Nazir Stackhouse put himself on the Green Bay Packers’ radar during the 2025 season, going from an undrafted free agent to a promising prospect. But despite his progress, his first offseason in the NFL has been one battle after another.
Thanks to the depth at DT for Green Bay, Stackhouse is sliding down the depth chart. He’s gone from battling for more playing time to fighting for a roster spot. That could get even more challenging with the news from KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson that the Packers are among several teams that have hosted Georgia defensive tackle Christen Miller during the pre-draft process.
While these visits can be taken with a grain of salt, the Packers’ history suggests it's more than a draft crush. It also means there’s a good chance that Miller is on the Packers’ draft board and could give Stackhouse another obstacle to overcome as he enters his second season.
Packers’ Christen Miller Visit Could Signal More Competition for Nazir Stackhouse
The Wisconsin State Journal’s Paul Bretl dove into the Packers’ history for top-30 draft visits. While he noted that general manager Brian Gutekunst once referred to the visits as “subterfuge” to “help cover up a team’s true intentions in the draft,” the Packers have gone the opposite way, bringing in 23 prospects for visits during the pre-draft process via a draft pick or a UDFA signing.
- 2022: Tariq Carpenter, Samori Toure, Devonte Wyatt, Christian Watson, Rasheed Walker, Romeo Doubs, Jahmir Johnson (UDFA)
- 2023: Karl Brooks, Dontayvion Wicks, Lew Nichols, Sean Clifford, Kadeem Telfort (UDFA), Camren McDonald (UDFA)
- 2024: Edgerrin Cooper, Kitan Oladapo, Donovan Jennings, Ty’Ron Hopper, Travis Glover
- 2025: Matthew Golden, Anthony Belton, Micah Robinson, John Williams, Savion Williams
Packers fans will recognize most of the names on that list, and it includes the first three picks of last year’s draft -- Golden, Belton, and Savion Williams. But outside of the trend, Miller makes plenty of sense as a player Green Bay could take a swing at.
The No. 46 overall prospect on NFL Mock Draft Database’s consensus big board, Miller is a 6-foot-4, 321-pound nose tackle that was a steady force for the Bulldogs. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein pointed out that Miller “can rattle pads and gain early advantages at the point of attack” and will “continue to bulk up and should become a good starter who is more consistent than dominant along the interior.”
Pro Football Focus also gave a rave review of Miller’s work as his 84.5 overall grade ranked ninth among qualifying interior defenders at the FBS level last season, and his 90.2 run defense grade ranked second despite just 15 run stops and a 19.2% missed tackle rate.
In addition, Miller would fix a major flaw in the Packers’ defense, as no interior defender posted a run defense grade higher than Colby Wooden’s 46.4 grade last season. Wooden has since been traded to the Indianapolis Colts, and while that creates opportunity, Stackhouse wasn’t great against the run in limited duty with a 45.4 run defense grade on 97 snaps.
Looking at Miller’s strengths, it could be bad news for Stackhouse if he’s added along the defensive line. Devonte Wyatt and free agent addition Javon Hargrave are locked into starting roles but the Packers still have Karl Brooks and Warren Brinson ahead of Stackhouse on the depth chart.
It may not seem fair for the Packers to throw in the towel after a rookie season that had some moments, including his Week 18 performance against the Minnesota Vikings. But life comes at you fast in the NFL, and with the Packers’ interest in Miller, it could mean it’s only a matter of time before Stackhouse is facing more competition entering the offseason program.