5 or 6 Interior DL: Can Jonathan Ford earn roster spot with Packers?

There is a lot of inexperience at the interior defensive line position for the Green Bay Packers, but where 2022 seventh-round pick Jonathan Ford fits still remains unknown.

The Packers are either going to keep five or six interior defensive linemen. For reference, they kept six last season on the initial 53-man. If they end up rostering just five, then that room is pretty well set, with those spots going to Kenny Clark, TJ Slaton, Devonte Wyatt, Colby Wooden, and Karl Brooks. Keeping six would open the door for Ford.

Ford making the 53-man roster last season was even a bit of a surprise, given that during the preseason, it seemed like Jack Heflin as well as Chris Slayton outplayed him. Ford would remain on the Packers’ roster all season, but he didn’t see any snaps, even on special teams, as he was listed as inactive on game days.

Where Ford could fit on this year’s Packers team is as a run defender, filling in for Slaton when needed, taking on double-teams, and clogging the middle of the field with his 6’5″ – 338-pound frame. Ford was on the field for 623 run defense snaps at Miami, according to PFF, and proved to be a sound tackler in the middle of that defense.

Green Bay has plenty of pass rush options along the interior, but how they will handle early downs and obvious running situations remains to be seen. Based on what I saw at minicamp, when in their nickel package, Slaton and Clark were on the field during early downs. When the defense was in its base 3-4, the defensive front was made up of Clark, Slaton, and Wyatt. As a secondary option when in base, I also observed Wooden in for Clark against the run as well. My guess right now is that Brooks will be utilized primarily on passing downs.

With the need for added options against the run, Ford could earn a roster spot by standing out in that capacity. However, while the interior defensive line is a heavily rotated position, there doesn’t seem to be much, if any, playing time for Ford, at least based off of offseason programs—although that could change once the pads come on.

But for the time being anyways, this then begs the question, should the Packers devote a roster spot to him, especially with the flexibility teams have nowadays with the ability to elevate players from the practice squad to the game day roster up to three times?

This season, Ford will likely have to find a way to contribute on special teams in order to make the final roster—or, again, standing out as a run defender. So when it comes to earning a roster spot, Ford isn’t only competing against Slayton but also members at the back end of other position groups for a special teams role.

Due to the inexperience at this position, with only Clark, Wyatt, and Slaton having seen any NFL snaps, along with both Wyatt and Slaton having played fewer than 600 total snaps, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Packers added an interior defensive lineman to the roster prior to training camp. From a salary cap perspective, they have the means to do so and there are still a few rotational players still available in free agency. A veteran addition could provide some stability to the rotation rather than having to fully “weather the storm,” as run game coordinator Jerry Montgomery put it, that comes with relying heavily on young players.

In order for this Packers defense to improve in 2023, it begins with being better against the run. Slowing the run puts the offense in predictable passing situations, allowing the defensive front to be aggressive. However, failing to contain the opponents’ rushing attack will open up the playbook for the offense, keeping the Green Bay defense off-balanced and guessing, as they stay ahead of the sticks.