Whether it's via free agency, trade, or the draft, the Green Bay Packers must address their needs at nose tackle. That's a non-negotiable. Especially in Jonathan Gannon's preferred 3-4 scheme, a space-eating run stuffer up the middle will be a crucial component. Right now, the defense doesn't have one.
Among draft prospects, Iowa State's Domonique Orange is a popular, if polarizing figure frequently matched to the Packers. Nicknamed "Big Citrus" for his 6-foot-2, 322-pound frame, he is a flawed but powerful run defender who could help clog the line of scrimmage.
Suddenly, however, there is a variable, a Dexter-Lawrence-sized variable, that could cool the Packers' pursuit of a defensive tackle early on in the draft. Following the three-time Pro Bowler's trade request from the New York Giants, Green Bay could certainly look to get in on the sweepstakes.
Packers are facing a perplexing dilemma at nose tackle entering the NFL Draft
If Lawrence talks heat up before the draft, prospects like Orange could be pushed to the back burner for general manager Brian Gutekunst and the Packers.
Knowing that Lawrence is available has to affect the calculus. Drafting a nose tackle would immediately become contingent on whether the Packers chose to get involved in the sweepstakes.
Rather than invest in a prospect who could suddenly be rendered redundant, they could elect to spend less valuable draft capital on a defensive tackle later, on Day 3. That's assuming Gutekunst gets in touch with the Giants and believes Lawrence is in play as a realistic target.
Even assuming no deal gets done before the draft, Green Bay could enter the proceedings less enthusiastic about burning a Day 2 pick on Orange or, for that matter, more highly-ranked prospects like Caleb Banks and Christen Miller. Those two may be gone, anyway, before the clock even reaches the Packers at 52nd overall, unless they trade up.
As for Orange, he is typically evaluated somewhere in no-man's land, between Green Bay's second- and third-round selections. Impressive as he is for his run defense and power, consistency and deficiencies as a pass rusher are valid concerns. The Packers might already be amenable to a scenario that bails them out of an uncomfortable draft-value dilemma.
Gutekunst could indeed find himself in a bind, having to decide between reaching for Orange or missing out on a nose tackle altogether in a class projected to plummet in value by Day 3. Most draft boards predict Orange will be off the board when Green Bay next hits the clock at No. 84. The Packers could try to thread the needle to get him by trading back from No. 52, but that would entail losing out on preferred prospects at other positions, like cornerback, in the second round.
Because Green Bay has no dream scenario laid out before them, they could be more aggressive in seizing an unexpected opportunity in the form of Lawrence. As a result, his mere presence on the market could materially affect their draft strategy.