Star player surprisingly cut headlines the list of potential replacements Packers could pursue after moving on from Kenny Clark
Green Bay can still make this roster even better.
The Green Bay Packers are happy, as they should be, after acquiring Micah Parsons in a blockbuster trade with the Dallas Cowboys. But part of that compensation was Kenny Clark, who has a specific skill set that the Packers will lack in the interior defensive line room.
After all, players like Devonte Wyatt and Karl Brooks have been impactful interior rushers, but they struggle against the run. Right now, Colby Wooden and undrafted rookie Nazir Stackhouse are probably the best run-stuffers on the DT depth chart.
Now, the Packers will not have many resources to add more pieces, but it’s still possible to look for smart solutions to improve what looks like a roster ready to win now.
Veteran Christian Wilkins and rookie Cam Horsley are the best options, and we will discuss why they could make sense.
Internal options
The Packers have invested significant draft resources along the interior of the defensive line. Wyatt was a first-round pick in 2022, and Green Bay picked up his fifth-year option for 2026. Colby Wooden was a fourth-rounder. Karl Brooks and Warren Brinson were sixth-rounders. Ideally, some of them could develop and play better with new defensive line coach DeMarcus Covington. James Ester, who was undrafted last year, is on the practice squad, but he’s probably not a realistic option.
A real possibility is that the Packers could use Lukas Van Ness more as an interior player on passing downs. However, it probably won’t apply for early downs.
External alternatives
There aren’t many solid defensive tackles left in free agency. The best option is certainly Christian Wilkins, a former Miami Dolphins star. He signed a huge $110 million contract with the Las Vegas Raiders just last offseason, but was released and had his guarantees voided due to an injury and issues with the team’s medical staff. It’s a Jones fracture, so it’s unclear when Wilkins can return.
But when healthy, the veteran is a dominant player. Last season, he had 11 stops and an 80.2 PFF run defense grade.
Other than that, Raekwon Davis and Maurice Hurst could be depth options, but they wouldn’t be clear upgrades (if at all) over what the roster has now.
The best practical solutions could come by signing players from other teams’ practice squads, something general manager Brian Gutekunst has done frequently. The most interesting alternatives include Washington Commanders’ Sheldon Day, Atlanta Falcons’ Kentavius Street, and former Packer but current Bear Jonathan Ford.
Most intriguing option
The Packers simply can’t replicate Clark’s prime production right now — well, probably not even with Clark himself, since he showed some signs of regression last year. But there’s an intriguing prospect that would make tons of sense for Green Bay.
It’s undrafted rookie Cam Horsley, who is on the Tennessee Titans’ practice squad. A former Boston College standout, he has familiarity with Jeff Hafley. Despite being undrafted, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler graded him as a fifth-round prospect, saying he “is a stout run defender, using his heavy, upward strikes and immediate lockout to own the line of scrimmage or create vertical push.”
Green Bay probably prefers Stackhouse, and that’s fine. But after moving on from Clark, it wouldn’t hurt to add more options to the menu.
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