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The Green Bay Packers lost their main run-stopping defensive lineman in free agency when\u00a0TJ Slaton signed with the Cincinnati Bengals. The answer didn\u2019t come in the draft, since Warren Brinson was the only interior defensive lineman taken. But an\u00a0undrafted piece\u00a0may be everything the Packers needed\u2014and he had started to show in training camp why the NFL made a mistake by not drafting him.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s Brinson\u2019s\u00a0former 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, he\u2019s done a really nice job,\u201d head coach Matt LaFleur said last week. \u201cHe\u2019s earning more and more opportunities. I think at some point we\u2019re going to have to see him in there against the ones.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\u2014maybe even with a chance to make the 53-man roster.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
As\u00a0The Athletic\u2019s Dane Brugler\u00a0mentioned, \u201cStackhouse is a naturally powerful human who can two-gap, eat up double teams and make run stops at the line.\u201d<\/p>\n
For a defense that needs someone to stop the run, it will be hard to find a better option\u2014especially one as cheap as Stackhouse as an undrafted free agent.<\/p>\n
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\u2014and after two weeks of practice, it\u2019s trending in that direction.<\/p>\n
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