Green Bay Packers 2021 NFL Draft Prospects to Know: IDL Tyler Shelvin

We are all aware that on the Green Bay Packers’ to-do list heading into the draft should be addressing the interior defensive line position. Kenny Clark could still use additional help, and depth-wise, this group is quite thin at the moment.

In Joe Barry’s defense, which is going to be similar to what Brandon Staley ran with the Los Angeles Rams last season, the nose tackle plays an important role, occupying multiple blockers, taking away cut-back lanes, and keeping the linebackers clean. As it currently stands, Clark is the only interior defensive lineman on the roster who could handle those responsibilities.

However, if Green Bay can find that 0-tech player in the draft, it will allow Clark to slide down to the 3 or 4-tech, where he will have the potential to make a greater impact.

Although this year’s interior defensive line class isn’t held in high regard among the draft community, one player who could fill this important nose tackle role is Tyler Shelvin from LSU.

Measuring in at 6’2″ and 350 pounds — a good sign after weighing as much as 390 pounds during his time at LSU — Shelvin is a space-eater who played nose tackle for the Tigers and has just one year of starting experience in 2019 after opting out of the 2020 season. That year he tallied six pressures and no sacks; however, getting after the quarterback really isn’t a part of his job description either.

Shelvin’s run grade that he received from Pro Football Focus ($$) that season was the 12th highest among interior defensive lineman. But much of the work that Shelvin does isn’t going to show up on the stat sheet. He takes up space, can occupy multiple defenders, and makes life easier for his teammates–similarly to Damon “Snacks” Harrison, who the Green Bay Packers picked up late last season.

Given his size, Shelvin didn’t test particularly well at his Pro-Day, recording a Relative Athletic Score (RAS) of 1.28 out of 10. Under Brian Gutekunst, 22 of the Green Bay Packers’ 25 RAS eligible draft picks scored 8.0 or higher. While typically this low of a score could take Shelvin off Green Bay’s board — at least based on what we’ve seen through three drafts under Gutey — it may not carry as much weight given his position. As a nose tackle, we know what his responsibilites will be and what to expect.

For a closer look at what Shelvin can offer the Green Bay Packers, here is what Joe Marino of The Draft Network had to say about him in his pre-draft scouting report:

"“Shelvin is a straightforward evaluation—he’s a massive interior defensive lineman who is outstanding against the run but doesn’t offer much on passing downs outside of pushing the pocket. Shelvin isn’t a dynamic run defender simply because he’s big and strong, he knows how to fit his hands, find the football, disengage, and finish. Shelvin plays with tremendous urgency on every snap and competes hard in pursuit despite limited range. He’s dominant against single blocks and more than holds his own against doubles.For a guy who is going to be asked to fill an unselfish role in the NFL, he embraces taking on blocks, absorbing double teams, eating space, and keeping the second-level clean. Shelvin has the makings of a dominant run-stuffing 3-4 nose tackle or 4-3 one-technique, but his value is limited to running downs.”"

In this year’s draft class, PFF and The Draft Network rank Shelvin similarly, with PFF having him rated as their seventh best interior defensive lineman and 96th ranked prospect overall. Meanwhile, The Draft Network has him as their sixth-best defensive lineman and the 80th ranked player on their big board.

Right now, over at the Mock Draft Database, they have Shelvin with a third-round projection based on the many mock drafts they’ve compiled along with the dozens of big boards from draft analysts.

At the NFL level, Shelvin fills a very niche role and lacks the versatility that teams covet. He has one job to do, however to his credit, he does it quite well, and it’s a role that the Green Bay Packers could use some help with. From a need standpoint, this is a selection that makes sense, but will his one-dimensional skill-set and athletic testing keep the Packers away?