Packers draft grades: More depth at defensive tackle, cornerback
It’s all about upside in the later rounds of the draft. The Green Bay Packers had two selections in the fifth round, selecting defensive tackle Tedarrell Slaton and cornerback Shemar Jean-Charles with their two picks.
Slaton will give the Packers more depth along the defensive line, some help for Kenny Clark, while Jean-Charles will provide some competition at cornerback, which again, the Packers needed.
Green Bay continues to put together a solid draft class.
DT. Green Bay Packers. TEDARRELL SLATON. C.
There’s no doubt the Packers needed to add some more depth along the defensive line. Tedarrell Slaton will be a player they develop with the hope of him eventually playing a significant role on defense.
What remains to be seen is what kind of impact Slaton will be able to make as an interior pass rusher, but he should help in run defense and can be asked to take on double teams.
The Packers get some depth up front and Slaton can help the run defense improve. Zach Kruse of Packers Wire compared Slaton to Mike Pennel, and that’s exactly the type of player they need on defense.
B. . CB. Green Bay Packers. SHEMAR JEAN-CHARLES
Doubling-down at cornerback always seemed like a real possibility for Green Bay in this draft. After picking Eric Stokes in the first round, they add Shemar Jean-Charles out of Appalachian State in the fifth.
In 11 games last season, Jean-Charles made an impressive 16 pass defenses with one interception. According to Pro Football Focus, he has a 22.9 percent forced incompletion rate since 2019.
Jean-Charles will likely play most of his snaps in the slot. He could compete with Chandon Sullivan for playing time down the line. In the short term, he gives the defense more depth at cornerback, which is something they desperately needed entering the offseason.
With the addition of Stokes and Jean-Charles, Green Bay has added talent to the cornerback room in this draft class.