The Green Bay Packers are starting to get healthier as the 2025 NFL season continues. Defensive tackle Devonte Wyatt returned to practice this week, which has fans feeling excited about the defense's outlook.
Wyatt, who missed the Packers' past two games with a knee injury, practiced on a limited basis on Thursday (h/t @by_JBH) — his second day back on the practice field — opening the door for him to possibly play on Sunday Night Football against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 8. While excellent news for Green Bay, it could be the first step to pushing Packers teammate Karl Brooks out of the defensive line rotation.
Devonte Wyatt's Looming Return Leaves Karl Brooks in Limbo
Brooks began the season as part of a three-man defensive line rotation with Wyatt and Colby Wooden and has played 64.3% of available snaps, the highest percentage among Packers defensive tackles.
Despite being a consistent presence along the defensive line, Brooks has had a lackluster season, only generating five pressures and 0.5 sacks despite ranking No. 7 in ESPN's pass-rush win rate rankings. He's also been ineffective in run defense. Per Pro Football Focus data, his average depth of tackle on rush attempts is 3.5 yards, tied for the 10th-highest among 114 linemen with at least 50 run-defense snaps.
Brooks might not be as big a factor going forward. In addition to Wyatt, rookie defensive lineman Warren Brinson, a 2025 sixth-round pick, has earned playing time with quality production in the past two games after being a healthy scratch through the first month of the season.
According to NFL Pro, in albeit a small sample size, Wyatt has a higher pressure rate (11.8%) than Brooks (7.6%). He's also produced a higher stop rate, recording two tackles that result in negative expected points added for the offense in 49 snaps (4.1%); Brooks has four stops on 245 snaps (1.6%).
The Packers have one of the league's more talented defenses, and it might only take a couple of minor adjustments for the unit, which ranks 10th in the league in scoring defense (20.8 points per game), to rise to another level. More consistency at defensive tackle would help, which Wyatt, whenever he returns, should provide.
Brooks must take more advantage of his favorable matchups to seal a rotational spot. Among the top 20 defensive tackles in ESPN's pass-rush win rate, Brooks has tied for the lowest rate of double-teams (53 percent), no doubt thanks to offenses focusing on stopping All-Pro edge Micah Parsons.
If he's unable to, the Packers have players lined up to take his spot.