Even though the Green Bay Packers managed to poach defensive tackle Javon Hargrave from the rival Minnesota Vikings in free agency, they could still add further reinforcements to the interior defensive line in the NFL Draft.
The issue is that the Packers gave up their 2026 first-round pick as part of the Micah Parsons trade. On top of that, this isn't a great year to draft a defensive tackle. The good news is that one fewer team will address the position in Rounds 1 and 2 after the Cincinnati Bengals pulled off a blockbuster trade to acquire Dexter Lawrence from the New York Giants.
After trading for Sexy Dex, the Bengals won't likely bolster their defensive line in the first or second round. That could allow one of the top defensive tackles in the draft to slide to No. 52 when Green Bay is on the clock.
The Packers could see one of the top defensive tackles slide to Round 2
The top defensive tackles in this year's draft are (in no particular order): Kayden McDonald, Caleb Banks, Peter Woods, Lee Hunter, and Christen Miller. All five will tentatively go in Rounds 1 and 2. With Cincinnati no longer needing to pick a defensive tackle, the Packers' odds of getting one of them will increase.
The New York Giants pick three times before Green Bay, and they're projected to draft a defensive tackle after trading Lawrence. The Los Angeles Chargers could also use help on the interior defensive line. Ditto the Houston Texans and the Atlanta Falcons. That's four clubs, but it's not a given that all of them will go defensive tackle.
In Mel Kiper Jr.'s final mock draft, Woods, McDonald, Miller, and Hunter were off the board at No. 52, leaving Banks as a potential target. Kiper's ESPN colleague Jordan Reid also did a mock. McDonald, Woods, Banks, and Miller were taken by No. 52. That left Hunter as Green Bay's best option.
While it's hard to tell how Rounds 1 or 2 will ultimately play out, based on these two mocks, the Packers have a good chance of landing a top defensive tackle with the 52nd overall selection. Then again, they go corner in Kiper's mock (Avieon Terrell) and pass rusher in Reid's (Dani-Dennis Sutton). But that's the thing, defensive tackle isn't the only direction general manager Brian Gutekunst can take in the second round.
The Packers will have no shortage of options in Round 2 of the NFL Draft
The fact that the Bengals probably won't go defensive tackle in Rounds 1 or 2 could help the Packers land one they want. Having said that, there's still a chance their preferred prospects will be gone by the time they're on the clock, and if that's the case, they're better off not forcing the pick.
Aside from the interior defensive line, Green Bay can target a boundary cornerback, a pass rusher, or an offensive lineman. At that point in the draft, there will be plenty of intriguing prospects available, and many of them may offer better value than the remaining defensive tackles at No. 52.
The bottom line is that the Packers have better chances of landing a defensive tackle after the Lawrence trade, but even then, zeroing in on another position could turn out to be the best course of action.
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