In part four of the ‘Perfect Packers’ series, the 2023 NFL Draft’s defensive line class goes under the microscope to see which players are athletic fits for the Green Bay Packers.
Brian Gutekunst has drafted five defensive linemen so far as Green Bay’s GM: Devonte Wyatt, Kingsley Keke, T.J. Slaton, James Looney, and Jonathan Ford. However, for this exercise, Ford’s testing will be disregarded.
Ford is such a clear outlier for the Packers in an athletic sense, testing extremely poorly in every area. He was a seventh-round flier who is just a big body and is likely to primarily feature on special teams.
With that said, Wyatt, Keke, Slaton, and Looney all achieved at least the following pre-draft results:
- Height: 6’2.5”
- Weight: 287lbs
- Arm length: 32”
- Hand size: 9.125”
- 40 time: 5.09s
- 10-yard split: 1.76s
- Vertical jump: 29”
- Broad jump: 9’1”
- Shuttle: 4.84
- 3-cone: 7.91
Perfect Packers
Zacch Pickens – South Carolina
Pickens tested extremely well at the combine, earning a 9.23 Relative Athletic Score (RAS) on a 0-10 scale compared to previously drafted defensive tackles, including an ‘elite’ speed score, a ‘great’ explosion score and a ‘good’ agility score.
A disruptive presence against the run and the pass at South Carolina, Pickens can line up in multiple spots along the line of scrimmage and could be a great addition to Green Bay’s defensive front on day two of the draft.
Gervon Dexter – Florida
Another strong day two option for the Packers, Dexter has a 9.53 RAS, boasting an ‘elite’ speed score, ‘great’ size and explosion scores and a ‘good’ agility score.
Dexter’s explosiveness and power show up on tape and he can wreck a game. He needs to learn to eat his vegetables in run defense, but Dexter has star potential.
Keeanu Benton – Wisconsin
Could the Packers add a Badger to their defensive line? Benton fits the bill of what they usually look for.
Benton’s RAS clocked in at 8.90 with ‘good’ scores in every area. On tape, he shows real potential to defend the run and rush the passer at a high level and plays with great effort.
Moro Ojomo – Texas
Another top athletic tester, Ojomo recorded a 9.17 RAS with an ‘elite’ explosion score, a ‘great’ speed score and a ‘good’ agility score.
Ojomo is more of a project but has plenty of physical tools to work with and could be a nice developmental option for the Packers on day three.
Spencer Waege of North Dakota State and Jason Lewan of Illinois State are two more potential day three prospects who fit Green Bay’s athletic mold, achieving 9.58 and 8.55 RASs respectively.
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Probable Packers
Jalen Carter – Georgia
…At least from an athletic standpoint. Carter did not test, but he shows freaky athleticism on tape.
The issue is more likely to be the off-field concerns which hover over Carter, which could take him off Green Bay’s board.
In any case, Carter may be long gone by the time the Packers are on the clock at 15 overall.
Bryan Bresee – Clemson
Bresee passed every athletic test he took in terms of being a potential Packer, but he did not complete the broad jump. His incomplete RAS of 9.61, featuring ‘elite’ speed and agility grades and a ‘good’ size grade.
He is one of the more fascinating evaluations in this entire draft class. At times on tape, you see a potential star, other times he appears awkward and ineffective.
It wouldn’t be a shock to see the Packers select him 15th overall, but a slide well into the 2nd round for Bresee wouldn’t be surprising either.
Adetomiwa Adebawore – Northwestern
Adebawore is an inch shorter and 5lbs lighter than the players the Packers have recently drafted, but the team recently hosted him on a pre-draft visit, and he tested out of his mind at the combine.
His 9.72 RAS includes ‘elite’ scores for speed, explosion, and agility, overcoming his ‘very poor’ size grade at 6’1.5” and 282lbs.
Jalen Redmond – Oklahoma
Redmond is plenty athletic enough for the Packers with an impressive 9.72 RAS which includes ‘elite’ speed and explosion scores and a ‘great’ agility score.
However, he is 0.2 inches shorter than the shortest defensive lineman Gutekunst has drafted. This is unlikely be enough to take him off Green Bay’s board, but his ‘poor’ RAS size grade is worth noting.
Often misused as a nose tackle at Oklahoma, Redmond has the potential to be a much better player in the NFL than he was in college and could be a target for the Packers on day three.
Some other potential day three options who are close to Green Bay’s possible thresholds are:
Scott Matlock – Boise State
Matlock has a 9.66 RAS featuring ‘great’ speed and agility scores and ‘good’ explosion and size scores.
His hands are 0.125 inches smaller than any defensive lineman Gutekunst has drafted, but it’s hard to believe this would be a dealbreaker.
Jacob Sykes – UCLA
Sykes is a very strong athletic tester, posting a 9.06 RAS with ‘great’ speed, explosion, and agility grades.
He is 5lbs lighter than any DL drafted in the Gutekunst era, but 5lbs should be easy enough for him to put on if necessary and still retain his explosiveness.
Jacob Slade – Michigan State
It’s a similar story for Slade, who has an RAS of 8.76 including an ‘elite’ speed grade, a ‘great’ explosion grade and a ‘good’ agility grade and is just 2lbs under Gutekunst’s lightest drafted defensive lineman.
An outlier
Jaquelin Roy – LSU
The Packers had Roy in for a pre-draft visit, but he falls well short of their normal athletic profile. Roy’s RAS came in at 3.72 with ‘very poor’ agility and ‘poor’ speed and explosion. He would be a late-round flier in the Ford mold.
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