’ defensive line includes third-year players Colby Wooden and Karl Brooks, Georgia rookies Nazir Stackhouse and Warren Brinson, Ester and former Illinois standout Keith Randolph. Brinson and Randolph had four pressures apiece against the Colts, and Randolph deflected two passes.