PFF Picks Perfect NFL Draft Pick for Packers

The Green Bay Packers need help at defensive tackle. With general manager Brian Gutekunst’s easily demonstrated fondness for drafting players from the University of Georgia, Pro Football Focus’ choice as the “perfect” draft pick for the Packers makes perfect sense.

PFF’s Max Chadwick went with Georgia’s Christen Miller.

“Considering how badly Green Bay’s defensive line struggled when Parsons went down with a torn ACL in Week 15, the front office should address the issue early in the draft,” Chadwick wrote. “Miller would upgrade the team’s interior defensive line after placing second among all defensive tackles in college football with his 90.2 PFF run-defense grade this year.”

The Packers have a big immediate need at defensive tackle, and it’s even bigger when looking a year down the road.

Under this perfect scenario, Miller would join a Packers defensive line that includes Devonte Wyatt, Colby Wooden, Karl Brooks, Warren Brinson and Nazir Stackhouse. Wyatt (first round, 2022), Brinson (sixth round, 2025) and Stackhouse (undrafted, 2025) all played at Georgia.

Miller started all 13 appearances in 2025 and finished with 1.5 sacks and three tackles for losses among 20 stops. It was a solid season, even if he didn’t reach the hype of being a second-team preseason All-American.

“He’s meant a lot. Take out the program, Christen’s meant a lot to me,” Georgia defensive line coach Tray Scott told Dawg Nation before this year’s Sugar Bowl. “I made a promise to his mom, Jen, his dad, Eugene, two people I love,to see him get his degree in four years and then become one of our leaders of our group and the team.

“For me, it’s been just inspiring to just be able to see one of the guys like him who loves Georgia be able to come in and do everything he wanted and still feel like he’s underachieved. So, it’s been great, man, just seeing his growth mentally and physically.”

Miller is the No. 29 prospect overall and No. 4 defensive tackle at Pro Football Focus.

Miller is the No. 37 prospect in Daniel Jeremiah’s initial top-50 list at NFL.com.

Jeremiah noted Miller boasting “ideal size” and excellent quickness.

“He’s more disruptive than productive in the games I studied. Against the run, he makes plays on slants by using his quickness. He chases with speed and effort from the back side. He will occasionally get caught/turned and dumped at the point of attack because of balance issues.” 

With just four sacks in his college career, Miller will enter the NFL as a two-down run defender, though the Packers would happily accept that given their late-season struggles stopping the run.

“Against the pass, Miller lacks much impact and doesn’t necessarily need to be accounted for as a rusher,” wrote Nathan Cooper of Sports Info Solutions. “He fires off the ball with explosion and quickness, but he doesn’t possess an array of moves that’ll allow him to win many battles against top-tier offensive linemen.” 

Miller was Green Bay’s pick in a two-round mock draft by ESPN draft expert Matt Miller.

“The Packers needed to deal Kenny Clark to put their Micah Parsons trade package over the top, but his absence created a need,” Matt Miller explained. “Miller is a dominant nose tackle prospect with 1-technique ability to shoot gaps and disrupt.”

Miller’s talents go beyond football. He’s a rapper with an interest in fashion.

“Music is something that I run to. It’s like my safe space,” he said. “Football is not who I am but it’s what I do, it’s what I love to do. When I’m away from this sport, sometimes I need something to get me away from it, just heal a lot of things that I’m going through.”

With the losses of Brinson, Stackhouse and Mykel Williams, Georgia needed him to produce.

“There’s times he’s been at a really high level,” Bulldogs defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann said via The Journal-Constitution. “The challenge there is sustaining it, because his level of intensity, effort, his level of communication, just his urgency is at an all-time high, which is what it needs to be. We need him to be a guy that can both anchor in the middle, but also be really disruptive.”

By the way, Miller wore No. 52 at Georgia. That number is worn by Rashan Gary. Will it be available?