Green Bay Packers: 3 Day Two Defensive Line Prospects
By Kenny Jilek
For the last few years, the Green Bay Packers’ run defense has been a point of much discussion. A lot of things contributed to this, from scheme to linebacker play, but the big guys up front are where it all starts, and the run game is won and lost in the trenches.
Getting Kenny Clark some help in the middle has to be a priority for this team before the 2021 season starts. With extremely limited cap space to use in free agency and even bigger needs elsewhere, the defensive line will likely once again be somewhat of a weak spot for the defensive unit. However, if they want to invest in it, a second or third-round pick is a great way to go.
This defensive line class isn’t exceedingly deep or breathtakingly talented, but there are some players that could be available on day two of the draft that are worth a look, so let’s dive into three guys that the Green Bay Packers could potentially spend that draft capital on.
Green Bay Packers IDL Target: Tommy Togiai – Ohio State
When you look at Tommy Togiai’s stats or watch his film, he’s not a guy that will immediately jump off the screen at you. With only 23 tackles, 4.5 for a loss, and 3.0 sacks in his final college season, no one is drafting him for his college production numbers.
What you do see when watching him is a solid, 2-down, run-stuffing defensive lineman who was very often double-teamed and was probably playing slightly out of position as a nose tackle. At 6’2″, 300 pounds, he’s not exactly the prototypical nose but could line up there in the NFL if he put on a little extra weight. His real true calling would be playing one of the other end spots next to Clark.
He’s a tough guy to single block, as he frequently gets off the ball well and gets his arms extended to create some separation from his blocker. He’s not a super dynamic athlete, but he does possess good skills diagnosing the run and getting to the ball. When offenses would try to pin him down into a gap, he was great at fighting over the block and making things difficult for opposing running backs.
As a pass rusher, his bull rush is pretty good, but he doesn’t have much else in his arsenal. Overall, Togiai isn’t a guy that will transform a defense, but he could definitely compete for a starting spot on day one and help out a defensive front that’s struggled to hold their ground in the past.