The Green Bay Packers lost their main run-stopping defensive lineman in free agency when TJ Slaton signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. The answer didn’t come in the draft, since Warren Brinson was the only interior defensive lineman taken. But an undrafted piece may be everything the Packers needed—and he had started to show in training camp why the NFL made a mistake by not drafting him.
It’s Brinson’s former teammate at Georgia, Nazir Stackhouse. Because he went undrafted and is still learning the defensive system, the nose tackle is practicing exclusively with the backups in team periods. But the performance is so notable that he may get more attention from the coaching staff.
“Yes, he’s done a really nice job,” head coach Matt LaFleur said last week. “He’s earning more and more opportunities. I think at some point we’re going to have to see him in there against the ones.”
Throughout training camp, the Packers have started Kenny Clark and Devonte Wyatt along the defensive line. Brinson, a sixth-round pick, has also played well, and generated a few pressures on Family Night. The interior of the defensive line also has Karl Brooks, Colby Wooden, James Ester, and Keith Randolph Jr. as part of the rotation as well. But Stackhouse has shown he can be a real part of the team—maybe even with a chance to make the 53-man roster.
What Stackhouse brings to the table
Nazir Stackhouse is not necessarily a penetrator. Last year, for example, he had seven pressures for Georgia including regular season and postseason games. But his ability as a run defender is what catches the attention. He had 11 stops, 17 tackles, and an impressive 83.1 PFF run grade.
As The Athletic’s Dane Brugler mentioned, “Stackhouse is a naturally powerful human who can two-gap, eat up double teams and make run stops at the line.”
For a defense that needs someone to stop the run, it will be hard to find a better option—especially one as cheap as Stackhouse as an undrafted free agent.
Trying to get him back on the practice squad after final cuts may be too risky, and general manager Brian Gutekunst has been as smart as any executive in the NFL to navigate those scenarios. If they want to keep Stackhouse around, making him a part of the 53-man roster is the way to go—and after two weeks of practice, it’s trending in that direction.
