The Green Bay Packers are still searching for answers on their defensive line—and time is running out for one veteran to prove he’s part of the solution.
After another up-and-down performance from the front four in 2024, Green Bay wasted no time firing position coach Jason Rebrovich following the season.
His unit, stacked with four former first-round picks, never quite found its groove. They struggled to consistently pressure opposing quarterbacks, especially in the biggest and toughest games of the season.
Fans expected a major overhaul. Instead, they got a quiet offseason. The Packers let TJ Slaton walk in free agency (he signed with the Bengals) and used three Day 3 draft picks—Barryn Sorrell (4th round), Collin Oliver (5th), and Warren Brinson (6th)—to backfill the depth chart.
No splashy trade. No big free-agent signing. Just a bet on internal development.
Unfortunately, that bet isn’t looking great for Colby Wooden.
The 2023 fourth-round pick out of Auburn is entering his third year and, barring a sudden leap, possibly his last in Green Bay.
Drafted just two rounds ahead of Karl Brooks, Wooden has been outplayed ever since. Brooks nearly doubled his snap count last year and has looked sharp again in training camp. Wooden, on the other hand, has been mostly invisible.
The Packers need a couple of key improvements from their defensive line this season. First, they need someone who can get after the quarterback without relying on blitz packages. Despite ranking 10th in sacks last year, Green Bay needs more pressure from its base front.
Wooden doesn’t bring that juice—he has just half a sack and seven pressures in two seasons. Yuck.
Second, they need someone to anchor the middle and replace Slaton’s presence as a space-eater. At 6-foot-4 and just 273 pounds, Wooden is undersized for the job. In fact, he’s the lightest interior defensive lineman on the team.
That opens the door wide for someone like Brinson (6-foot-4 and 310 lbs) or undrafted free agent Nazir Stackhouse (6-foot-3 and 320 pounds).
Stackhouse has been making noise in camp with steady, impactful plays—often flashing against both the run and pass. He’s a thick-bodied lineman who fits the mold of what Green Bay needs up front.
If Stackhouse and the rookies keep showing out, Wooden could find himself on the chopping block. Unless something changes fast, this might be the final preseason for Colby Wooden in a Packers uniform. That would be a massive disappointment for the 2023 fourth-rounder.