State of IDL room could make it early round option for Packers

Although not drawing a ton of attention, the interior defensive line position is one that the Green Bay Packers could very well spend an early-round draft pick on.

For one, the Packers need more consistent play from this unit in 2023, but also, there are only three players on the roster right now, Kenny Clark, Devonte Wyatt, and TJ Slaton, who have any NFL experience. In total, there are only five interior defensive linemen on the roster.

With how heavily rotated the interior defensive line position is, the Packers will need to add bodies to this room. Four defensive linemen seeing snaps each week is quite common, and depending on the depth, five isn’t out of the question, either.

Unfortunately, when it comes to free agency, the Packers’ lack of spending power limits what they can do there. This means that in terms of building out the depth and finding an impact player, that will likely have to be done through the draft.

Below is a look at PFF’s top 10 interior defensive linemen in this year’s class, along with their overall ranking in parenthesis.

Jalen Carter, Georgia (2)
Calijah Kancey, Pitt (13)
Bryan Bresee, Clemson (20)
Mazi Smith, Michigan (34)
Siaki Ika, Baylor (65)
Keeanu Benton, Wisconsin (67)
Moro Ojomo, Texas (85)
Kobie Turner, Wake Forest (100)
Jacquelin Roy, LSU (106)
Gervon Dexter, Florida (118)

Oftentimes a player’s Relative Athletic Score, or a specific measurement, can provide us with some insight into who the Packers might be interested in. Out of Brian Gutekunst’s 42 draft picks that have registered on the RAS scale, 30 have scored above 8.0. However, that isn’t the case with the interior defensive line.

Of the five players that Gutekunst has taken at that position, only two have a RAS above 8.0, and one is below 4.0. The only commonality among the individual measurements for each player is that each draft pick had a vertical jump above 29 inches, but that could be a coincidence because it’s not like that figure is elite.

Not coincidentally, the Green Bay defense was playing its best football in 2022 during the same span when the interior defensive line group was at its best as well. In the final five games, the run defense was much improved, which allowed Joe Barry the ability to play with an extra defender in coverage more often, and that, of course, helped the passing game. We also saw more consistent pressure on the quarterback as well.

When it comes to how this Packers’ defense can improve in 2023, it begins up front. Quick interior pressure is the best way to disrupt any offensive play, and there isn’t a position on the defensive side of the ball that doesn’t benefit.

This potential improvement begins with Wyatt and Slaton taking big jumps as they enter their second and third NFL seasons, two years where players often see the most noticeable leaps in performance. But given the lack of experience and depth at the position, along with the need for improved play, the Packers spending an early-round pick on the position is also a real option in an effort to bolster this position group.