At the NFL Scouting Combine on Tuesday, Green Bay Packers Brian Gutekunst gave some insight into some of the thoughts he has as the offseason rolls along.

One theme from Gutekunst’s press conference was a need for more consistency from their defensive front.

“I think the biggest thing and we talked a little about it earlier is just the fact we need to affect the quarterback with four,” Gutekunst said.

“How we do that kind of remains to be seen. We had good moments last year, but it just needs to be more consistent. It needs to be able to control the game when we need to control the game and finish games off.”

Gutekunst offered similar remarks at the end of the season. While the group might have underperformed in 2024, he remains confident they can reach their potential.

“I’m excited about the guys we have in the room,” said Gutekunst. “We’ll see if we add to it.”

Meanwhile, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported the Packers were having trade discussions surrounding cornerback Jaire Alexander.

One way to cover up some shortcomings at cornerback is to make life miserable for opposing quarterbacks. With Gutekunst’s thoughts surrounding his defensive line in mind, this draft took on a clear theme.

We used the PFN simulator this week to add some help to the front seven.

Round 1, Pick 23: Kenneth Grant, DL, Michigan

If you want to affect the quarterback with four players, the interior defensive linemen need to be able to penetrate and push the pocket.

Kenneth Grant of Michigan demonstrated an ability to do both. While he’s not as heralded as teammate Mason Graham, Grant is a really good player in his own right, with upside that could prove him to be a better pro than Graham.

NFL Network draft expert Daniel Jeremiah spoke highly of Grant during his press conference before the Scouting Combine.

“I think Kenneth has that upside in him,” Jeremiah said. “He’s going to be 340 pounds, and he’s going to run under 5 flat. You’re just going to see an athlete that’s a freak. He’s not a polished rusher yet, so I think that’s all in front of him. I think in the meantime he’s someone who is going to dominate against the run (and) he’s going to eat blocks.”

Grant would be an immediate replacement for TJ Slaton, who might leave via free agency. In the future, he could be a better option, with the ability to play on all three downs.

He’s not just a plodder in the middle of the defensive line. The mammoth in the middle had 6.5 sacks in the last two seasons for the Wolverines.

Round 2, Pick 54: Donovan Ezeiruaku, edge, Boston College

Another body for the front seven, this time the pass rusher from Boston College.

Donovan Ezeiruaku said at the Combine that he spoke with his former college coach and current Packers’ defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley not that long ago.

The Packers’ pass rushers need to play better than they did a year ago. Rashan Gary led the team in sacks with 7.5. None of the other edge rushers had more than 4.5.

Gutekunst said he remained high on the players they have, specifically citing Lukas Van Ness. While that may be true, the Packers need more help along the defensive front.

Ezeiruaku had 16.5 sacks in his final season at Boston College.

For reference’s sake, Gary, Kingsley Enagbare, and Van Ness combined for 15 sacks last year.

Round 3, Pick 87: Shemar Turner, DT, Texas A&M

Another top-100 pick in the front seven.

Hey, Gutekunst said he wanted to affect the passer with four players.

Without knowing what he’ll do in free agency, adding a couple defensive linemen gives Hafley the ability to dream and scheme different games to get after opposing passers.

With Devonte Wyatt’s contract expiring, TJ Slaton set to be a free agent and Kenny Clark a potential cut candidate, the Packers need reinforcements both in the present and future on the defensive line.

While Grant, who we took in the first round is massive, Turner is more of a tweener in the mold of Karl Brooks. He would be a potential sub-package rusher early in his career as he tries to carve out a role while getting his NFL body underneath him.

Round 4, Pick 123: Ricky White, WR, UNLV

Brian Gutekunst might prefer to take a receiver earlier than the fourth round, but with fewer picks than he’s had in recent years, sometimes that’s the way the board falls.

In this case, we’ll take Ricky White, the dynamic receiver from UNLV.

White, at minimum, could contribute on special teams immediately, and may already be better there than some of the players on the roster. He blocked four punts in 2024 to win Mountain West Special Teams Player of the Year.

Plus, White had more than 1,000 yards each of the last two seasons.

Round 5 Pick 160: Nohl Williams, CB, California

If you took a poll of the fanbase, cornerback and receiver would likely come back as the biggest perceived needs on the roster.

In this case, the board never fell well enough for the Packers to take on earlier than they did.

With receiver being addressed in the fourth round, we take a corner in the fifth.

Nohl Williams was a playmaking machine at Cal, with seven interceptions in his final season for the Golden Bears. The Packers could use some playmaking at cornerback with Jaire Alexander likely on his way out the door.

Round 6, Pick 200: Connor Colby, OL, Iowa

The Packers love versatility in their offensive linemen. It makes sense. Who am I to quibble with how they’ve approached their offensive line when they’ve had so much success?

Anyone who watched the Packers face the Eagles in the postseason saw, however, one issue that reared its ugly head. The Packers did not have any depth on the interior of their offensive line by the end of the season.

When Elgton Jenkins went down, Travis Glover, a lifelong offensive tackle was his replacement.
He struggled and was almost immediately replaced by Kadeem Telfort, another lifelong tackle.

In this case, Colby would be a classically trained guard to give some depth on their interior. They could potentially cross train him at center as well.

Round 7, Pick 239: Kobe King, LB, Penn State

Edgerrin Cooper is a star in the making. Brian Gutekunst has told anyone who is willing to listen that he wants to keep Quay Walker around for the foreseeable future. Still, the Packers could need some help at linebacker, wtih Eric Wilson and Isaiah McDuffie headed to free agency.

After those two, the only other linebacker under contract who played in 2024 is Ty’Ron Hopper.
Hopper was the team’s third-round pick a season ago, but did not see much action.

King, the brother of fellow Packer Kalen King could be a target here.

With Walker and Cooper being a little lighter at the position, King could be another one of the bigger linebackers to help play on run downs. He had 97 tackles and nine TFLs a season ago.

Round 7, Pick 251: Jason Marshall Jr., CB, Florida

A second cornerback comes off the board, with the goal of throwing numbers at the position as Brian Gutekunst stated was his goal at cornerback.

Marshall had 15 passes defensed over the last two seasons, and has the requisite size the Packers typically value at this position.

What Worked?

Adding three quality players to the front seven is something that will make Jeff Hafley smile.

Kenneth Grant could be a replacement for Kenny Clark as soon as 2026. Shemar Turner guards against the possibility that both Clark and Wyatt are not on the team in 2026.

Ezeiruaku adds another pass rusher to the outside who has familiarity with Hafley.

Ultimately this draft is built on the defensive front, and that is something that Brian Gutekunst appears he is going to prioritize this spring.

What Didn’t Work?

When you spend you first three picks on the defensive front, there isn’t much room to add impact elsewhere.

The Packers may not care too much if they take that approach, but the hope would be that Gutekunst went shopping in the free agent market for skill position players, specifically at defensive back and wide receiver.

If the draft were to shake this way, Gutekunst may need to find a veteran on the offensive line for depth purposes as well.